What Is the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act?

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What Is the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act?

Staff Writer · Jan 27, 2010

The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is a piece of legislation passed in the 1970s that provides a general consensus on how to handle rental situations from a legal perspective. The URLTA, which has been fully or partially adopted in over a dozen U.S. states, is a kind of “template” for how state governments regulate the sometimes complex business transactions between landlords and tenants. The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act was written by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

Purposes of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act

The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has three main purposes as defined in its first few pages. The first is to generally clarify issues regarding landlord-tenant agreements or leases, and to continually update the rules and regulations around renting out property on the common “rental market.” This includes providing for the rights of both parties and outlining the obligations of each.

Along with the above, the law also helps to promote the effective upkeep of properties. A general regulation that enforces the due improvement and upkeep of property provides a lot of benefit to a greater community. It also assists in promoting the rights of the tenant and helps to prevent situations like constructive eviction, where a landlord essentially forces tenants out of a property by letting it fall into unliveable conditions.

A third main purpose of the legislation is to create a uniform rental law across multiple states and municipalities. Creating a greater uniform law helps to prevent some kinds of costly appeals. It generally helps individual cases pass more quickly through the local judicial system.

More About the Use of the URLTA

According to some legal sources, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act was originated partially in response to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Much of what is in the law helps tenants by providing clear guidelines about their rights and responsibilities, where ambiguity may favor a landlord operating from a “hidden knowledge” position, where he or she has more expertise than those who are paying to live in the homes that the landlord is providing.

Rather than providing a lot of concrete items of enforcement, laws like the URLTA rely heavily on a lease or rental agreement, which the landlord and tenant are required to sign. Within a certain state of municipality, parts of the URLTA that have been adopted may help to interpret a specific lease when an issue of contention arises. The local region may also have its own rules and regulations governing rental law.

Some of What the URLTA Covers

The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act covers items like the use of a security deposit to provide for unusual or excessive wear on a property. It covers issues of disclosure. It also covers maintenance of a property. The act also provides guidance on prepaid rent and other specific situations.

The URLTA may be helpful in finding arbitration or mediation solutions for a landlord/tenant dispute. Legal professionals can use aspects of the law where it is accepted to help handle a wide range of issues, from financial transactions to the condition of the property.

Knowing about how the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is used in a particular state may help a landlord or tenant be proactive in dealing with theoretical or existing rental issues.

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