Knock before you sign.
Housing Transparency Network gives renters real information about landlords and properties — reported by the people who actually lived there.
Try "Burlington Ave" or "Westland Real Estate" to see a sample report
Three steps to a safer lease
The same information landlords already have on you — background, payment history, references — should run both directions.
Look up before you tour
Search any address or property manager for reports filed by renters who lived there before you.
See what actually happened
Reports cover pests, plumbing, security, mold, retaliation, and more — plus a direct link to that address's official public records, even before renter reports exist.
Protect the next renter
Once you move in — or out — add your own report so the next person walks in with open eyes.
What a listing looks like on Knock B4 U Rent
"No hot water for the fourth time this year. Front door lock has been broken for months — building says it's 'in progress.' Filed a written complaint in March, still no fix." — filed by a renter, 5 months ago
This is a sample for demonstration. Use Search to look up real, submitted reports.
Find reports on a property or landlord
Tell the next renter what you know
Reports are public and visible to anyone searching this address or landlord. Don't include anything you're not comfortable sharing publicly. New reports are marked Unverified until cross-checked against public records — this keeps the database honest for everyone.
Report submitted
Thanks for looking out for the next renter. Your report is now live in Search.
Know your rights before you knock
Plain-language guides on the issues renters run into most. General information only — not a substitute for advice from a tenant attorney or your local legal aid office.
Help beyond the lease
Housing trouble rarely shows up alone. These are starting points for renters in Los Angeles dealing with eviction risk, hard money months, or everything that comes with it. Details like phone numbers and eligibility change — always confirm directly with the organization before relying on anything here.
Locked out doesn't have to mean a $200 emergency locksmith.
Keysurance — the proactive solution to lockouts
Keysurance is a subscription service that securely stores a spare key for your home and delivers it to you if you're ever locked out — usually within an hour. Founded in 2017, it's built on the same idea as this site: renters shouldn't have to eat an unexpected cost because a system wasn't built with them in mind.
Learn more about KeysuranceHow it works
You don't have to figure this out alone.
I moved to LA and learned the hard way what it takes to navigate a new city, a bad landlord, and a system that isn't built to explain itself. Now I help other transplants and renters get through it faster than I did.
What we can work through
Pick what fits right now
- One 20-minute call
- Talk through your situation
- Leave with at least one concrete next step
- One 50-minute 1:1 session
- Written summary and action plan after
- Follow-up email support for 1 week
- Four 50-minute sessions
- Shared document to track progress
- Priority email support throughout
Landlords already know everything about you. It's time that went both ways.
Housing Transparency Network was built on a simple idea: the information renters need to make a safe decision shouldn't depend on luck, timing, or who you happen to know.
Renters know things landlords won't tell you
Broken locks, chronic outages, retaliation — the people who actually lived somewhere are the most reliable source on what it's really like.
Information should flow both directions
Landlords run credit and background checks before they'll rent to you. This is the same idea, pointed the other way.
We're not a law firm
Everything here is general information to help you ask better questions — not legal advice. For anything specific to your lease, talk to a tenant attorney or your local legal aid office.
Reports stay factual
We ask renters to stick to what happened, when, and how it was handled — not speculation. That's what makes reports useful to the next person.
Keep this free, ad-free, and impossible to buy out.
Housing Transparency Network doesn't take money from landlords or property managers, and never will — that's what makes it trustworthy. Support from renters and allies is what keeps it running instead.
Terms of Service & Privacy Policy
1. Acceptance of these terms
By accessing or using Housing Transparency Network (including knockb4urent.com and any related pages, "the Site"), you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy below. If you don't agree with them, please don't use the Site.
2. What this Site is — and isn't
Housing Transparency Network is a renter-reported information platform. It lets people search and submit reports about rental properties and landlords, and provides general educational resources about tenant rights and available assistance programs.
This Site is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and no report, resource, or coaching conversation on this Site creates an attorney-client relationship. Nothing here should be relied on as a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney, financial advisor, or medical/mental health professional.
3. User-submitted content
Reports, and any other content submitted through the Site ("User Content"), are provided by individual users — not verified, fact-checked, or endorsed by Housing Transparency Network unless explicitly labeled "Verified."
- "Unverified" means a report is self-reported and has not been independently cross-checked.
- "Verified" means Housing Transparency Network has cross-checked the report against public records or supporting documentation. A "Verified" label does not guarantee complete accuracy — it reflects our best effort at the time of review.
By submitting a report, you confirm that, to the best of your knowledge, the information is truthful and based on your own direct experience — not speculation, hearsay, or content copied from someone else.
4. Prohibited content and conduct
You agree not to submit content that:
- Is knowingly false, defamatory, or materially misleading
- Harasses, threatens, or targets an individual based on a protected characteristic (race, religion, disability, national origin, etc.)
- Discloses someone else's private information without their consent (e.g. a private phone number, home address of an individual, financial details)
- Is spam, an advertisement, or unrelated to a genuine rental housing experience
- Violates any applicable law
We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these terms, at our discretion, without prior notice.
5. Content removal & disputes
If you are a landlord, property manager, or business named in a report and believe it is false or violates these terms, contact us at hello@knockb4urent.com with the specific report in question and an explanation. We will review disputed reports in good faith. Housing Transparency Network does not accept payment, favors, or any other consideration in exchange for removing, editing, or suppressing a report — reports are only removed based on a genuine review of accuracy or a Terms violation.
6. No warranties
The Site and all content on it are provided "as is," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee that reports are accurate, complete, or current, that the Site will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that any resource, phone number, or program listed remains active or accurate — please verify independently before relying on any listed resource.
7. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Housing Transparency Network and its founder are not liable for any damages arising from your use of the Site, reliance on any report or resource listed on it, or any decision made based on Site content — including decisions about where to live, who to rent from, or any legal, financial, or personal matter.
8. Your responsibility for what you post
You are solely responsible for the content you submit. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Housing Transparency Network from any claim, damage, or expense (including legal fees) arising from content you submitted or your violation of these terms.
9. Privacy policy — what we collect
When you submit a report, we collect the information you choose to enter (address, description, categories, and an optional email). Your email, if provided, is kept private and is never shown publicly — it is only used if we need to verify a report or follow up with you directly. We do not sell personal information to third parties.
If you contact us directly (by email, or through the coaching or support links on this Site), we retain that correspondence to respond to you and keep basic records of the interaction.
10. Coaching services
Coaching offered through this Site is peer support based on personal, lived experience — it is not legal, financial, therapeutic, or medical advice, and no coach-client relationship creates any professional privilege or duty of care beyond what's explicitly agreed to for a paid session. Pricing shown is a starting point and may be confirmed or adjusted directly before booking.
11. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted means you accept the updated terms. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when changes are made.
12. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
13. Contact
Questions about these Terms, a report, or anything else on this Site can be sent to hello@knockb4urent.com.