Protect yourself as a renter — one step at a time
Page last updated: September 2, 2026 · How we source & update
Rights where you live · private time-stamped record · calm next step · free help when serious
Renter Shield helps you understand the rules where you live, keep a private, time-stamped record of what's happening, and respond calmly in writing when it counts — no lawyer required to get started.
Renter Shield provides legal information, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. In an emergency — eviction notice, lockout, unsafe conditions — free legal-aid resources are always one tap away. Rights information, local resources, 211 and the eviction-response letter are free and never metered. AI chat and additional professional letters are paid.
Looking up tenant rights? Start at the Tenant Rights Center.
Renter Shield is the app. The Tenant Rights Center is where the rules live — every state and DC, with the official citation and review status on each rule, plus the city pages we have verified. It is free, needs no account, and is the page we send our own users to.
Not sure where you are in the process? The decision guides map the stages — eviction, repairs, deposits, leaving a lease early, landlord entry.
Getting your security deposit back
The most common renter dispute — and the one most worth preparing for. Renter Shield shows the deposit-return rules and deadline for your state, helps you document move-out condition, and drafts a professional written request. If it goes nowhere, free legal aid and 211 are one tap away — no outcome promised, no pressure.
Know the deadline
Deposit-return timelines vary by state. See the rule where you live, with its source — and honest labels on anything not yet confirmed.
Document everything
Time-stamped move-out photos and notes stay on your device — a clean record of the condition you left the place in.
Ask in writing
A calm, professional request that states the facts and the deadline — you review every word before anything is sent.
Also common: unauthorized entry · repairs ignored — same calm pattern for each.
The deck is stacked. Let's even it out.
When something goes wrong with your housing, the other side often has templates, lawyers, software, and years of experience. Most renters have stress, a tight budget, and a few scattered texts. Renter Shield is built to close that gap — calmly, and on the record.
"Is this even allowed?"
Rules change by state, city, and housing type. It's hard to know what a landlord can actually do — and what your real options are.
"How do I even say this?"
You want to be firm and professional — not emotional or combative. A blank message to your landlord is intimidating when your home is on the line.
"Can I prove what happened?"
Without dates, photos, and a clean timeline, it's your word against theirs. Scattered screenshots don't hold up when it counts.
Everything you need to stand on solid ground
Five tools that work together — so you always know where you stand, what to do next, and how to say it.
Your rights, made plain
Tell us your state and situation; see the rules and deadlines that actually apply — in clear language, with the source.
Guardian
Ask how the rules work where you live, and when it's time, turn your record into a calm, professional written response — facts and a clear request, never threats.
Evidence Vault
Save dated notes, photos, and messages on your device — a clean, timestamped record that holds up.
Notice Analyzer
Enter what your notice says and see what kind it appears to be and what it is asking of you. Information, not legal advice — it won't tell you whether a notice is valid.
Deadline reminders
Housing timelines move fast. Set a reminder and Renter Shield nudges you to act early — with time to get help.
Sub-tenant tools Pro
Track who's paid and generate clear sub-lease agreements — so shared living stays simple and fair.
Get help
Legal aid, 211, and crisis resources surface first when it's urgent — always free, never behind a paywall.
Ask a question. Get a clear, honest answer.
Guardian gives renters straight, sourced information — and is honest about what it doesn't know. Here's how a real conversation goes.
- Answers with sources. Every figure comes with the statute or rule behind it — so you can verify it, not just trust it.
- Honest about limits. When a value isn't confirmed for your area, it says so and points you to verify — it never guesses.
- Safety first. For urgent situations, it surfaces free legal aid before anything else.
From overwhelmed to prepared in minutes
No legal background required. Renter Shield walks you through it, one calm step at a time.
Tell us your situation
Your state, city, housing type, and what's going on — repairs, rent, a notice, a deposit, or just exploring.
See what applies
Get the rights and deadlines for your area in plain language, with the source for every figure.
Capture & draft
Save evidence to your device, then draft a calm, professional letter that states the facts and your request.
Stay on track
Set reminders, find local legal aid, and keep a clean record — all in one place.
Built to keep you steady under pressure
Housing stress is real. Renter Shield is designed to lower it — clear information, an organized record, and the right words, so you can act with confidence instead of fear.
Get Renter Shield freeSimple pricing. The essentials stay free.
Renter Shield is free for the things that matter most when something goes wrong. Paid plans add professional form letters and AI chat for when you want help putting your situation in writing.
Renter Shield Home is free to use right now, in the app and on the web. Paid plans are purchased on the web — nothing is purchased inside the iPhone app.
Free
Core protection for every renter.
- ✓ Core rights information — all 50 states + DC
- ✓ Emergency resources & legal-aid links
- ✓ The core eviction-response letter
- ✓ Core tools & calculators
- ✓ Photo & evidence capture
- ✓ View your saved data
Essential
Visa and Mastercard accepted. Card payments are handled securely by our payment processor.
For when you need it in writing.
- ✓ Everything in Free
- ✓ Professional form letters — one per section
- ✓ Limited AI chat
- ✓ Email and save your letters
Pro
Full support for an ongoing situation.
- ✓ Everything in Essential
- ✓ Unlimited professional form letters
- ✓ Full AI chat
- ✓ Advanced Evidence Vault, with export
- ✓ Lease analyzer
- ✓ Sub-tenant tools
Used up this month’s chat?
Essential and Pro subscribers can add more — charged once, never auto-renews.
About 10 more questions for an active Essential or Pro subscription, added to your account and yours until you use them. Requires a subscription — it tops up your plan’s chat, it doesn’t replace one.
Add a chat top-upPrices in USD. Pay month to month, or choose annual and save 33% — annual is billed once a year, and you can cancel renewal at any time. The chat top-up is a one-time purchase for active Essential and Pro subscribers: charged once, never auto-renews. Emergency resources, legal-aid links, and the core eviction-response letter are always free, on every plan.
Whatever you're facing, you don't face it alone
Pick what's happening to see how Renter Shield helps — calmly, and on the record.
"They're keeping my deposit."
You moved out, left it clean, and weeks later your deposit hasn't come back — or the deductions don't add up.
"Nothing's getting fixed."
The heat's out, there's a leak, or something unsafe — and your requests keep going unanswered.
"My landlord keeps showing up."
They're entering without notice, or far too often, and it's starting to feel like your home isn't yours.
"I got a notice and I'm scared."
A pay-or-quit or termination notice just landed, and the clock feels like it's already running.
"I'm renting out a room."
You're subletting or splitting rent and want it to stay clear, fair, and documented for everyone.
What renters told us
Renter Shield is built with and for renters. Here's what renters said after using it.
"I finally understood what my landlord could and couldn't do. The letter it helped me write was calm and professional — nothing like the angry text I almost sent."
"Having everything dated and saved in one place took the panic out of it. I knew exactly what happened and when, with the photos to back it up."
"It told me straight when something wasn't confirmed for my state and pointed me to legal aid. It felt honest — like it was actually on my side."
Quotes from Renter Shield users. Individual results vary.
Renter rights in your city
Start with your city for the common issues and first steps — then let Renter Shield show the exact rule for your state.
Your home is worth protecting.
Get Renter Shield free and put your rights, your evidence, and your words on your side — starting today.
In preparation for the App Store as Renter Shield Home.