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)
Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Bed Bugs | Case#**-*879
Kansas City ,
Missouri -
64134
My apt has been uninhabitable for two months. I could not stay in there without getting hundreds of bites a night. It is the landlords responsibility to keep the apt I am renting habitable. We have been living in this apt for 2 1/2 years. We found bugs in June of 2011 in our apt, and immediately told the office/management. They had an exterminator stop by our apt while he was in the complex that same day, he positively identified them as bed bugs. I asked some questions about what they would be doing and if I needed to have my pet out of the place for what they would be doing. The office rep that was with the exterminator said something about the heat treatment being expensive and not being sure what the manager would decide to do about it. My roommate and I called or drove over and went in the office in person every day. I was told I would have to wait, then after waiting for 45 minutes one time, they told me I should just leave, and they would give the manager a message. I have not had one phone call returned in over 8weeks. July 18th 2011, I called and was told on the 20th they would be in with an exterminator. My roommate and I were not able to get work off to be there. We heard nothing back from the management even after this second walk through. When we went to pay rent for Aug. 2011 and turn in our 30day notice to vacate as stipulated by our lease, the manager handed us an invoice from an extermination company that said $1100 for our space and said that we had to pay for this. This was a shock since they had never, in 6 weeks, said anything about extermination being our responsibility. I called and left messages every day asking what was going on and what I needed to do, and nothing, until I turn in my intent to move? Later Annie gave us a copy of our lease and highlighted a part in it claiming that we had caused property damage by having an infestation and that meant we had to pay for it. The lease says absolutely nothing about extermination, or bed bugs. I know for a fact that other tenants have infestation problems of other kinds and the office pays for that extermination. I need this to be taken care of, my lease is up Aug. 31st 2011. I am worried about moving my things without having a heat treatment done first. I feel that they have acted extremely unprofessional throughout this entire process.
repair issues,pest problem | Case#**-*194
LITTLE,
Arkansas -
72209
I HAVING A BEDBUG INFESTATION.I HAVE BEEN PLAYING THE WAITING GAME FOR DAYS NOW.I HAVE AN UNBORN CHILD,AND ALSO TWO SMALL CHILDREN.I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY HEALTH AND THEIR HEALTH WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN BITTEN..I WENT TO MY DOCTOR BECAUSE WE HAVE WELTS ON OUR SKIN AND IM AFRAID THIS COULD POTENTIALLY GET INFECTED BECAUSE MY BABIES WANT STOP SCRATCHING AND ITS SO HARD BECAUSE IT ITCHES SO BADLY..I HAVE NO BED BECAUSE THE PARASITES HAVE ATTACKED MY WHOLE APARTMENT NO ONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH OR SANITARY ISSUES. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR ME OR MY KIDS MENTALLY NOR PHYSICALLY.THIS IS NOT SAFE NOR IS IT LIVABLE.THIS SITUATION SEEMS LIKE IT HAS FELL ON DEAF ON EARS. I NEED THIS TO HANDLED PLEASE BECAUSE THIS SO STRESSFUL I HAVE TO BRING MY NEWBORN BABY HOME TO PARASITES THAT COULD HURT HER AS WELL. SEEM NOONE CARE BUT IF IT WAS YOUR CHILD.YOUR PREGNANT WIFE OR GIRLFRIEND,OR CHILD WHAT WOULD YOU STAY OR LIVE IN THIS SITUATION. MY LEASE IS BINDING ME I UNDERSTAND I UNDERSTAND I SIGNED BUT IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE THIS WAY.AND I KNOW THAT IF I LEAVE IM RESPONSIBLE AND I DON'T WANT MY CREDIT TO FALL APART BUT HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. I PAID FOR THE SAME ISSUES LAST YEAR WHEN FIRST MOVED I HAD NOTHING NO FURNITURE, NO BEDS NOTHING BUT AS SOON AS I PUT FURNITURE IN MY LIVING AREA I HAD A PROBLEM.STILL I HAD NO BED IN ROOM .MY FURNITURE WAS SAVAGED EATEN ALIVE BY BEDBUGS LAST YEAR I PAID BECAUSE MANAGEMENT DID NOTHING THEY FELT AS IF IT WAS MY PROBLEM OR THE RENTAL COMPANY PROBLEM SO I JUST FILED COMPLAINT AT ATTORNEYS GENERAL OFFICE.I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE RENTAL COMPANY BUT NOW I HAVE MY DOUBTS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE THROWING THEIR FURNITURE OUT.THE HALLS HAVE CARPETING ALL O THROUGH OUT..THESE BUILDINGS ARE OLD..MAINTENANCE IS REALLY NOT THAT HANDY.MANAGEMENT IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB WHICH IS A ART AS WELL AS A SCIENCE.YOU LOOK AT ME AS A SMALL PERSON I HAVE VOICE..I WILL STAND UP TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS WRONG OTHERS OUT HERE MAY LIKE NASTINESS BUT I DON'T..SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE .IT DAMPENS MY SPIRITS THAT I HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS CONDITION .I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE OUTSIDE I 'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INSIDE OF MY RESIDENCE THIS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY . SO I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR MY MY KIDS HEALTH AND MY HEALTH . IF I M BEING THREATENED IM NOT TAKING CARE OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES..WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A MANAGER?..WHAT IS KOHNER PROPERTIES RESPONSIBILITY?SHIFTING BLAME ON THERS WILL NOT GET THE PROBLEM RESOLVED.YOU PEOPLE JUST SEE MONEY
Property In Disrepair And Poorly Managed | Case#**-*426
DOWNERS GROVE,
IL -
60516 2141
It\\\\\\\'s difficult to articulate just how disappointing this property is. Please do not make the same mistake we did by living here.
Prentiss Creek does a great job of being interested and showing you a very nice looking apartment during your initial visit. However, the actual buildings, conditions, and staff leave much to be desired after moving in.
My wife and I were relocating from another state, and did not have a chance to see the final apartment we moved into. This would prove to be a crucial mistake on our part.
During our initial visit, we were given a tour of a two bedroom apartment and were told that it would be exactly like the apartment we were renting. Upon entering our final apartment, there was no carpet in the living room, which differed from the model we were shown. Further, the opening to the radiators were broken and would not stay open. They had to be forced open. And even then, some of them would fall back into place. When we requested that maintenance come to check on the heat and radiators, we waited an hour for the personnel to be available. The radiators are still broken and were not fixed.
Upon our arrival, my wife and I were greeted by worn and stripped metal banisters, stairs that were stained and in need of repair, and hallways and doors that were chipped and needed a touch up. The condition of the premises is very sloppy and looks as if the staff does not care how the building looks. We were honestly shocked at the state of disrepair of the building. We are honestly embarrassed to have guests see its living in a property with such conditions.
Further, the maintenance crew did not plow parking spaces or place salt on the ground after a blizzard. Many cars were parking on hills of snow, and there was ice covering a fair amount of the ground. It was dangerous and, again, sloppy to not have these things completed.
The front door to the building, which is meant to be locked at all times, was unlocked and open when we entered the premises. Further, the mail boxes were all open and exposed, meaning that anyone could read the tenants’ mail at any time. O and the back door has a large crack in it that has yet to be fixed after repeated requests. Did I mention that the front door works whenever it wants to. My wife and I have to hope our key works each time we come home.
Lastly, the staff is unorganized and unprofessional. My wife and I sent a bank check to the leasing office to pay our move in fees. We received several conflicting phone calls and emails which stated that the fees were paid, and then that they were not, and also that the lease had not been signed even though it had been executed. It is obvious that the staff does not communicate with one another as different personnel gave us different answers regarding the payment of the fees and the signing of the lease.
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*063
LAKEWOOD,
OH -
44107 3439
My landlord charged me pro-rated rent for failure to give notice despite the fact that I sent it my sixty day notice. She stated I missed the deadline by two days & charged me $371.61 due to it. She claimed I failed to notify of roaches, despite the fact the whole building has roaches and they have to exterminate regularly. She charged me a fee for removal of item from the wall. These items were there when I moved in. She charged me for regular wear & tear. I am especially aggrieved with the pro-rated rent fee because I had confirmed to her via text and email a number of times, that I would be moving out.
BED BUG INFESTATION | Case#**-*982
PALMDALE,
CA -
93550 2861
bed bug infestation has been happening for over a month. Have notified owner and property management. They are trying to put the financial responsibility on me the tenant. I have not been able to reside in the unit I pay rent for , for over a month.
Repair issues | Case#**-*807
Rosenberg,
Texas -
77471
Front porch roof is infested with mold. Property manager was notified 3 years ago and told me that it was not his problem it was mine.
On the 15th of March 2013 property manager was notified of a mold smell coming from the AC and upon further inspection I noticed a gel substance on the coils.
Now the ac just went out and the property manager said he will not fix it. It is my problem and if he does fix it there will be an increase in rent for the first time in 6 years that we've lived there. My wife is a high risk pregnancy and on bed rest. My son is highly asthmatic and is now on his nebulizer 4 times a day.
If I have to pay for these issues than why do I give the property manager rent every month?
Repair Issues, Dirty,nasty , Unsafe Living Conditions | Case#**-*263
Columbus ,
Ohio -
43232
Unit was knowingly rented to me with no working a/c or heat. A/c until is so old I is desinagrating to a pile of rust ( pictures) the outside storage is literally falling off the wall. It is totally unusable. There is black mold growing I sides ., my bedroom window is screws shut. Fire violation. I turned in a list of what needed fixed to the office when I first moved in. It\\\'s been 8 weeks and not ONE thing has been fixed. The hallway is filthy. The grounds are filthy.
My mother has pictures of everything.
I also give my mother, Michelle Hartsock to handle this matter in my absence.
Unsafe/Unsanitary Unit | Case#**-*867
Glen Burnie,
Maryland -
21060
I have contacted the front office and property manager several times about the issues I have had with my unit. It has been a nightmare since day one when I moved in. This property is mis-managed and lacks the professional talent it needs to assure the safety and well-being of its tenants. My unit has been subject to mice, bedbugs, mold, drywall and plumbing issues. Every time I have had a concern or issue, it was immediately brought to the attention of the front office and property manager. Recently, I found out I was pregnant and my upstairs neighbor had a terrible leak (I believe I was told that there was an issue with their toilet that needed attention some time ago) that caused water damage in my unit. The water damage resulted in the ceiling caving in-in my second bedroom, carpet damage, mold, mildew and personal items being damaged. The mold and mildew smell was so strong that I had to end up leaving my unit to reside with a relative for one night. The next night, I ended up staying in a hotel because of the lack of response by the front office and maintenance staff. The issue eventually got resolved (without me being contacted about what the plan of action was for my unit and having contractors randomly coming into my unit. Thankfully, I am working from home-so I was here! And I\\\'m thankful for their new property engineer-who advised the contract worker, to make sure he sealed all areas he was working in because I was pregnant and he didn\\\'t want me to be subject to any fumes or dust) but my concerns still remain since I constantly have issues with this unit. My lease is up but I wanted to opt for a month to month lease since I am tired of renting (This was the worst rental experience I ever had) and want to become a homeowner. When asked if I could move to another unit, I was told no because it wasn\\\'t an option for a month to month lease option. I thought that was quite ridiculous since the water damage issues (BTW-I did file a insurance claim but my claim is on hold because of the lack of response from the rental office) and how my apartment is not in the same condition it once was before the water damage occurred. This unit needs to be inspected, checked for more mold and plumbing issues. I can not live in here.
Bedbug Infestation | Case#**-*291
CALABASAS,
CA -
91302 2650
Bedbug infestation, need relocation until habitable please help
Wont Fix His House / Very Unprofessional / Wont Fix His Ac Unit | Case#**-*536
WEST COVINA,
CA -
91791 2223
we have told him in plenty of emails phone calls and letters from our attorney he has to fix his house they always refuse they always come and bubble gum the issues and they continue to have same issues we run a elderly care home which they know and which they fully aware of they try to tell us its our problem they just yelled at my mother in front of our employees to fix the ac ourselves its our issue this is insane
we asked them to change the oven out bc the gas company said it was out dated and a hazard and they said they cant and wont they wont fix anything to keep the house in good working condition for us to pay the high rent they want these issue have been going on for years now
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.
