One of the most tragic things about tenant abuse is that much of it could be prevented if tenants were aware of their rights. Unfortunately, laws in each city and state are different, meaning that you will need to do a bit of research to know the rights of apartment tenants are in your city or town. Many cities have local tenant advocacy organization with websites and hotlines that you may be able to use to become familiar with your rights. In some cases these advocacy organizations are actually funded by or a part of the local government and can assist you in lawsuits or grievances you may have against your landlord.

One of the most important ways that you can protect your apartment tenants rights is to be vigilant before you sign your lease or rental agreement. Go into the rental process already knowing your rights and be ready to challenge the landlord or rental agency on any language in your agreement that might be unclear or unacceptable. It can be intimidating when you enter the final stages of getting an apartment because sometimes you're under pressure to find a place quick or you're worried that you won't be able to find another affordable apartment in a given area. Nonetheless, your landlord is usually under as much pressure to rent his or her apartment quickly as you are to find one, and you shouldn't let your fears get in the way of a fair deal.

If there are improvements or repairs that still need to be made after you sign your lease, make sure that you have them in writing. Make sure that any appliances that you would expect the landlord to maintain are specified in the agreement. Even if you find a prospective landlord to be trustworthy, if you don't get everything in writing you may have very little recourse if the person goes back on their word or if the property is sold to a new owner.

One important area of apartment tenant rights is rent control. Though rent stabilization protections are not as strong or commonplace as they once were, check to see which laws apply in your area. Some landlords can use threats of rent hikes to avoid living up to their end of an agreement or gouge more money out of you even if it is prohibited by law. Though many cities no longer offer these kinds of protections, New York, California several other states still have rent stabilization protections that you should know about if you live there.