RenterTexas · California · New York · Ohio · Arizona · Georgia · Florida · Nationwide Updated August 2026
The law
has teeth.
Learn to bite back.
Deposits, evictions, repairs, lease breaks and junk fees — explained one state at a time, with the section number attached so you can check us against the statute itself.
- 7states
- TX, CA, NY, OH, AZ, GA, FL — plus nationwide federal rules
- 40
- statute-cited guides, 2,500+ words each
- 14days
- shortest deposit deadline we track (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108)
Every citation on this site links to an official source — check us:
The Guides
One dispute, one page, every step sourced.
Can My Landlord Enter Without Notice? The Rules by State
Most states require 24 hours' notice — Arizona wants two days, and Texas and Georgia require none at all. What the law says, and what to do about repeat entry.
Read the playbook → IIMold in Your Apartment: Your Rights and Who to Report It To
There is no legal mold limit in the US — and the health department usually can't help. The reporting path that works, and what each agency can do.
Read the playbook → IIIArizona Security Deposit: 14 Business Days, Not 14 Days
A.R.S. § 33-1321 gives your landlord 14 days excluding weekends and holidays — and the clock only starts when you demand it. Plus the 2× penalty.
Read the playbook → IVDispossessory Warrant in Atlanta? What Happens Next
Georgia's eviction process explained — the 3-business-day notice, your 7 days to answer, paying rent into the court registry, and the 7-day writ window.
Read the playbook → VCalifornia Civil Code § 1950.5: The Full Security Deposit Law
Every subdivision of Civ. Code § 1950.5 in plain English — the one-month cap, the 21-day deadline, the $125 receipt rule, and the 2× bad-faith penalty.
Read the playbook → VIGeorgia Security Deposit: The 30-Day Rule and Treble Damages
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34 gives your landlord 30 days. Bad faith can cost them triple plus fees — unless they qualify for Georgia's small-landlord exemption.
Read the playbook → VIIHow Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent? Limits, Notice and Timing
Most US states set no ceiling on rent increases — the real limits are your lease term, notice rules, rent-cap states, and retaliation and discrimination law.
Read the playbook → VIIIHow to Legally Withhold Rent in Ohio: The Rent Escrow Process
Ohio lets you pay rent to the court instead of your landlord until repairs are made — § 5321.07. The notice, the 30 days, and the mistake that ends it.
Read the playbook → IXOhio Security Deposit: 30 Days, 5% Interest, and One Trap
Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16 gives 30 days and pays 5% interest on larger deposits — but skip the written forwarding address and you lose damages and fees.
Read the playbook → X5-Day Notice to Pay in Phoenix: What to Do Before Day Six
Arizona's 5-day notice explained — the reinstatement right before filing, what a special detainer is, and why paying with a late fee can end it entirely.
Read the playbook → XIDenied by SafeRent? Your FCRA Rights and How to Dispute It
What a SafeRent denial means, the adverse action notice your landlord owes you, how to get the report free within 60 days, and how to dispute what's wrong.
Read the playbook → XIICan I Sue My Roommate for Not Paying Rent? How to Actually Do It
Why the landlord can charge you your roommate's share, how a contribution claim works, what to file in small claims, and what you need to prove to win.
Read the playbook → XIIITexas Mold Landlord Laws: What the Property Code Actually Says
Texas has no mold statute — so mold claims run through Property Code § 92.052. The notice rules, the 7-day presumption, repair-and-deduct limits, and remedies.
Read the playbook → XIVTexas Rent Increase Laws: No Cap, But Four Real Limits
Texas has no rent control and preempts cities from creating it. What actually limits an increase: your lease term, notice, the six-month retaliation window.
Read the playbook → XVTexas Property Code § 92.052: The Duty to Repair, Explained
The Texas repair statute section by section — the § 92.052 duty, the § 92.056 notice conditions and 7-day presumption, and the § 92.0561 repair-and-deduct cap.
Read the playbook → XVIBreaking a Lease on PCS Orders: Your SCRA Rights
Federal law lets servicemembers end a lease early with no penalty on PCS or 90-day deployment orders. The exact notice, timing, and deposit rules.
Read the playbook → XVIITenant, Guest, or Squatter? Why Your Legal Status Decides Everything
Staying without a lease doesn't make you a squatter — but it might. How the law classifies you, and why it decides whether police or a judge can remove you.
Read the playbook → XVIIIFlorida Eviction: The 3-Day Notice and How to Fight It
Florida's 3-day notice excludes weekends and holidays, and must match the statute word for word. The timeline, the registry-deposit trap, and real defenses.
Read the playbook → XIXIs My NYC Apartment Rent-Stabilized? How to Find Out
Roughly a million NYC apartments are rent-stabilized — and many tenants don't know. How to check your status free, and what it's worth if you are.
Read the playbook → XXFlorida Security Deposit Law: The 15/30/15 Day Rules
Florida gives landlords 15 days to refund or 30 days to claim — and missing the 30-day notice forfeits the right to keep any of your deposit.
Read the playbook → XXIJunk Fees in Rent: Which Charges You Can Actually Fight
Admin fees, mandatory 'amenity' packages, pest control charges, and inflated late fees — how to tell which rental fees are enforceable and which aren't.
Read the playbook → XXIINew York Eviction Process: The 14-Day Demand and What Follows
NY requires a 14-day written rent demand before any nonpayment case. The housing court timeline, Good Cause protections, and defenses that actually work.
Read the playbook → XXIIIBreaking a Lease in California: What You Actually Owe
California landlords must mitigate damages under Civil Code § 1951.2. What early termination really costs and how to dispute inflated charges.
Read the playbook → XXIVCalifornia Repair Rights: Repair and Deduct Under § 1942
When a California landlord won't fix your unit — § 1941.1 habitability standards, the repair-and-deduct remedy, and retaliation limits.
Read the playbook → XXVCan't Pay Rent This Month? The First 72 Hours Matter Most
What to do before rent is late — emergency assistance, payment agreements that actually protect you, and the mistakes that lead to eviction.
Read the playbook → XXVILandlord Harassment: How to Document It and Make It Stop
Repeated entries, shut-off utilities, or threats — what counts as landlord harassment, how to build the record, and where to report it free.
Read the playbook → XXVIINew York Security Deposit Law: The 14-Day Rule Explained
NY caps deposits at one month and gives landlords 14 days to return yours — miss it and they forfeit the right to keep any of it.
Read the playbook → XXVIIICan a Landlord Deny an Emotional Support Animal? Federal Rules
Assistance animals are not pets under the Fair Housing Act. What HUD's FHEO-2020-01 notice requires, banned pet fees, valid documentation, and denial limits.
Read the playbook → XXIXRental Application Denied? Your Federal Screening Rights
What to do when a tenant screening report costs you an apartment — FCRA adverse action notices, your free report, disputes, and fixing errors that follow you.
Read the playbook → XXXRental Scams: How to Spot a Fake Listing Before You Pay
Fake rental listings cost renters thousands. The FTC's red flags, how to verify a landlord actually owns the property, and what to do if you already paid.
Read the playbook → XXXIRoommate Won't Pay Rent? What You're Legally On the Hook For
Joint and several liability explained — why your landlord can charge you your roommate's share, how to protect yourself, and how to recover the money.
Read the playbook → XXXIIHow Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in California? AB 1482 Math
California's statewide rent cap — the 5% + CPI formula, the 10% ceiling, who's exempt, § 827 notice rules, and how to fight an illegal increase.
Read the playbook → XXXIIICalifornia Security Deposit Return: The 21-Day Rule Explained
How to get your deposit back in California — Civil Code § 1950.5, the 21-day deadline, receipt rules, the 2× bad-faith penalty, and small claims.
Read the playbook → XXXIVMold in Your Austin Apartment: What Texas Law Actually Requires
Texas has no 'mold law' for rentals — but the repair statutes still force action. Documentation, the two-notice process, remediation rules, and lease exits.
Read the playbook → XXXVHow Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Austin? Texas Rules
Texas has no rent control — but rent increases still have rules. When a raise is legal, when it's retaliation, and how Austin renters negotiate renewals.
Read the playbook → XXXVICan My Landlord Enter Without Notice in Texas? Austin Rules
What Texas law actually says about landlord entry, why your lease controls, and what to do about surprise visits, lockouts, and smart-lock abuse in Austin.
Read the playbook → XXXVIIBreaking an Austin Lease Without Losing Thousands: A DIY Playbook
How to break an Austin apartment lease for less than the buyout — Texas duty-to-mitigate law, reletting fees, and the statutory exit rights.
Read the playbook → XXXVIIIHow to Force Repairs on Your Austin Rental (Texas § 92.052)
The written-notice process that makes an Austin landlord repair a health-and-safety condition — Texas statutes, the 7-day rule, and repair-and-deduct.
Read the playbook → XXXIXHow to Recover a Security Deposit in Austin Without a Lawyer
The exact DIY process for recovering a wrongfully withheld security deposit in Austin, TX — demand letter, Texas Property Code § 92.109, and JP court.
Read the playbook → XLEviction Notice in Austin? What to Do in the First 72 Hours
What a Texas notice to vacate actually means, the real eviction timeline in Travis County, and the steps that protect your record — before you self-evict.
Read the playbook →Run Your Numbers
Three calculators built on the statutes. Estimates for orientation — not legal advice.
Deposit Damages
§ 92.109 bad-faith formula
Lease Break: Buyout vs. Mitigate
§ 91.006 duty to mitigate
Refund Deadline
§ 92.103 30-day clock
The Method
Why these guides hold up.
- Primary sources only. Every legal claim links to the Texas Property Code, Austin City Code, or Travis County court page.
- Worked examples, labeled. Scenario math uses real statutory formulas and current local fees — and says so.
- Escalation path included. When a dispute outgrows DIY, each guide points to vetted Austin tenant attorneys and free legal aid.
