What this area covers
Real estate and landlord-tenant law covers disputes connected to property, whether you own it, rent it, or are trying to buy or sell it. On one end are landlord-tenant issues: an eviction notice, a security deposit a landlord won't return, an apartment with repairs nobody will make, or a landlord facing a tenant who's stopped paying rent. On the other end are ownership disputes: a purchase contract that's fallen apart, a boundary line a neighbor disagrees with, a title problem discovered during a sale, or a fight with a homeowners' association.
People usually look for help here when informal conversation has stalled: a landlord isn't returning calls, a neighbor won't move a fence, a closing is at risk, or a court date is already on the calendar. Because so much of this area is governed by state and even local law, the same situation can play out very differently depending on where the property sits.
What a real estate or landlord-tenant attorney typically does
Depending on which side of the dispute you're on, common work includes:
- Reviewing or drafting a lease, purchase agreement, or other property contract
- Representing a tenant facing eviction, or a landlord pursuing one
- Handling security deposit disputes and habitability complaints
- Reviewing title reports and resolving defects before or after closing
- Negotiating or litigating boundary, easement, and encroachment disputes
- Representing a homeowner in a dispute with a homeowners' association
- Advising on contract problems that arise during a home purchase or sale
Some of this work is document review and negotiation that never sees a courtroom. Eviction and some contract disputes, though, often move through court on a fairly tight schedule, which is part of why getting an attorney involved early tends to matter more here than in some other areas.
How costs usually work
Real estate and landlord-tenant matters are typically billed hourly or as a flat fee, not on contingency, since most of this work doesn't involve a monetary recovery to take a percentage of. A flat fee is common for a defined task: reviewing a lease before you sign, handling an uncontested eviction, or reviewing documents before a closing. Disputes that are likely to be contested in court, a boundary fight or a drawn-out eviction, are more often billed hourly, because how much work is required is harder to predict upfront.
Some property disputes involving significant money, like a serious contract fraud or construction defect claim, are occasionally handled on contingency, though this is less common than in personal injury cases. Each attorney sets their own terms and explains them before you agree, so it's worth asking upfront what a flat fee does and doesn't cover, and what triggers additional charges.
Why acting promptly matters
Eviction cases in particular move fast: notice periods, the time to respond to a filed case, and the time to appear in court are all short and differ from state to state and even city to city. Missing one of these windows can mean losing a hearing you were otherwise entitled to. Contract and title disputes move more slowly but still carry deadlines: a closing date, a window to object to a title defect, or a limitations period on a boundary claim.
After you submit the form on this site, your request is sent to up to four participating attorneys who handle real estate or landlord-tenant matters where you live. There's no cost to submit it and no obligation to hire anyone who responds, but with such tight timelines in this area, especially around eviction, reaching out sooner rather than later tends to leave you with more options.
