Pro-Tenant Legal Guide

“Every Tenant’s Legal Guide, Second Edition” by Janet Portman and Marcia Stewart (Nolo Press, Berkeley, 1999), $26.95, 328 pages.

Don’t let the title mislead you. Although this superb book is written primarily for residential tenants, landlords should read it too for its valuable information.

The book begins with the basics of how to rent an apartment or house. The authors, both attorneys, discuss choices renters should consider, such as whether to ask for a month-to-month rental or a long-term lease. Along the way, the authors warn of landlord tricks, such as a liquidated damages clause, a hold harmless provision and an exculpatory clause freeing the landlord of liability.

This pro-tenant book emphasizes tenant obligations once the rental agreement is signed as well as the consequences of a breach by landlord or tenant. The book is well-organized, well-illustrated and easy to read and to understand.

Landlords can also benefit from this book, which illustrates potential landlord mistakes. The book also might provide landlords with new ideas. For example, the authors report that many landlords now require tenants to pay their rent automatically on the first of each month either with a credit card or an automatic checking account debit, thus avoiding late-rent hassles.

The authors explain virtually every important aspect of residential rentals, including rent control in the cities affected by it. On my scale of 1 to 10, this outstanding book rates an off-the-chart 12.