Problems with your landlord

If:

You have bad or unsanitary conditions

Your landlords must provide you with a “habitable” apartment. You can ask the Board of Health and court to order your landlord to make repairs. See Bad Conditions: Getting Your landlord to make repairs

If your landlord:

Turns off your utilities, blocks your use of your apartment

It is a “breach of quiet enjoyment” For your landlord to cut off your utilities if your landlord is supposed to pay them, Stop you from entering your apartment, accessing storage space, or the washer and dryer if you have the right to use them. See, Grounds for Filing a Civil Lawsuit, Breach of Quiet Enjoyment

Enters your apartment without notice

See Landlord's right to enter your home

Does not give you your security deposit back

Landlords must account for security deposits properly. See, Getting Your Security Deposit Back.

Discriminates against you

Discrimination is illegal. Laws protect certain groups of people, cover different types of housing, and provide different protections. See, Housing Discrimination.

Retaliate against you

It is illegal for a landlord to evict you, raise your rent, or make a major change in your rental agreement because you:

• Ask for needed repairs,
• Report bad conditions in your apartment or building to the Board of Health or other local officials,
• Join a tenants’ organization, or
• Withhold rent because of bad conditions.

See, Retaliation.