[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-279150-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-279150-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","a-practical-guide-for-tenants-landlords-rights-and-responsibilities","A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords - Rights and Responsibilities","","A practical guide explaining tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities in rental housing relationships. It provides an easy-to-read question-and-answer overview of rental-housing law, covering how tenancies are created and terminated, key lease provisions and prohibited terms, and the meaning of core legal concepts. It also details security-deposit rules, including collection, permitted amounts, required handling, inventory checklist purpose, recovery at the end of the tenancy, and the eviction process timeline, including suggested sample documents.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/a-practical-guide-for-tenants-landlords-rights-and-responsibilities/279150/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-practical-guide-for-tenants-landlords-rights-and-responsibilities/279150.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"supergirl","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does signing a lease agreement require for both tenants and landlords?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Signing a lease creates contractual duties for both parties. Each side also receives specific rights and protections provided by the lease agreement.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the guide explain the security deposit at the beginning of a tenancy?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It addresses limits on the amount collectable, what counts as a security deposit, the difference between a fee and a deposit, and how the landlord must handle the deposit after collecting it, including related tenant and landlord responsibilities.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What topics does the guide cover about recovering a security deposit at the end of the tenancy?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It outlines tenant and landlord obligations, how disputes over an itemized list of damages are handled, which party must file suit, and what happens if the landlord fails to comply with security-deposit law.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},279150,1790184061,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":141,"read_time":142},962088121634,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","A Practical Guide for  \nTenants & Landlords  \nDear Friend:  \nThis booklet is designed to inform tenants and landlords about their rights and responsibilities in rental relationships. It serves as a useful reference—complete with the following:  \n› An in-depth discussion about rental-housing law in an easy-to-read questionand-answer format;  \n› Important timelines that outline the eviction process and recovering or keeping a security deposit;  \n› A sample lease, sublease, roommate agreement, lead-based paint disclosure form, and inventory checklist;  \n› Sample letters about repair and maintenance, termination of occupancy, and notice of forwarding address; and  \n› Approved court forms.  \nWhether you are a tenant or a landlord, when you sign a lease agreement, you sign a contract. You are contractually obligated to perform certain duties and assume certain responsibilities. You are also granted certain rights and protections under the lease agreement.  \nRental-housing law is complex. I am grateful to the faculty and students of the MSU College of Law Housing Law Clinic for their detailed work and assistance in compiling the information for this booklet.  \nOwners of mobile-home parks, owners of mobile homes who rent spaces in the parks, and renters of mobile homes may have additional rights and duties. Also,  \nlandlords and renters of subsidized housing may have additional rights and duties. It is my pleasure to provide this information to you. I hope that you find it useful.  \nMSU College of Law Housing Law Clinic  \n(517) 336-8088, Option 2 [housing@law.msu.edu](housing@law.msu.edu) [www.law.msu.edu/clinics/rhc](www.law.msu.edu/clinics/rhc)  \nThis informational booklet is intended only as a guide—it is not a substitute for the services of an attorney and is not a substitute for competent legal advice.  \nNote: Content accurate at time of printing.  \nTable of Contents  \nCreating and Terminating Tenancies and Understanding the Lease  \nA. THE TENANCY  \nQ1 What are the types of tenancies?....................................................... 3  \nQ2 Are there advantages and disadvantages to the different types of tenancies? ................ 4  \nB. THE LEASE  \nQ1 Are there advantages to a written lease? ................................................ 4  \nQ2 What provisions should be included in the lease? ......................................... 4  \nQ3 What provisions are prohibited by law from being included in the lease?..................... 5  \nQ4 What if the lease contains a provision that is prohibited by law or is missing the required disclosure language?........................................... 5  \nQ5 What other provisions can be included in the lease?....................................... 5  \nQ6 How can a lease be terminated? ........................................................ 6  \nQ7 Are there other termination rights under the law for those in special circumstances?.......... 6  \nQ8 What does “joint and several liability” mean? ............................................ 6  \nQ9 Can a landlord raise the rent once the lease has started?.................................. 6  \nThe Security Deposit  \nA. COLLECTING THE SECURITY DEPOSIT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TENANCY  \nQ1 Is there a limit on the amount that a landlord may collect as a security deposit? ............ 7  \nQ2 What exactly is considered a security deposit?............................................ 7  \nQ3 Is there a difference between a fee and a deposit? ....................................... 7  \nQ4 Once collected, what must the landlord do with the security deposit?........................ 8  \nQ5 Whose money is it anyway? ............................................................ 8  \nQ6 What rights and responsibilities does the landlord have with regard to the tenant’s security deposit? ............................................ 8  \nQ7 What is the point of the inventory checklist?............................................. 8  \nQ8 Is it important to p","cbCaivn1K9souCn6","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivn1K9souCn6","pdf",1395961,68,"English","# Creating and Terminating Tenancies and Understanding the Lease\n## A. THE TENANCY\n## B. THE LEASE\n# The Security Deposit\n## A. COLLECTING THE SECURITY DEPOSIT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TENANCY\n## B. RECOVERING THE SECURITY DEPOSIT AT THE END OF THE TENANCY\n## C. SECURITY DEPOSIT TIMELINE\n# Subleasing\n# Eviction Proceedings\n## A. STARTING THE EVICTION PROCESS—BEFORE GOING TO COURT","[{\"question\":\"What does signing a lease agreement require for both tenants and landlords?\",\"answer\":\"Signing a lease creates contractual duties for both parties. Each side also receives specific rights and protections provided by the lease agreement.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the guide explain the security deposit at the beginning of a tenancy?\",\"answer\":\"It addresses limits on the amount collectable, what counts as a security deposit, the difference between a fee and a deposit, and how the landlord must handle the deposit after collecting it, including related tenant and landlord responsibilities.\"},{\"question\":\"What topics does the guide cover about recovering a security deposit at the end of the tenancy?\",\"answer\":\"It outlines tenant and landlord obligations, how disputes over an itemized list of damages are handled, which party must file suit, and what happens if the landlord fails to comply with security-deposit law.\"}]","A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords - Rights and Responsibilities | PDF",1789515943,24]