Landlord Rulebook is an independent, plain-English guide to US landlord and tenant rules, state by state. It is written first for small landlords, and it is just as open to tenants checking a rule. We cover becoming a landlord, rent, deposits, repairs, ending a tenancy, eviction and squatters, and state rules.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Landlord and tenant law varies by state and city, and changes. Ask the court, your state agency, a lawyer or legal aid about your case.
What we do
Landlord rules turn on your state, your city and often on how many units you own. Texas, for one, treats a late fee of up to 12% of rent as reasonable for a dwelling in a building of four units or fewer, and up to 10% for larger buildings (Tex. Prop. Code 92.019, read 5 November 2026). Much of what is written on these subjects leaves that out, or repeats a rule that has since changed.
So every state rule on this site carries its statute and the day we read it. Where a rule depends on unit count, we say which count. Where a city overrides its state, we name the city. Where we could not read a rule in an official source, the page says “not confirmed” and sends you to the court or state agency. Our how we check page explains where each kind of fact comes from and how we word it. Pages are published under the Landlord Rulebook name.
What we are not
Landlord Rulebook is not a law firm, a court, a government agency, a property manager or a legal aid office. We give general information, not legal or tax advice. Reading this site or writing to us creates no attorney-client relationship. We have not seen your lease, your notice or your case, and we do not say what you should do, what you may charge, whether you would win or whether to sue. Pages explain the rule and the questions to ask.
How we are funded
Landlord Rulebook is funded by display advertising. Ads may not appear yet while the site is new. Once they run, some may come from companies that sell to landlords or tenants, such as lease, screening, software or insurance firms, and possibly law firms. An ad is not an endorsement, and advertisers have no say over what we publish.
How we stay independent
- No affiliate links. We earn nothing if you buy something after reading a page.
- No paid placements. Nobody can pay for coverage, a mention or a better position.
- No sold leads. We collect no details to pass on to lawyers, insurers or sellers.
- No lawyer referrals. We keep no lawyer listings, offer no “free consultation” and do not recommend or rank firms.
- Nothing for sale. We sell no leases, forms, screening reports, software or insurance quotes.
That is why our pages can say things a seller might not: that a widely repeated figure has no primary source we could find, that a rule on a form site is out of date, or that a required state or court form is the one to use, and where to get it.
How pages are checked
Every page gets a fact-check against its sources, separate from the writing. Each page ends with the date its sources were checked. Our editorial policy sets out each step.
Where to start
If you are new to this, start with how to become a landlord, then the rules that change with how many units you own. If you have a sum to work out, try the prorated rent calculator. If a notice or a court paper is in front of you, its deadline comes first: how the lawful eviction process works explains the steps, and a tenant facing an eviction can ask the court and a legal aid office what applies.
Mistakes and questions
Our corrections page logs what we have fixed, and our contact page says how to reach us. Please read our disclaimer too.
