Renting an apartment is often a better option than buying your own place. But dealing with landlords can be tricky—especially where legal issues are involved. When my former landlord tried to withhold my down payment for a trumped-up service—how could they clean our carpets when our flooring was all hardwood?--my husband and I decided to see what we could do. It turns out we had so many more rights than we thought! And this isn't the only landlord situation in which tenants can claim what's theirs. California is an especially tenant-friendly state. If you're unsure about whether you can rent a place, stay in the place you have, or whether you have legal grounds for a complaint, check out some of these privileges you have as a tenant.
