Can I win a money judgement against my landlord for the rent he illegally obtained from me while his renter’s license was expired?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I win a money judgement against my landlord for the rent he illegally obtained from me while his renter’s license was expired?
Asked on January 11, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Whether or not you can win a monetary judgment against your landlord for rent he collected from you when his renter's license was expired and where he could not rent out the unit depends upon a careful reading of the local ordinance requiring a renter's license and not having it.
Ultimately, it will be up to the judge hearing the case to make the decision whether or not you are entitled to the rents back. There is an appellate case in California holding that a landlord cannot collect rents from his tenants for an illegal rental.
From what you have written, there seems to be a decent chance for you to get your rents paid back from your landlord for the absence of a current renter's license.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.