Frequently Asked Questions

The approval process will take two days for the background check and another 2 business days for shipping of your approval kit.

The Rental Protection Agency is the national agency responsible for setting the standards and ethics for the rental industry. The RPA was created to protect landlord and renter from risk by providing tools and resources that are cost effective and available for all. The RPA is the national agency that handles complaints dealing within the rent industry in all 50 States. Landlord training courses and certifications are created as an effort to improve understanding to laws and practices governing the rental industry. The RPA Approves landlords, property managers, and apartment complexes based on their rental practices and clean criminal history. The RPA is the Standard for the rental industry, all reputable Landlords should be registered. Public records are available on over 33 million landlords nationwide and provided at no cost.

To check your own approval status you can click on the "Verfy Landlord" link found at the top of the page. From there you will enter your own information as though you were a renter checking. Only landlords that have registered will be approved.

If you have been contacted about a complaint filed against you or your rental you will need to respond to the case by contacting the Investigating Agent by phone or by responding online. To respond online click on the "CASE MEDIATION" link found under the search box and enter your case #.

Renter comments can be removed from your record only when the renter is non-verified. You can dispute any comment by contacting administration. Click on the Contact page for information about how to contact the RPA.

The Landlord History Report is a compiled report on a specific rental property or business based on several databases and records. The report is provided as a tool to help renters in the decision process. The Risk Score is a coded score ranging from 0 to 900 and is based off of many factors including area statistics, approval status, complaints, and government records.

There are several ways of improving your risk score. The most common reason for low risk scores are due to non-approval status. You must register and apply to become and RPA Approved Landlord. Approval status will dramatically increase your risk score. You can also increase your Landlord Risk Score by passing certification courses, increasing positive landlord comments, and by responding fairly to any filed cases against you.

Complaints can negatively impact your landlord score if they are resolved in a fair manner. The Investigating Agent will rate your response at the end of the case, and based on their rating you will improve or hurt your Landlord Risk Score. To ensure your score is not hurt, it is best to work promptly and honestly with the agent investigating your case. Never act hostile or threatening to your tenant or the Investigating Agent.

The RPA is a voluntary program and is not a requirement, however, it is recommended for every landlord and apartment complex to register. If you can not afford the minimal fee, it will be waived entirely. To register click on the "Apply" link.

Yes. The RPA provides a tool that allows you to report your renters history to the RPA. This information is made available to other landlords during their screening process.

The RPA has access to the same databases as any other screening company, and also provides additional proprietary resources. Thus, screening through the RPA is slightly more accurate than other screening companies. The RPA focuses on providing landlords a cost effective, easy to use system and guarantees pricing to be the lowest.

You can take one of the many online property management courses offered by the RPA. To qualify for certifications you must be able to pass testing with at least 80%. Landlord courses are designed to help educate and inform landlords of their rights and obligations.

Approved Landlords or Apartment Complexes have passed a criminal background check and are not convicted felons or sex offenders. Any individual that has access to master keys is required to pass these checks. Certified landlords are individuals that are approved and have demonstated their skills by passing a series of test and meet experience requirements. Not all Approved Landlords are Certified, however all Certified Landlords are Approved.

Yes, the RPA has handled many disputes and is sure to help most tenants with their concerns. http://www.rentalprotectionagency.com

The Rental Protection Agency is the national agency responsible for setting the standards and ethics for the rental industry. The RPA was created to protect landlord and renter from risk by providing tools and resources that are cost effective and available for all. The RPA is the national agency that handles complaints dealing within the rent industry in all 50 States. Landlord training courses and certifications are created as an effort to improve understanding to laws and practices governing the rental industry. The RPA Approves landlords, property managers, and apartment complexes based on their rental practices and clean criminal history. The RPA is the Standard for the rental industry, all reputable Landlords should be registered. Public records are available on over 33 million landlords nationwide and provided at no cost.

Its easy to comment on your renting experiences. The best way to rate your landlord or apartment is by clicking on the link found on their Landlord History Report under the category "Renter Comments." In order for your comments to be attached to your landlord or apartment complex you will need to provide an email address for confirmation. The RPA uses an automated system to confirm comments via email. All personal details such as your name and email are coded and kept confidential from public record.

The RPA has records on over 33 million rental properties nationwide and provides renters with free history reports on their landlords. You can pull a Landlord History Report and Risk Score on your landlord at no cost by clicking on the link titled "Verify Landlord." Our system will search millions of records in seconds and provide you with a detailed report on your landlords history.

The RPA assist renters through our online landlord tenant mediation center. The RPA can help to resolve problems dealing with your landlord or rental, but we do not provide legal advice. You can get help by filing a complaint. If you need rent advice you can click on the link titled "Advice."

The RPA has a "No Excuse" policy when it comes to landlords approval status. If your landlord or potential landlord isnt approved by the RPA you should immediately ask them about their status. Many times the landlord has not registered correctly and can fix the problem by registering: Online, Over the Phone, by Fax, or by Snail Mail. Registration is free to landlords that cant afford the minimal registration cost, so there really is no reason your landlord should have a non-approved status, unless they are an individual with a criminal history or dark past. All reputable rental properties should be registered and approved by the RPA.

To file a complaint on a landlor you can click on the "File Complaint" link found towards the top of the page. By filing a landlord complaint you will be assigned a case number that will be mediated by an Investigating Agent. All complaints require an minimal process fee to cover administrative cost.

Once you file a landlord complaint it will receive a case number and be assigned to an Investigating Agent. You can check on the case status anytime by logging onto the RPA website and entering your case number. The Investigating Agent will work with you and your landlord to find a fair timely resolution. You can respond to the case by clicking on the "Case Mediation" link found under the search box.

To respond to your landlord or apartment complaint you can login to the RPA website and click on the the "Respond" button found at the top of your case status. Keep your responsed professional and factual so that it may assist in a resolution.

The best way to contact your Investigating Agent about your case is by reponding to your case. All responses are reviewed by the Agent handling your case. The Agent will choose to respond via phone, internet, email, etc. Most cases are responded to through the online mediation center and uploaded to your case status in real-time.

Often times renters may be concerned about landlord retaliation after filing a complaint. The federal government protects renters that file a complaint with the Rental Protection Agency from retaliation. Your case is documented and is available as proof for any court proceedings dealing with your landlord retaliation. To learn more about how renters are protected against landlord retaliation you can click on the link titled "Case Mediation" under the search box.

No. Your landlord cannot evict you for filing a complaint against them, this is considered landlord retaliation and is illegal.

The RPA provides an overview of basic renter rights, feel free to look over our renters rights center. However, if you feel like you are being taken advantage of, or that your requirement isnt fair; your landlord may be violating your rights. Anytime you feel that your rights are not being met you should file a complaint with the RPA. An agent will help to ensure that your landlord respects your rights.

The RPA will help with any type of complaint regardless of how small or big the complaint may seem. You will qualify for mediation help as long as the problem deals with a landlord, renting experience, manager, rental unit, etc.

No. Renters do not need to register with the RPA. Resources are provided to renters without any need of registration.

Approved Landlords or Apartment Complexes have passed a criminal background check and are not convicted felons or sex offenders. Any individual that has access to master keys is required to pass these checks. Certified landlords are individuals that are approved and have demonstated their skills by passing a series of test and meet experience requirements. Not all Approved Landlords are Certified, however all Certified Landlords are Approved.

RPA stands for Rental Protection Agency.

The Rental Protection Agency is the national agency responsible for setting the standards and ethics for the rental industry. The RPA was created to protect landlord and renter from risk by providing tools and resources that are cost effective and available for all. The RPA is the national agency that handles complaints dealing within the rent industry in all 50 States. Landlord training courses and certifications are created as an effort to improve understanding to laws and practices governing the rental industry. The RPA Approves landlords, property managers, and apartment complexes based on their rental practices and clean criminal history. The RPA is the Standard for the rental industry, all reputable Landlords should be registered. Public records are available on over 33 million landlords nationwide and provided at no cost.

Approved Landlords or Apartment Complexes have passed a criminal background check and are not convicted felons or sex offenders. Any individual that has access to master keys is required to pass these checks. Certified landlords are individuals that are approved and have demonstated their skills by passing a series of test and meet experience requirements. Not all Approved Landlords are Certified, however all Certified Landlords are Approved.

All reputable Landlords and Apartment Complexes should be registered and approved by the Rental Protection Agency. The "No Excuse" Policy grants all landlords and managers no excuse to register. 1) Fees are waived those that can not afford the minimal processing fee. 2) Flexible registration methods are available: Online, Over the Phone, Via Fax, or through Snail Mail. 3) All major payment options are available: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover Card and personal checks through the billing option. 4) Affordable fee of $54 per year or free to those that cannot afford it. The registration process only takes a few minutes for the landlord to complete. All landlords, and apartment complexes should apply. The RPA provides no excuses to avoid this process.