What Does Fair Housing Mean?

The right to fair housing means that all classes of people should be treated the same when it comes to any issue related to housing. This can include:

•Renting Property

•Buying Property

•Obtaining Financial Assistance to Rent or Buy Property

Under the Fair Housing Act, It Would Be Illegal To Do Any of the Following:

•Refuse to rent or sell to someone because they are a member of a certain class.

•Change the lease terms because they are a member of a certain class.

•Use discriminatory statements in an ad to rent or sell the property.

•Falsely state that a unit is not available because an individual is a member of a certain class.

•Refuse to make reasonable accommodations to a person with disabilities.

North Carolina Tenant Screening Background Checks

• Most tenants pay rent on time, keep the premises clean, and do not disturb their neighbors. There are other tenants who fail to pay rent when due, damage property, and engage in criminal activity or other behaviors that disturb the peace and quiet of neighbors. North Carolina Tenant Screening provides us with the comprehensive screening tools that are necessary to thoroughly screen our rental applicants. Discover our applicant’s previous rental history and if they have ever been evicted. We would like to learn if the applicant has a poor credit history or has a local state-specified or federal criminal history. We can determine if applicants have terrorist charges or if they have been convicted of sex crimes. All done to ensure the safety of all of our Tenants and neighbors.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT

• As long as you fulfill your legal duties and the requirements of your rental agreement, you have the right to exclusive possession of property you rent or lease for the term of the rental agreement. However, even as you exercise your basic right to privacy, your landlord may retain in the lease a right to inspect your dwelling at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner.

• Exercise your rights under law or the rental agreement which you have signed

If the court decides in the landlord’s favor, you may be responsible for court costs and expenses.

Tenants may NOT withhold rent payments in order to force the landlord to fulfill his duties without the permission of the court.

In certain factual circumstances, a tenant who falls into one of the following categories may have the legal right to terminate their rental agreement early:

• Members of the United States Armed Forces;

• Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

• Tenants residing in certain foreclosed property.

YOUR DUTIES AS A TENANT

• As a tenant you have an obligation to:

• Pay your rent as agreed and do other things required by your lease;

• Keep your home clean and safe, dispose of trash and garbage in a clean and safe way, and use the toilet, sinks, and baths in proper ways and keep them clean;

• Prevent damage to your home (other than ordinary wear and tear), prevent your family or guests from damaging your home

• Comply with any and all obligations imposed upon tenants by current applicable building and housing codes;

• Replace the batteries as needed in a battery-operated smoke detector, notify the landlord if the smoke detector needs to be repaired or replaced, and prevent anyone from rendering the smoke detector inoperable; and

• Vacate the premises at the end of the term, leaving them in good, clean condition. If you hold over at the end of the term and the landlord continues to accept rental payments from you, unless your rental agreement otherwise provides, the law may deem you to have entered a new term of lease according to the same terms as your rental agreement. For example, if you have a lease agreement for a one-year term and hold over at the end of the term you may be bound to an additional one-year term.

To protect yourself you should make a thorough inspection of premises you intend to rent and set out in writing any damages or defects in the premises existing when you take occupancy, so that you will not be held responsible for them at the end of the term.

If something goes wrong with your home which is the landlord’s duty to fix, you should let him know in writing what needs to be repaired and you must give him a reasonable amount of time to get the repairs done. What amount of time is reasonable depends on the nature of the problem. Leaks, and bad wiring, etc., should be corrected promptly. It may be reasonable, however, for a landlord to take a few weeks to repair other problems.

REMEMBER: The landlord’s obligation to perform his duties is dependent on your performance of your duties as a tenant

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