Tenant vs. landlord rights

The Missouri Attorney General wants you to know rental laws, regardless of whether you are a landlord, tenant or person advising a landlord or tenant.

 Double – check your knowledge with this true or false quiz:

1. You return to your apartment and find all of your belongings are outside and the locks have been changed; the landlord has the right to evict you for failing to pay rent.

2. The landlord fails to make a repair to your apartment, allowing you to legally quit paying rent.

3. The landlord is legally allowed to turn off utilities to punish late rent payments.

4. Once you give notice you will be terminating your lease, the landlord is allowed to inspect for damages at will during the last month of the lease.

5. Your landlord discovers that you are selling illegal drugs from your apartment. You receive a written court notice ordering you to immediately vacate the apartment but you argue that you are entitled to more notice.

6. Eviction from a rental property will likely show up on your credit report.

7. If the landlord withholds your security deposit to cover damage that you can prove was due to normal use, you may sue to recover up to double the amount that was withheld.



Answers

1. False – While failure to pay rent is grounds for eviction, a tenant may not be evicted without a court order. The tenant will receive notice that an eviction lawsuit has been filed and is entitled to the opportunity to be heard in court.

2. False – While you should expect landlords to make needed repairs, failure to pay rent is grounds for eviction.

3. False – The landlord cannot interrupt utility service, unless it is for health and safety reasons.

4. False – The landlord must notify the tenant of the time and date when he plans to inspect the dwelling; the tenant has the right to be present at the inspection.

5. False – The law authorizes county courts to order the quick removal of tenants involved in drug – related criminal activity or violence, even when there is no arrest.

6. True – An eviction is a legal proceeding that will likely show up under the public record information on your credit report.

7. True – The tenant has the right to sue to recover double the amount that was wrongfully withheld.

For more information, contact Dr. Carole Bozworth, University of Missouri Extension family financial education specialist, at 816-482-5862 .