Hey all!

We've been talking to a lot of people about what home means to them, and it's got me thinking about the basics, about what a home means in tenant-landlord law. 

One of the most basic building blocks in tenant-landlord law is exclusive possession. It is a concept that means that once a landlord offers a space for rent, a tenant has exclusive possession, and, within the rules of the lease, can do whatever they want within the home (as long as it's legal, of course).

For many people, you love who you love in your home. You cook the food of your heart in your home. You raise your children at home. You feel safe to be yourself in your home. These deeply felt concepts are due to the tenant having exclusive possession.

Here at the TRC, we rarely get clients that walk in bursting to tell us some good news. (Even though we love to hear it! Let us know if we helped you!) And, we've learned over the years, so very many things can go wrong.

Tenants have a right to exclusive possession in their unit (besides the law and the lease, no one can tell you how to live in your rental home*), and their landlord is supposed to make it so they can peacefully enjoy what happens inside that home, without interference from their surroundings (to the extent that the landlord has control over those things). 

We hear a wide range of problems that are, for us, resolvable under peaceful enjoyment, and those run from mundane ("I am an extremely quiet person and my upstairs neighbors walk when I wish they would be silent and still") to extreme ("a neighbor threw a knife through my wall"). 

But there's a way to do this! There's a method to the madness! There are cases that explain why judges look at these situations the way they do. All this and more, below.

If there is one thing we at Tenant Resource Center have learned about renting, it is to expect the unexpected!

There is a wide variety of problems that can occur over the course of your tenancy. Below, you'll find a collection of articles and blog posts about many common issues that tenants and landlords may experience in the midst of a rental agreement.

Not seeing the issue you are having above?

Try using the Search feature on our website, or check our other main pages on Your Rights below.

Looking to write a letter or fill out a form?

Check out our Sample Letters page for a complete list of template forms & letters, everything from roommate agreements to repair letters to sublet agreements. Below, you'll find some relevant letters for various problems that can occur during tenancy

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