Ohio tenants have rights, solving security deposit problems is your right...
Every day, tenants like you, turn to the RPA to quickly get deposits refunded & unfair charges dropped.Filing a Complaint with the RPA is the fastest and most effective way to get your deposit refunded and unfair deductions dropped. - even attorneys rely on the RPA to help solve dispute problems for their clients. As a tenant you have rights to fight for your every penny of your deposit. Yes, the RPA fight to get your deposit back.
What Ohio Security Deposit Problems Can the RPA solve?
Did you know... the RPA accepts all deposit complaints, but these are the most common complaints resolved by our organization:
Security Deposit Refunds
Getting your security deposit back promptly.
Charges to Security Deposit
Unfair, False, Unreasonable, or other types of deductions
TIP: On the complaint form you can request that your landlord reimburse you for the $35 complaint filing fee. (that's the only required fee to file a complaint)
Non stop Harassment by phone calls, letters and text message, Repair issue | Case#**-*828
Mahopac ,
New York -
10541
He constantly calls me about up about a cat that he has known Ive had for the last 10months and never said anything about till 5months later. Now he doesnt stop about it. calls consitantly, thereats of eviction on a regular basis, always goes into my apratmetnt with out permission and movies my stuff around. walks in my bedroom to see cat and totally invades my privacy. He lives under me so is always says something about my walking when I walk as light as one possibly can. He has started arguments with me in front of numerous people about anything he can think of mainly my cat and having the heat on when it is apart of my lease to have heat included. He turned it off 3 times on during the coldest part of the winter me and only after I said I was not paying my rent did he turn it back on. He honestly has made my life hell since I first step foot in there. Its non stop therats and badgering about anything he can think of to harrass me with . I cant take it any more and I have about 5 different witnesses that can atest to how he acts and how often he harasses me. Its getting crazy now and Im about to file a complaint with the police. Please help I dont know what to do anymore.
Excessive Noise From Neighbors | Case#**-*497
Englewood,
New Jersey -
07631
For the majority of the length of my lease, I have had to deal with unreasonable noise coming from the apartment above me. The noises can range from agressive stomping to screaming to furniture being moved around to hammering. This occurs at all hours of the day and night. There are times when the noise starts at 6am and can continue til 2am the next morning. I have contacted my community managers several times regarding this and after each complaint, the noise worsens. This has begun to feel like it\\\'s bordering on harassment so I will begin looking into what my legal options are. This is not the quality of life I expect from a community that charges this much in rent.
Bed Bugs | Case#**-*992
College Station,
Texas -
77845
Almost two weeks after moving in with my two sons (one is 2 and a half and the other is 9 months old) I started noticing a rash that looked like poison ivy on my neck and face. I thought it was from poison ivy, so I took Benadryl to try to help the symptoms, but it kept itching. A couple of days later, I saw bugs in my bedding and contacted the apartment about possible extermination. I was told I would have to wait 4 days for the pest control company to come by. I then started noticing bites on my 2 year old and saw bugs on his mattress. After a quick google search, I identified them as bed bugs and requested more immediate pest control. Although the company was able to come inspect (and find that I was not responsible for the bed bugs that had been living under the carpet in the unit) I still would have to wait another day for treatment. The treatment requires that I remove all of my clothing and my children\\\'s as well as their toys and my youngest son\\\'s bed. The pest control preparations say that treatment will more than likely have to be done multiple times. As a single mother, this is extremely challenging as I work ten hours a day and must either keep the majority of our belongings out of the unit or keep treating all of them until the multiple treatments are done. This is both frustrating and stressful. I risk contaminating the school my kids attend the longer the treatments must go on. I feel that one completely effective treatment would be much more reasonable, especially since I was not to blame for the infestation. Living with bed bugs is no way to live.
repair issues | Case#**-*311
Greensboro,
North Carolina -
27406
We have told them about mold in 3 noticeable places in the house nothing done about it..... We have told them about the hole in the kitchen floor caused from water leak under the house nothing done about it..... They also just feel the need to cut our water off whenever they want without telling us and we don't have a water bill we have well water
Harassment, Breech Of Agreement, Deposit Problems | Case#**-*766
Brandon,
South Dakota -
57005
Failure to inform me when maintenance would be making repairs and entered without being notified on 3 occasions, then almost evicted me for complaining and made it. My father is the co-signer and Trisha would call and speak to my mom. I expressed my concern to her but she still contacted and told my mom things and getting rent outta my mom. Other tenants had a basketball hoop the entire time we lived there, then they moved. We bought one for $400 On a Friday I was told to take it down. Lease agreement said nothing about having a basketball hoop. I needed help as I can\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t lift. Come Monday, Trisha was pounding on my door and ringing the doorbell nonstop at around 9am. She had threatened me saying she was removing the basketball hoop and disposing of it at my expense. I told her I was waiting for help for it and she said \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"you\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ve had people in and out all weekend.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Later I had it removed and lost money for this $400 brand new hoop. Shortly there after communicating via text, she was saying things very untrue. She was asking for rent knowing I had an application for the cares act in place and was approved. Conversation wasn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t going good at all and the last thing she said to me late in the day 7/26/2021 was \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"From your payment history over the course of your tenancy there it’s pretty apparent that you need to be in a place that’s more affordable. This chasing the rent payment around each month is exhausting and I’m sure it’s a mutual feeling.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The letter stating they weren\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t renewing my lease was dated 7/27/2021 the very next day. There are statements that have the same dates that don\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t match one showing more fees and $300 higher, charged fees for 33 days in June, and the final bill being charged for 17 days in October. I was at my storage unit unloading and when I got back to the apartment she had locked me out making things impossible to finish, then charging me for it. And no itemized statement explaining why I didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t get the deposit back until I asked for it again and it had been 54 days later. Im away from my boys, staying in my brothers basement. I asked them to allow me to stay and to work with me and they would not.
False Allegations Against Tenants | Case#**-*047 On May 7, 2014, @11:30 am, my husband Eric Anderson and myself received court papers stating that we could be evicted because of Breach of Contract due to criminal activity within the community or on property. We didn't receive any notice about any criminal activity whatsoever. The landlord automatically file court papers. When I tried to called them to ask why were we receiving court papers, the staff did not tell me why all she said was that me and my husband Eric had a breach of contract and that we could stop by the office and go over the contract. I refused to go to the office because I felt like something wasn't right and prior to the court papers when my husband paid rent, no one said anything to him about any criminal activity at all. The manager stated that some random Greenville Police Officer went into their office and questioned them about my husband Eric Anderson and said that my husband was facing felony charges for breaking and entering into someone else home. My husband also called to ask them who was the Police Officer or did they even leave a card or better yet what was the badge number. The manager told my husband that she didn't receive anything from the officer. My husband Eric also went to the magistrate office with the court papers and showed the court papers to the magistrate. The magistrate pulled up all information on Eric and didn't find not one single thing. The magistrate asked my husband would he like for her to called the landlord and let them know, and she did just that. One of Pinnacle Property staff refused to listed to what the magistrate had to say and stated that if was a typo on the court papers and investigation was really supposed to be on court papers. The magistrate told Eric to just go to court and if he sees a familiar face, that would be her "magistrate". My husband also went to the Greenville Police Department and he showed the police officers the court papers as well. The manager pulled up my husbands record to see if he had any pending charges, felony charges, investigation and still nothing showed up in the system. The manager said that she was going to send an email out to all police officers asking who was the one that went to Pinnacle Property on May 2 to see if she would get a response. She told my husband that if she hears anything that she would give him a call. Well the next day came, I called to the Police Department and asked about the email that and she told me that not one Police officer responded
Repair Issues | Case#**-*886
Atlanta,
Georgia -
30345
The carpet in the apartment was worn from the time we moved in but during the time there the carpet ripped causing myself and my son to trip numerous times. We complained to management and submitted work-orders. They sent people out but nobody repaired the carpet. We finally spoke with the leasing manager I believe her name is Judy who told us she was not going to send anyone into the apartment and she would not see it herself nor replace it. She also informed us that maybe we would be happier in a new apartment complex. She ignored the safety issues even after I informed her that my then 16 month old son had fallen and injured himself on the carpet.
Outside our apartment we also had lights out in the stairwell even after many complaints. Thankfully we did not fall down the stairs but that is only because we used our flashlights on the phone.
The Temp Is Below 65 Without Having Heat | Case#**-*246
Fargo,
North Dakota -
58102
We have heating problem in last two winters. The landlord or manager installed the lock box on the thermostat and we don\'t have any control on the home temperature. however, the heat is included in the rent and here is no informed restriction on the heat due to the rental agreement. The thermostat is located on the south side of the building and always the bedroom has several degree lower temperature than living room. Now, as 09/21/2018 and at 5:38 a.m. the temperature at the living room according to the thermostat inside the protected box (which is also not show the temperature accurately and higher than outside of box) is 67 and according to my measurement the temperature is near 65 and even 64 in the bedroom. I had several conversation with KPM, however, they never paid attention to the risk that we face in term of health and the right of us to have comfortable place to live. They always told us to buy a heater for the bedroom that is not logical for us when we have a heating system for the house.
According to our last contact with the KPM, they told us they will turn on the heat on October 1, however, the temperature is 44 outside now and without heat inside the apartment, we cannot feel safe and comfortable especially at nights. Even now, the thermostat shows the heat should be on but since the heating system is not turned on, we don\'t have any heat at the home.
No security deposit refund w/in 21 day period per CA Civil Code 1950.5 | Case#**-*487 Omovie & Marcie Okpakpor
2370 Missouri Way
Elverta, CA 95626
530-354-3085
916-678-8444
November 6, 2012
Richard Prieto
1415 Bellevue Avenue #8
Burlingame, CA 94010
650-430-4062
Re: Certified Letter � Statement of Request of Full Return of Deposit
8020 Walerga Road 1163
Antelope, CA 95843
Dear Mr. Richard Prieto:
As per our 30 day written termination of our lease and request for �Walk-through�, we have not received any itemized statement of deductions over $125 within the 21 calendar days of October 13, 2012, as stipulated in the California Civil Code 1950.5.
By October 13, 2012, Mr. Omovie Okpakpor (previous tenant) had met with Mr. Lloyd Firchau from PCH Property Management to perform a final �Walk-through� as per our request. Mr. Firchau stated the condo was in good condition and only need the carpets cleaned. He did not bring along the original �Condition of Premises� to the �Walk-through�. Mr. Firchau verbally noted that only the cleaning of the carpets would be deducted from the security deposit.
Under the California Civil Code 1950.5, we as the tenants have the right to be informed of any and all repairs and/or cleaning in an itemized statement over $125 with the 21 calendar days� period and given the opportunity to repair and/or clean such items. These repairs and/or cleaning may not be due to reasonable wear and tear and/or due to previously noted items on the original �Condition of Premises�.
Since the above has not taken place within the 21 days� period we are legally obligated to a full refund of the original $825 security deposit due to YOU, the Landlord, acting in �bad faith�.
Therefore if we do not receive the full refund with 14 calendar days of this notice we have the right to file a claim in small claims court for the full deposit plus damages.
Sincerely,
Omovie & Marcie Okpakpor
Cc; Lloyd Firchau PCH Property Management
LFirchau@pchpm.com
Deposit Dispute Complaint Process in 3 Simple Steps:
File Apartment Complaint: Fill out complaint form with your proposed resolution. Instantly recieve your case number.
Check Status: See the current status, respond, upload files or images, accept fair solution or purpose alternative solutions.
Landlord Public Record: Positive or Negative record is attached to landlord based upon their responses. Your (tenant) information is not made public.
Complaints Tips:
Uploading pictures / files is helpful
Try to request fair solutions
Focus on major issue, not on many
Check your status every 3 days
Avoid accusations or hostile tones
Be willing to accept alternate solution
How Does the RPA Help Me Get My Deposit Back?
As a tenant you have the right to get every penny of your deposit back. When you file a complaint through the Rental Protection Agency this starts a formal dispute resolution process in which the RPA will do everything in our power to see that your landlord promptly resolves your complaint. Landlords know that if they fail to cooperate with the RPA it can result in a negative public record that can make it hard for them to fill vacancies in the future.
Why is there a Filing Fee of $35
The $35 filing fee is the only required fee to process a complaint. The fee is required to help offset the cost of representing your complaint. The RPA complaint center is designed as a low cost legal solution for tenants and in most cases is more affordable than other legal options. Many tenants will compare the cost of filing a complaint to the cost of not filing a complaint. If you file a complaint and the problem is resolved will the solution be worth the cost of filing the complaint?
TIP: Don't forget, on the complaint form you can request that your landlord reimburse you for filing fee.
Most tenants file a complaint with the RPA to solve the problem such as getting a deposit refunded, or to get an unfair charge or deduction removed. However, some tenants file a complaint to report the landlord publicly as a warning to other tenants. When a complaint is filed against a landlord it will show up on their public record which is indexed by all major search engines. Filing a complaint is one way for tenants to stand up against bad landlords to warn future tenants about deposit problems they've had.
Does the RPA Guarantee to Solve My Deposit Refund Complaint?
We do guarantee to do everything in our power to solve each complaint that is filed. However, there are some situations where bad landlords fail to cooperate. The RPA can't force a landlord to comply if they refuse; but we can impact their public record which can make it difficult for them to find new tenants. We guarantee to represent the complaint and to create a public record against landlords that fail to resolve complaints.
Will My Name Show up Publicly?
No. After the complaint is closed and made public; your information (tenant name) is removed. During the complaint process your complaint can only be accessed through your case number and pin number. Both the landlord and tenant are assigned a pin number that is unique. The RPA protects tenant's privacy by blocking your name from the public record database. However, the record does show the landlord name.
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.
All 50 States have regulations that protect security deposits. In most cases the landlord is required to provide a refund within 30 days and must provide proof cost associated with charges or deductions against your deposit. Many states require the landlord to furnish copies of receipts for work completed. If you have a deposit refund dispute or feel your landlord is being unfair with your security deposit; you have rights. Filing a complaint is one of those rights.
