Last year, a Consumer Federation of America report found that home renters pay up to 47% more for car insurance than their peers who own their homes. Now, one state is doing something about this: Minnesota has fined insurance giant Farmers $390,000 for charging higher rates to renters. [More]
renters
Feds Accuse Landlord Of Refusing To Rent To Families With Kids
By 3.6.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Unless you’re looking to live in a senior community or housing facility, the Fair Housing Act protects renters from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or sex. It also says that landlords cannot discriminate based on familial status, which is why the U.S. government is now suing a Seattle property owner accused of refusing to rent to family with children. [More]
Airbnb Launching Tool To Let Neighbors File Complaints About Bad Renters
By 3.15.16
The next time you get really steamed up over the loud party going on next door in the house your neighbor rents out on Airbnb, you’ll have a way to air your grievances directly with the company. The home-sharing business is launching a new tool next month that will allow people to file complaints and give other feedback about unruly renters. [More]
Beach Town May Ban Renters From Using Vacation Homes’ Pools
By 6.9.15
One of the first attractions people might look for in a summer vacation home is exactly the thing a resort town wants to take away: Citing noise concerns, a Delaware beach town is considering banning renters from using the backyard pools at homes while they’re staying in the area. [More]
Owner Finds His Rental Home Has Been Rigged To Explode At The Flip Of A Switch
By 3.25.15
Talk about nightmares: The owner of a house that he’d been renting out had a close call recently when an inspection revealed that the place had been rigged to blow up when a light switch was flipped. Because that kind of intricate wiring isn’t a mistake, police are now investigating. [More]
Landlord Refuses To Rent To Single Mother Because There's No Man "To Shovel The Snow"
By 9.9.11
A Wisconsin landlord has been sued by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development after refusing to rent a property to a single mother. The landlord, who is a woman, said it was because the renter didn’t have a man “to shovel the snow.” [More]
Pay Less Rent
By 6.24.10
In life, everything is negotiable, including your rent. Many renters might tremble at confronting the dark landlord ogre, but with a little research, some tips on negotiating, and a little moxie, you can stand a fighting chance at trimming your monthly rent check: [More]
The Bailout Bill Helps Renters Keep Their Homes
By 10.11.08
Great news for renters facing eviction due to foreclosure: any mortgage owner seeking assistance under Congress’ mammoth bailout bill is required to let paying renters stay in their homes.
How "Serial Evictees" Game A System Meant To Protect Renters From Abuse
By 8.14.08
There’s nothing we dislike more than people who scam a system put in place to protect vulnerable consumers from abuse, but the sad fact is that they do exist. SF Weekly has an article that tracks the exploits of a serial evictee, a “renter” who leases apartments with no intention of paying rent, and then games the system in order to stay rent free for as long as possible.
The Best Big Cities For Renters
By 1.19.08
Do you love big city livin’, but you’re tired of spending 65% of your monthly salary on a 45-year-old studio apartment with a bathroom that feels like it was transplanted from an RV? (Yeah, we’re talking about NYC.) BusinessWeek lists the results of a recent survey of rental prices in cities with populations larger than one million. The best deal is (drum roll): Oklahoma City, with an average rent of $520 a month!
