Tenant Rights

Below is a module created by Idaho Legal Aid Services related to common legal issues surrounding seniors or the elderly and protecting their home  in relation to issues like Medicaid, foreclosure, deed, reverse mortgages, and letting others reside with you.. The module is available in English and Spanish.

This guide was created by Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. to explain housing rights and protections a domestic violence survivor has under federal and state law. For more information, please see the guide below. 

The National Housing Law Project has created a Know Your Rights Brochure on the Violence Against Women Act and its protections related to federally assisted housing for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.  Please view the brochure here for further information: https://nhlp.org/files/VAWA-2013-Packet.pdf. 

HUD has updated its Eviction Prevention and Stability Toolkit, which includes brochures on public housing authorities, non-payment of rent evictions, housing choice vouchers, repayment agreement guidance, a fact sheet for tenants who have accrued back rent, and the Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance Program.  Please view the attached Toolkit for further information and click on any buttons that say "click here" to view the brochures or fact sheets.

Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. has created a "Normal Wear and Tear" Guide for tenants who want to understand their rights and obligations related to caring for the rental unit and "normal wear and tear" under Idaho law and security deposit and damages issues.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a press release on February 11, 2021 that they will begin enforcing the Fair Housing Act to include protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  HUD will also begin to review all claims of discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation received since Jan. 20, 2020.

Attached is a What to Do If Your Landlord Shuts Off Your Utility Service(s) Guide created by Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. This guide provides information on your rights in this situation and the steps you can take to get your utility service turned back on as quickly as possible.

In Idaho, investor-owned utilities providing basic services such as electricity, gas, water and telecommunications services must follow rules that protect consumers. The rules are established and enforced by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC). The IPUC is a state agency charged with regulating investor-owned utilities. (City-owned or cooperative utilities are not regulated by the IPUC). The rules say when a utility can and cannot disconnect service to a customer.

This YouTube video by Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. explains a tenant's right to a jury trial in Idaho evictions where a question of fact is in dispute (where the parties disagree on some fact materially related to the case).  Attached below please find forms and information that may be helpful to you in your eviction case related to requesting a jury trial.  

This guide provides advice for renters in a foreclosure situation.