Frequently asked questions

No. RentCounsel provides legal information, not legal advice. We help you understand tenant protection laws by referencing actual statutes and ordinances, but we are not a law firm and cannot represent you. For your specific legal situation, we recommend consulting with a qualified attorney or contacting your local tenant rights organization. Every statute reference we provide includes a source link so you can verify the information independently.

No. RentCounsel is completely private and confidential. We never contact your landlord, your property management company, or anyone else unless you explicitly ask us to send a certified letter on your behalf. Your questions and conversations are private.

This is one of the most common fears renters have, and it's completely understandable. The good news is that every state we cover has anti-retaliation laws that protect tenants who exercise their legal rights. These laws typically prohibit landlords from raising rent, reducing services, or filing eviction in response to complaints. Ask about your state's specific retaliation protections in the chat, and we'll show you the exact statutes that protect you.

Yes — RentCounsel was built specifically for renters who don't have access to expensive legal help. You can ask unlimited questions for free and get statute-backed answers. We also connect you with free legal aid organizations in your state. When you're ready to take action, we can draft and send a certified demand letter to your landlord for $19.99 — no attorney needed.

Our information is backed by actual statutes and local ordinances that have been verified against official legal codes. Every answer includes specific statute citations with source links so you can verify them yourself. Our AI uses a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system, meaning it retrieves real statutes from our database before generating a response — it does not fabricate legal references. That said, laws change over time, and our database may not reflect the very latest amendments. Always verify critical information with an attorney.

We currently cover tenant protection laws in 10 states: California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, and New Jersey. We also cover city-level ordinances for 6 major cities: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland. We are continually expanding our coverage to include more jurisdictions.

Yes — asking questions is completely free with no limits. No sign-up needed, no credit card required. You can ask unlimited questions and get answers backed by real statute citations. The only thing that costs money is our certified mail service: when you're ready to take action, we'll draft, print, and send a demand letter via USPS Certified Mail for $19.99.

When you're ready to take action against your landlord, we draft a professional demand letter citing the specific statutes that protect you, print it on letterhead, and send it via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested. You get a tracking number and delivery confirmation. This creates a legal paper trail that can be used as evidence in court. The all-in price is $19.99 per letter.

Yes! Our certified mail service handles everything — we draft the letter based on your situation and the applicable laws, print it on professional letterhead, and send it via USPS Certified Mail. You don't need to visit the post office or figure out certified mail on your own. The return receipt proves your landlord received it, which is important for legal deadlines.

No. You can start asking questions immediately — no account, no email, no sign-up required. Your conversation is saved in your browser automatically. You can also email yourself a copy for safekeeping.