A landlord and tenant may disagree over rent increases, or over whose responsibility it is to carry out repairs, or over security deposit returns, but whatever, the reason for the dispute, try and avoid getting involved in expensive litigation. A trip to the lawyers should be the last resort and not your first choice for landlord / tenant dispute resolution.

Both, landlords and tenants should follow the following tips, so as to avoid legal problems:

They should be up-to-date and fully cognisant with their rights and responsibilities under federal, state, and local law.

Both should ensure that the lease or rental agreement terms are clear.

All doors to communication should be kept open. In case, there is a problem, for example, a disagreement over the landlord’s right to enter an occupied rental unit, it should be either resolved over a friendly discussion between landlord and tenant, or through arbitration or with the help of a local dispute resolution service.

Copies of all landlord / tenant correspondence should be kept, including notes of conversations regarding problems relating to the tenancy. As you know, all rental unit repairs should be asked for in writing and a copy kept of the letter. On his / her part, the landlord should keep a copy of the repair request, as well as, keeping notes on when and how the problem was fixed.   More detail...