Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Water Pipe Break/ Black Mold/ Asbestos/ Spraying Of Chemicals/ Cover Up/ | Case#**-*033
TORRANCE,
CA -
90505 2358
On April 28, a pipe burst from the apartment upstairs and water started to leak and seep though into my apartment causing substantial water damage to books, electronics, professional cosmetics, and valuable collectibles. I asked the apartment manager to call the plumber or cut of the water line to upstairs and she refused, had me wait until morning when a clamp was placed. Two days later it started to leak again in another pipe. Plumbers were called to break ceiling find leak and said they fixed it. She brought in a carpet cleaner to steam clean the carpets and place a humidifer in hallway to run for 3 days. When the carpet people came to pick up the humidifer it started to leak again. The plumbers clamped it again on May 28th. Asbestos and mold were found. Lucy, the apartment manager called drywall people to break out the ceiling and spray bleach on the unfinished wood and smelled terrible. I was forced to stay in an apartment with chemicals sprayed on the banisters in the walls of my apartment for seven days until the drywall person came back to do some more breaking of the ceiling and spraying of bleach. I complained because I got very ill from all the fumes of the chemicals. I sent a complaint letter to the property management explaining that I do not wish to be in apartment that is uninhabitable if they are to spray chemicals and knock down ceilings and walls. I was harrassed by the apartment manager by her yelling at me and calling my possessions \"crap.\" She said I was responsible for moving all of my things out of the one bedroom while he did repairs. There is no place to move my stuff because it is a one bedroom apartment- I did not appreciate the beligerent choice of words and angry tone blaming me for the problem. I am exhausted at this point. On May 13 she had the same repair man enter my apartment just to take pictures and leave. I still have a gaping whole in my celings and hallway. I do not feel comfortable dealing with the apartment manager Lucy Blasi because she has anger issues, fires all of her assistant mangers and can\'t get along with anyone, is very unhelpul and uses abusive languange. When I first moved in she said that i could not have my storage boxes on my side of the garage (eventhough that is not stated in the lease) so I paid for storage to keep them. During halloween, she said I couldn\'t have pumpkins on my porch because it was a fire hazard, when other neighbors had halloween decorations and pumpkins on their porches.
Stacking Fees | Case#**-*338
JACKSONVILLE,
FL -
32256 3798
My rent and water sewer fees are always on time or paid early, however a prior payment of the public utilities of water returned a money order indicating the money order was outdated, the complex charged a returned check fee to my account. In addition the original money order was never returned to me and notice regarding this matter was never given for several months after the fact. I travel for my living and am away for extended periods of time ...no email no phone call etc until a notice was attached to my front door claiming I owed close to 300 hundred dollars by my son who is a tenant also. In addition water usage is based on square footage compared to actual usage. As noted I travel out about 75% of my time so 1 person is using my utilities Please also note the returned money order amt for the water bill was paid at the time of notification.
Landlord Enters The Property For No Reason. | Case#**-*431 This is another request for the landlord to stop entering 4269 Grove Street. I know that the two other roommates have addressed this concern to Mary Miller before. However, I can only talk about my experiences since I moved in December 2012. In 12 months, she has visited and entered the property countless times. I started notcing the frequency of her emails without the reason for the visit. Back in July, I asked why and she replied it is her right to maintain the property. At that time, no request from the tenants had been made for any repairs.
Yesterday, she emails 2 of the 3 tenants, to inform us that she was going to visit the property. She actually states there is no reason, but just visiting. She chose between 9-10:00 AM. She knows that we all work normal business hours. I replied that I’m requesting that she respect our privacy as we have asked her before. I also asked her to work with my work schedule if she really insists on visiting, but that I need to let my boss know when I will be in. She doesn’t respond until this morning after I have left to work, since I also called her house phone this morning and she did not answer. In her response she added that she is coming over for measurements as she stated previously. Which she did not and we have saved the entire email chain from her.
I told her she cannot bully us into letting her enter the house for no reason. We are current on rent and have not ever been late. So that’s not the reason to be in the house. In fact, she does not state a reason, she typically ignores our questions. We have all of this documented in email chains from her.
We just want our privacy or be able to get out lease without eviction or fines or fault to us, is she refuses to stop coming over when we are not there for no reason.
Thank you
apartment not secure from start (no door). possible bank seizure. | Case#**-*413
oakland,
California -
94612
the company that we signed the lease with (ez loan realty) demanded our rent and deposit in cash (obtained receipts). upon initial move in apartment was not painted.
walls were very dirty and needed paint. we share a back door breezeway with downstairs neighbor. which has his backdoor in it and stairs that lead to our upstairs apartment.
there is and never has been a door put in. we had the neighbors backdoor sealed but he ripped the lock off immediately and apparently it is a fire hazard. so we have never had a secure living space. the breezeway was full of dog urine and feces from neighbors dogs, had cleaned but smell never came out, questioning health hazard. the neighbors dogs bark non stop all day at nothing. they bark when i enter and exit the apartment and do not stop for hours after and they also occupy the entire backyard making it unusable for anyone other than the downstairs neighbor. we have asked many times for the numerous repairs to be done that we have requested (broken window, bathroom sink broken, no trash cans) since we have moved in.we have been informed that we are essentially squatting as of the 1st of this month due to the landlord not paying the mortgage. the landlord (owner) william wong does not speak english and the realtor (yang Cao) is supposed to translate for him. she has ceased this service. my roommate (phillip smith) and i have tried numerous times to talk to both the realtor and the landlord about all of these matters since we first moved in (approx 3 months ago). they have been uncooperative with our simple requests. they have not addressed any of these situations except for the trash can which they delivered 30 days ago. every time i try to contact Yang Cao she has either stated that these issues are "not true" or that it is the landlords problem and not hers. the landlord tells us to call Yang every time. the urine and feces in the breezeway is a potential health hazard. the broken window and lack of a locking door that our neighbor cannot access as well as the broken window is a safety hazard. we are moving our things asap
Repair issues and safety issues | Case#**-*652
Como,
Colorado -
80432
Monte has not provided a working shower since May 10th. It would work on and off, but now it has not worked at all for 3 weeks. I cannot shower or bathe. I have to drive the 70 mile round trip from my house to the rec center in FairPlay, to take showers. I went approximately every 3 days.
Monte came out to see the demolition of the deck, and allowed the very long building nails in the framework to remain sticking out. Very dangerous situation, especially for my dogs. The deck had collapsed in the middle of May, and as of today, it is still not fixed. I had to go out and try to knock down the dozens of long nails that were sticking out. I have pictures.
Added 8/05/203 - I was informed by Monte that the only way that we will communicate in the further is through letters through the post office. It is a 40 mile round trip to get to my P.O.Box. That is not acceptable.
The deck was torn down yesterday, 8/04/13, and along with it, the Direct TV was discarded onto the ground, so now I have no tv. Also, a beautiful ceramic flower pot was broken to shreds from them throwing the wood, and a beautiful skull which I was bleaching, was also thown onto the ground under a heap of wood. Then an antique oxen harness was also under a heap of wood. That cannot be relaxed. I was driving home yesterday from my daughter's house in Aurora, and Monte and another man were just leaving the house with trucks piled up. He never informed me that he would be there. He answers none of my emails at all. I have already paid for this case
As of today
Vehicle Towed In Violation Of Ruels Stated In Lease | Case#**-*625
DEKALB,
IL -
60115 1344
On the night of January 26 2020 my guest vehicle was towed before 6pm without warning. The guest arrived at approximately 4:00-4:15pm verifiable by security footage. A fee of $200 was taken to release the vehicle (Illegally I might add as the storage fee of $20 can not be taken by law until the vehicle has been stored for over 24 hours)
As per the \"Community policies, rules and regulations\" section VI, \"Any vehicles not registered with the office . . .will be towed at the vehicles owners expense after 24 hours warning is placed on the vehicle.\" My guest had arrived not 2 hours earlier. While the lease does set forth conditions in which a vehicle can be towed without warning none of these conditions were met. In addition to this an email from management outlines that guest vehicles will not be towed before 10pm.
Management sites email notifications as the justification for immediate towing of guest vehicles however none explicitly state \"immediate towing\" leaving the rules in the lease still binding. As previously stated others state they will be towed after 10pm.
After discussion with office staff I was told I must take it up with Tri-State towing, who refused to speak with me but only to my guest. Tri-State sights an email, singed and notarized by management permitting them to tow in violation of the rules set forth by the lease. This is in two counts once for the rules of parking and second for paragraph 32 of the main lease body which states \"Neither we nor any of our representatives have made any oral promises, representations, or agreements. This lease including addendum. . .is the entire agreement between you and us.\" This email rewriting the parking rules violates this paragraph.
Noise Nuisance Complaint | Case#**-*612
SCHERERVILLE,
IN -
46375 1863
The apartment 307 above me has six people living in It, it only holds a family of four . Three children are up all times of the night sometimes until after midnight. The children are fighting, running, playing basketball, bowling, riding electric cars, dropping balls, arguing and displaced very bad behavior towards one another and the mother does nothing about it because she is distracted with all types of men around them. When the mother is walking she stomps in retaliation of me calling the police three times. I have contact my management company and they seems to don’t care because they don’t have to listen to the noise all day long. I am at my wits end. This has been going on for almost two years.
Landlord kept $40 from security deposit | Case#**-*722
GREENBRAE,
CA -
94904 1221
Landlord kept $40 from security deposit in violation of California's Civil Code Section 1950.5(b),(e) which states that “the security deposit cannot be used for cleaning a rental unit that is as clean as it was when [one] moved in.” The unit was returned in better clean condition than when tenant took possession. There was a flea infestation in the carpet when tenant moved in at the end of July 2012. Tenant has 2 witnesses to this. Moreover, during the final walk-through of the studio unit on January 26, 2013 (also the move out date) landlord and tenant inspected the premises together and tenant returned the keys to the unit to the landlord. Landlord thanked tenant for cleaning and stated everything was in order. Landlord did not state further cleaning was needed or identified any issues. If landlord would have said anything, tenant still had 5 days left in her tenancy to remedy any issues and would have done so. Finally, landlord has never provided an itemized statement as to the cleaning charges. Tenant has filed a complaint with the local office of the Better Business Bureau but landlord declined to issue a refund, again without providing any proof of the charges.
In addition, this landlord’s in violation of basic privacy laws as well as Civil Code Section 1954 governing what the landlord is allowed to do during entry to the unit for specific purposes. On multiple occasions the landlord was allowed to enter the premises for one purpose (i.e. show the apartment to prospective tenants) and once there did other tings to the unit (i.e. moved all the furniture and tenant's personal belongings around with the excuse of "re-staging the unit to show it" in her own words).
There Is A Renter Upstairs Running Machines Everyday And Banging | Case#**-*596
HOLLYWOOD,
FL -
33020 7316
Ever since this renter in #908 moved in, there have been machine noises and banging everyday. We have complained about her noise, during a time while there was an additional noise other neighbors were complaining about as well. The other noise involved the building, which was separate from her noise. The noise from the building has been solved, but not her noise. We have videos as proof of her noise. We were told by staff that they can\'t notify her about the noise when calling about it. We also received an email from her threatening to sue from harassment with us calling on her. She should have never had our email, but it was revealed on accident by the office staff. We have had to hear her noise for an entire year without complaining and we can\'t take it anymore. We love our apartment and don\'t want to move. Is it legal to run factory noises everyday in a condo building with 10 floors?
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File Apartment Complaint: Fill out complaint form with your proposed resolution. Instantly recieve your case number.
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Focus on major issue, not on many
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Once you file a complaint, the RPA will contact your landlord or property manager to mediate a prompt resolution. The RPA online mediation system provides an effective complaint resolution process that helps solve problems quickly. Complaints filed through the RPA are documented and help protect tenants' rights by providing a program that protects against landlord retaliation and unfair practices. Agreements reached through the RPA Apartment Complaint Center are legally binding and enforceable. When required the complaint can be used as evidence in court.
The RPA requires a $35 one-time processing fee to cover the cost associated with contacting the landlord, online mediation, paperwork, and public record filing. Prior to 2006 the RPA complaint program had no fee. However, due to abuse by tenants that were filing bogus complaints; the RPA found it necessary to charge of fee to eliminate fake complaints and to cover costs associated with complaint handling. If you are looking to report the problem only and not seeking a resolution, you can use our free Report Landlord option. (The report landlord option will only document the problem and will not provide any assistance in resolving disputes.)
Tip: On your complaint form you can request that management reimburse you for RPA filing fees.
How long does the process take?
The RPA is able to resolve complaints fairly quickly, unlike court or other legal options. Cases are normally assigned in the order received; however, you can upgrade your case to be rushed if you need your case escalated. (option available immediately after filing)For fastest processing try to submit your complaint before the next processing deadline. (Count down shown next to "File Complaint" button.) Once the mediation process begins, your landlord will have 3 business days to respond to the mailed notice. If a landlord email address is provided the RPA will send out both a written notice and email notice which can provide an immediate resolution. Many times cases are resolved immediately after receiving the RPA® notice, however depending on the complaint, it can take longer if both parties are unable to reach an agreement quickly.
Tip: To speed up the process... On the complaint form request reasonable and fair solutions.
Does the RPA Guarantee to Resolve Every Complaint?
Each complaint is guaranteed to be worked by the RPA complaint system. The RPA mediation system will work to resolve every complaint regardless of how big or small the complaint. However, the RPA can't guarantee the end results of any complaint. While we work to solve each complaint, the guarantee is limited to our processing of your complaint. All fees associated with the complaint are non-refundable dispute the outcome of the complaint. Each complaint is Guaranteed to be worked by our complaint system and will be documented against the landlord should they fail to cooperate.
Tip: To get positive resolutions to your complaint; try providing resolutions that are fair.
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Upon filing your landlord / property manager complaint you will instantly receive a case number. Your complaint case number can be used to immediately access your complaint status page. The RPA will process your complaint and contact your landlord for an immediate resolution. On your status page you can view case status, upload files or images, respond to the complaint, update/ change resolutions, accept or close complaint. The RPA complaint center updates your case status in real time and provides you with tracking to see exactly what is happening with your complaint. Once the case is closed, the complaint will be attached to your landlords public record which is quickly indexed by all major search engines. (Your information is never made public)
Tip: Check your case status at least every 3 days. (Respond / update your case as required)
Protection Against Landlord Retaliation
Its unlawful for your landlord to retaliate against you because you filed a complaint. Your landlord cannot evict, harass, limit access, raise rent, or treat you unfairly because you filed a complaint. As a tenant, you must still pay rent and comply with rent terms stated within your contract. Filing a complaint does not eliminate your responsibilities.
Tip: Check your case status at least every 3 days. (Respond / update your case as required)
Who Can File a Complaint with the RPA?
Any renter located in the United States of America has the right to file a complaint with the RPA. The RPA does not accept complaints outside of the USA. In general, the RPA will accept every complaint regardless of how big or small the problem may be.
Tip: When possible, try resolving your problem with your landlord before filing a complaint.
