Tenant Knowledge Base
Tenant guides
Plain-English explainers for the most common landlord–tenant disputes in the United States. Written for tenants, not lawyers. For newer articles, visit the TenantGuard blog.
How to Dispute a Security Deposit Deduction
Most readStep-by-step guide to disputing wrongful security deposit deductions, demand letters, small claims, and the evidence you need to win.
Read guideWhat to Do When Your Landlord Won't Make Repairs
Your legal options when a landlord ignores repair requests: written notice, repair-and-deduct, rent escrow, and habitability claims.
Read guideCan You Legally Withhold Rent for Repairs?
When tenants can legally withhold rent, how to use rent escrow and repair-and-deduct, and the mistakes that cause evictions.
Read guideHow to Recognize an Illegal Eviction Notice
Lockouts, utility shutoffs, and improper notices are illegal in every state. Learn how to identify and respond to retaliatory eviction.
Read guideMold, Pests, and the Warranty of Habitability
How tenants document mold, pest infestations, and unsafe conditions to enforce the implied warranty of habitability.
Read guideHow to Document Landlord Harassment
What counts as landlord harassment, how to record it legally, and the evidence that wins retaliation and harassment cases.
Read guideTenant Rights by State: A Quick Reference
A quick state-by-state overview of deposit return deadlines, notice periods, and habitability rules every U.S. tenant should know.
Read guideWashington State Tenant Rights: The Plain-English Guide
Washington tenant rights explained: deposit return deadlines, repair timelines, notice periods, and how to document a dispute with your landlord.
Read guideProof of Rent Payment: How to Prove You Paid (or Didn't Owe)
What counts as proof of rent payment, how to reconstruct a payment history, and what to do when a landlord claims you owe rent you already paid.
Read guideLandlord Retaliation: How to Recognize and Document It
What landlord retaliation looks like, which tenant actions are protected, and how to build a timeline that proves the retaliation happened.
Read guideHow to Fight an Eviction Notice
Step-by-step: how to respond to an eviction notice, what defenses exist, deadlines that matter, and the evidence packet to bring to court.
Read guideSpokane Renter's Guide to Your Rights (and How to Prove Them)
What Spokane renters need to know about notices, repairs, deposits, and rent increases under Washington law — plus how to document everything.
Read guideGetting Your Security Deposit Back in Spokane
How Spokane renters recover a wrongly withheld security deposit: the deadline, the demand letter, and small claims at Spokane County District Court.
Read guideHow to Request Repairs in Spokane So the Clock Actually Starts
Spokane renters: how to give written repair notice under Washington law, what the 24/72-hour and 10-day timelines mean, and what to do next.
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