A Beginner's Guide to Landlord-Tenant Laws In NC

lay out the rights and responsibilities of landlords and their tenants. Basically, it is the landlord's responsibility to provide safe and functional housing in return for the tenant's rent payment and promise to minimally maintain the property.

The landlord-tenant laws NC are meant to set boundaries in order to avoid disputes between the two parties, but it does not eliminate them.

When a dispute does occur, it can be difficult for a tenant to know where to turn. It is also important that the tenants know their rights. DoNotPay delivers information and facilitates communication between tenants and their landlords when these disputes do occur.

If you are a tenant having trouble with your rental agreement or living conditions, DoNotPay can help.

Landlord-Tenant Law in North Carolina

In North Carolina, covers the rental conditions of multiple types of rental properties, including:

Apartments
Duplexes
Public housing
Boarding housing

Basically, any place that accepts rent in return for a place to live is subject to landlord-tenant law. This includes rent in any form, including work that is accepted as rent.

Topics that landlord-tenant law covers include:

right of entry
repair responsibilities
landlord harassment
trash pickup

The rights and responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord range from large issues, like an invasion of privacy or harassment, to smaller issues such as maintaining garbage service. Any dispute has the potential to become a large and volatile conflict.

Tenant and Landlord Responsibilities Explained

Tenant Responsibilities

When a tenant or group of tenants agrees to rent a property, they have responsibilities. They are ultimately inhabiting someone else's property. While it is officially the home of the tenant, the property still belongs to the landlord, so they cannot damage it.

Damages are a common landlord-tenant dispute. The tenant has a responsibility to maintain the residence as far as cleanliness and reasonable use. The tenant and his or her guests cannot damage the property, or the tenant may be responsible for repairs.

There is also a responsibility to pay rent on time and give proper notice before moving out.

If tenants do not abide by their responsibilities, they may get evicted, not get their deposit back, or be responsible for further damages.

Landlord Responsibilities

In NC, most repairs are the responsibility of the landlord.

This is because the landlord is expected to provide safe and habitable living conditions.

Plumbing and electricity must be in working order. Additionally, safety features such as smoke alarms must be installed and in working condition.

A landlord has the right to inspect the property at certain times, but it is also true that the landlord has a responsibility to leave the tenant alone and not disrupt their daily living. For example, a landlord cannot enter the home at any given moment to look at living conditions or remove property. This could constitute trespassing or theft.

The landlord must also go through proper legal procedure in order to evict a tenant, and the landlord must return a deposit (if appropriate) within 30 days of the tenant moving out.

What Can You Do if You Have a Landlord-Tenant Dispute?

There are thousands of reasons why you may have a landlord-tenant dispute, and the biggest challenge is figuring out what to do about it. Often, the first step is to communicate with your landlord through a written letter, so it can be sent via certified mail. This gives a legal record that the landlord received the letter.

Common issues include:

Security deposit problems, like how long a landlord has to return your deposit
Roommate problems
Evictions

If your landlord doesn't respond to repair requests or refuses to give back your deposit, you may have to involve the courts. This means getting proper paperwork from the county clerk and/or hiring a small claims attorney. You may even sue your landlord.

The stress of writing the correct type of letter or hiring an attorney to handle a landlord-tenant dispute can be overwhelming. It takes time away from your personal life, and your housing will not seem secure. In some situations, you may not know where you'll be living in the future.

This is why it is important to use your resources and get help when you have a problem with your landlord. You have rights, but there are some legal requirements and recommended practices to exercise those rights. This helps you to successfully solve your landlord-tenant conflict.

Next Steps to Fight Eviction if You Cannot Do It Yourself

It doesn't have to be an all-encompassing fiasco to file a dispute with your landlord. It can be easy with DoNotPay.

DoNotPay is here to guide you through it and file your disputes on your behalf. Our Landlord Protection product can help you:

Get back your security deposits
Learn about your state's eviction laws and what protections apply in your case
Resolve disputes regarding repairs with your landlord
Resolve disputes with roommates by filing demand letters or going through small claims court
Break your lease early

Handle Your Landlord with DoNotPay

If you know you need to confront your landlord about breaking the law but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in four easy steps:

Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.
Select which issue applies to you.
Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.
Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.

And that's it! You should hear back from your landlord directly once your demands are sent.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay makes it easy to avoid costly mistakes in the process of resolving your landlord-tenant dispute. And it can also help in many other areas of social and legal life:

Remember, DoNotPay is the world’s first robot lawyer. It’s like having an attorney on your side. Try it today.