Q: My landlord has behaved dreadfully towards my teenage daughter, harassing her with suggestive remarks and questions about her appearance and social life. I've told him to stop, but he hasn't. He's threatened me, too, warning that if I sue him and lose, I'll have to pay for his attorney and court costs. It seems that I would, since my lease has an "attorney's fees" clause that says that the loser pays the winner's costs and fees. I know lawyers are expensive and lawsuits are not sure winners, and I don't know if I could pay. --Marcie E.  more...

Q: I'm looking for a roommate, and I'm pretty picky. I want someone of my own age, and I'd just as soon not have to deal with a divorced parent who will be hosting kids on the weekends. When I wrote an ad with these specifications, my local newspaper wouldn't print it -- they said it was discriminatory! But I placed it on a well-known Web site just as is, with no objections. This makes no sense. Are there different discrimination rules for print and online ads? --Autumn C.  more...

Q: We rent a single-family house and have a two-year lease. A month into the lease, the owners told us they'll be selling the property, and sure enough, we've had droves of real estate agents and potential buyers traipsing through our home. My wife has a serious medical condition (she's in a wheelchair and uses a ventilator) and needs peace and quiet so she can rest, but with this commotion it's impossible. The landlord refuses to be reasonable. We want to leave, but do we have grounds to break our lease? --Steve F.  more...

Q: I'm a renter in a condo complex. My neighbor, who is also a renter, has two large American flags flying from his balcony and front entrance area. I'd like to show my support of my native country by flying its flags, but when I put them up, the homeowners association told me to take them down. Why the double standard -- isn't this a violation of my freedom of speech? --Miriam W.  more...

Q: I inherited my mother's house and rented it to tenants who are complaining about noise from the neighbors. The neighboring property is a townhouse that's occupied by college students (who are also renters), and they do indeed make a racket, with loud parties many nights. I've talked to them and tried to get them to quiet down, to no avail. My renters are telling me that they can break their lease (and not be responsible for rent for the rest of the lease term) because of this situation.  more...

Q: My tenant has asked me to let her out of her lease so she can move away from her roommate-boyfriend, whom she describes as abusive and dangerous. She says the boyfriend can't afford the place on his own. I said OK, but until I get replacement tenants in there, I'll hold them to their obligation to pay rent. Saying she can't afford to pay rent here and at a new place, she claims this will mean she has to stay. Do I have a legal obligation to let them out of the lease and excuse their responsibility for future rent? --Sabrina M.  more...

Q: I recently bought a satellite dish so I can watch lots of different TV channels. The instructions say to mount it on a south-facing wall, to establish a line of sight with satellites in the southern hemisphere. I want to put it on an outside wall, but my landlord says no. The salesman said that landlords have to allow these dishes -- was I mislead? --Peter T.  more...

Q: Our family recently applied for a two-bedroom flat. Seeing that we have a teenage boy and girl, the landlord told my husband and me that the place was too small for us, since the kids would each need a bedroom. We can't afford a three-bedroom place, and the second bedroom was plenty big for two beds. Can he legally turn us away for this reason? --Helen H.  more...

Q: Our landlords have just announced that they're selling the building, and advised us we'll be seeing brokers and interested buyers on the property -- and looking at our apartments. We think the owners should have some consideration for our privacy, by giving us lots of notice and consulting us when scheduling visits. Eighty percent of the tenants in the building feel like we do. Do we have some legal rights in this situation? --Marcia H.  more...

Q: My son and his friend just graduated from college and are having a tough time getting an apartment. Though they both have good jobs and were excellent tenants while in school, they're losing out to older applicants with better salaries, longer histories as tenants, and more established credit. Any suggestions on how they can improve their chances? --Harold D.  more...

Q: I'm applying for an apartment, and the application asks for all sorts of personal information -- my Social Security number, bank account information and employment history. The landlord will also have my credit report. All of this information could easily be used to steal my identity. What recourse do I have to this risky situation? --Cindy A.

A: Careful landlords everywhere ask for this information, and there's no law against it. From their point of view, they're taking a big risk in handing over a very valuable item (their property) to a stranger.  more...