Where do I file?

Key takeaways

• Federal law is a floor, mainly around discrimination and consumer protection.
• State law supplies the main landlord–tenant rules.
• Cities and leases can add duties. They rarely subtract federal civil rights.

Do this today

1. Search your state for the official chapter.
2. Keep the lease next to the notice.
3. If a court is named, call legal aid the same day.

What this page is not

• Not a national statute we wrote.
• Not a replacement for the official chapter.
• Not legal advice.

Confirm it locally

Caps, clocks, and entry hours live in your state chapter. Search below, or take the paper to legal aid if a court is named.

People also ask

• Is HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview a how-to for a landlord notice?
• Should I call HUD or a local fair-housing group?
• Is the Fair Housing Act the same as the National Tenants Bill of Rights?
• Is a landlord notice the same as being evicted?
• What number should I call right now?
• Is there a national tenant-rights law in the United States?

Official sources

• LawHelp.orgFree legal aid by state. Start here for court papers.
• HUD tenant rightsFederal floor and state HUD pages.
• Cornell LII landlord-tenant tableIndex of official state chapters. We name the chapter; we do not paraphrase a number out of it.
• 211Local rent, shelter, food, and utilities, in many languages.