Money Minute: Know your rights as a tenant
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — If you rent your home or apartment, you have rights as a tenant.
But knowing and understanding those rights is half the battle. KDKA-TV money editor Jon Delano breaks down some of them in this week's Money Minute.
Do you rent? You're not alone. Just over one-third of American households — 44 million — rent their housing units.
As a tenant, you have certain rights in Pennsylvania guaranteed by both federal Fair Housing laws and this state's Landlord-Tenant Act.
It's illegal to discriminate against anyone based on their religion, color, nationality, disability, gender or gender identity. State law also adds age, so with some exceptions, you cannot refuse to rent to someone who is elderly, pregnant or with children.
All kinds of housing units are covered, from single-family homes to apartments. However, religious organizations can limit housing to their faith and housing can be designated specifically for older residents.
All renters have the right to a decent place to live. There's an implied warranty of habitability that can never be waived in a lease, and the landlord must correct problems that affect a renter's safety.