Pittsburgh (KDKA) — When you rent a house or apartment, you are a tenant.
But just knowing and understanding these rights is half the battle. KDKA-TV’s Money Editor John Delano explains some of it in this week’s Money Minutes.
Would you like to rent it? You are not alone. 44 million homes rent, just over a third of American households.
As a tenant, you have certain rights guaranteed by both the Federal Fair Housing Act and the state landlord and tenant laws in Pennsylvania.
It is illegal to discriminate against anyone based on religion, color, national origin, disability, gender or gender identity. Age also counts under state law, so with some exceptions, we cannot deny rentals to seniors, pregnant women, or people with children.
All residential properties are covered, from single-family homes to condominiums. However, religious groups can restrict housing according to their beliefs or designate housing for the elderly only.
All renters have the right to live in decent housing. There is an implied guarantee of habitability in the rental contract, which cannot be waived. Landlords must fix issues that affect the safety of renters.