ACLU Skadden Fellow and Legal Aid lawyers brief Human Rights Commission on tenants' rights and Oklahoma law limits

Adam Hines, a Skadden Fellow at the ACLU of Oklahoma, told the Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission on March 25 that tenants in the state should know several unusual features of Oklahoma law and practical steps for asserting their rights.

Hines opened his tenant "know your rights" training by outlining common questions — from whether landlords must allow service animals to when landlords can raise rent or evict tenants — and then explained state and federal rules the commission and audience members can use as guidance.

Hines said landlords must keep security deposits in a separate escrow account during the tenancy and must provide an itemized receipt if they use the deposit after a lease ends. He added a unique Oklahoma requirement: "Technically under the law if you want your security deposit back you have to ask for it back," and advised tenants to send a written request within six months of lease termination to trigger the landlord’s return obligation.

The trainer reviewed entry rules and maintenance remedies. "Your landlord does have a right to enter your unit, but they have to give you at least 1 day's notice…