Generally speaking, any dangerous defect can be grounds for opening a rent escrow case. Rent escrows allow tenants to pay their rent to the court until the landlord fixes the problem. When the dangerous defect is an infestation tenants must show that at least one other unit is experiencing the same... View More

The right of redemption is simply a right the tenant has to pay the past rent due and owing at the time of the court hearing on the landlord's action for eviction during the term of an unexpired lease for unpaid rent, which results in the action for eviction being dismissed. In Maryland, a... View More

Generally speaking, the process for an eviction without the right of redemption is the same as any summary ejectment proceeding. Ten-days notice is required prior to filing the petition. Any appeal must be filed within ten days after the final hearing. Eviction is typically scheduled with the local... View More

That would depend. If this is a failure to pay rent situation and your Landlord has gotten 3 judgments against you in the last 12 months, then the Landlord can request that the right of redemption be extinguished, at which point, yes, it wouldn't matter if you paid the outstanding amounts. Has... View More

They need a judment of possession, which in commercial landlord-tenant cases can happen quickly--but they still need to file a court action to get it. Once they have judgment of possession, they can enter immediately upon issuance of the writ of possession and lock the premises and hold the... View More

Parking rules and regulations are typically covered in your (or your parent's) lease agreement. Additionally, if the rental property is subject to a homeowner's association, they may have additional parking rules and regulations. Further, if your vehicle is parked on a public street there... View More

They can't withhold full monthly rent for this type of breach of lease on your part, which it likely is, because the unit is not uninhabitable or made dangerous due to some unhealthy condition (in that scenario, they could petition to open a rent escrow and pay their rent into court and the... View More

You want to retain a lawyer to file a suit against what is either a government agency or a public-private partnership which might have a regulatory layer that requires some specialization, and the amount of your lawsuit will be for $3,000. Is that right? The non-refundable retainer from counsel in... View More

Generally speaking the right to get out of a lease is set by the lease.

That said, Maryland offers a procedure called "rent escrow" when a landlord refuses to repair serious issues. Although the landlord may not voluntarily let a tenant out of a lease early, if the conditions... View More

The code section you reference applies to ratio billing systems (in other words utilities that are not separately metered but instead allocated amongst tenants by the landlord). According to the code, certain information about same must be provided to prospective tenants before a lease starts.... View More

If you own the mirror, or because it was abandoned by the prior tenant you may claim ownership, then it's yours to do as you please: retrieve and dispose of it, sell it, or give it away. If you give it to your new tenant, then you should make clear you are giving ownership of it to them, and... View More

Unless you confirm with the court beforehand that the court date has been cancelled and postponed, you should assume that the case has not been continued. Failure to appear could result in a default against you. By rule, a motion requesting any elief must be served on the opposing party, and... View More

You list DC as where you are asking the question, but you posted this on the Maryland forum. My answer will apply to both, except licensing of rental properties are different as well as the eviction court procedures, in each jurisdiction. It sounds as though your "landlord" does not own... View More

While the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provides protections for financial and legal transactions while in the military, I don't believe the Act confers greater rights than a person can have in a situation like the one you describe. If a person is renting your property, you have the right to... View More

There is a legal right in federal law that allows active military personnel to terminate a lease early when they have been given orders to relocate or deploy for duty outside of the area where the premises are located. That obligates the landlord to release the military tenant from the lease and... View More

When essential items like hot water or heat are not provided, a tenant can seek "rent escrow" through the district court. Naturally a tenant can start outside of court by requesting rent abatement from the landlord for any period where property was not fit to live in, but if a serious... View More

While it is well worth your money to have the lease reviewed and check the local ordinances on landlord & tenant relations in your county, as a general matter, the landlord covenants a safe and habitable residence, and hot water is a part of that. You call the landlord -- preferably after a... View More

First off, let me quote my late, old professor of Business Law back at Penn. "Of course, they can sue. Any idiot can sue. All it takes is a pen, paper, and the filing fee … and on occasion a crayon is substituted for the pen. The question you are trying to ask is whether you can win."... View More

If they were evicted by court process, with service of a writ of possession by the Sheriff, then their return is trespassing, and you should file criminal charges (assuming you are the landlord with the writ of possession issued to you after prevailing in the eviction action). Ordinarily, upon... View More

Maryland law offers "rent escrow" as an option for a tenant living in a place that has serious health or safety violations. The tenant can seek different options, from having the landlord fix the problem, to asking the court to reduce rent or break the lease. It is up to the court to... View More