Just about everyone who lives in an apartment has a story about a landlord who refused to fix certain things in a timely manner. Some people say this is why they only rent from corporate-owned buildings, while others swear they have had the same terrible experience no matter who they rented from. If you are having a landlord dispute, here are a few things you can do to help your cause.

Know your lease

No matter what kind of landlord dispute you are having, you should have the sections of your lease that spell out what is going on memorized. By knowing your rights, you are one step ahead of the game.

Understand your landlord’s role

There are certain times you can withhold rent because your landlord isn’t living up to his or her responsibility and there are times when you can’t. If your dishwasher hasn’t been fixed in six months, no judge is going to allow you to withhold rent for that, however, if your heat is broken in January, you have a better case. Know the laws in your state when it comes to renters rights. They can vary dramatically from state to state.

Find out if you are entitled to arbitration

In some states and provinces, a renter is allowed to take his or her landlord to arbitration to get out of a binding lease. If you can prove that your landlord isn’t living up to expectations, you can move with little to no notice. The Internet is going to be your best friend here as a simple Google search for your state and “renters rights” will likely answer all of your questions for you.

Save everything

If you have submitted written requests for things to be fixed and they have been ignored over and over again, be sure that you saved copies of everything. The more evidence you have, the stronger your case will be.

You’ve finally found an apartment that you love at a price you can afford in a neighborhood you like visiting. The only thing standing in between you and the apartment of your dreams is an interview with your soon-to-be landlord. For some, this interview can be worse than a job interview, but you really have nothing to worry about. Follow these steps and you’ll be putting out your welcome matt in no time flat.

First, don’t lie on your application, no matter how harmless you think the lie might be. The reason is that you will have to remember what you said, and if you contradict yourself, you are going to look like a fool and raise a lot of red flags, as well. Be open, honest and you will do fine.

If you’ve had trouble with previous landlords, describe what happened, but don’t get angry and don’t blame anyone. You’ll come across looking like a problem tenant and, not surprisingly, your new landlord will probably side with your old one in these kinds of cases.

Talk glowingly about the apartment you just saw and why you want to live in this neighborhood. Don’t lay it on too thick, however, the landlord will be able to tell when you are not being honest.

If you don’t have a lot of rental history and you are worried it could cost you this apartment, talk about other aspects of your life where you have had to have a lot of responsibility. If you are in school, talk about your coursework, but be sure to stress that fewer paid hours on the job won’t interfere with your ability to pay rent every month. Use as many character references as you can, the more the better. Soon you will be basking in the glory of your new apartment and this stressful interview will be far behind you.