Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*575
CINCINNATI,
OH -
45227 1096
I haven’t been able to stay in contact with my landlord(s). As instructed in my lease I gave a 30 day move out notice, they accepted it, then “accidentally” charged me an for an extra month of rent was charged rent at an increased rent for a month I wasn’t there, and a month past the end of my lease; I was told to wait for them to resolve the issue and have been for months.
Owner Does Not Communicate With Me, The Manager. | Case#**-*433
EL DORADO,
CA -
95623 4225
Owner refuses to listen to me about rules, so he eliminated me from the formula, by dealing with maintenance man directly, thusly not playing by rules. Not telling me what\'s going on, so I can duly notify tenants in writing at least 24 hours prior to work going to be performed, interruption of utilities, etc. NOW.. I\'m fired...due to financial reasons, however, it feels like retaliation because he is in trouble with the county of El Dorado.
Death Threats | Case#**-*237
PORTLAND,
OR -
97219 3585
Beware. This is one of the most badly managed complexes in all of oregon.
The complex is managed by C&R real estate and the general manager is Carolyn. Her daughter Christina lives here and has ABSOLUTE immunity for her psychotic behavior.
We have experienced from Carolyns daughter
* Death threats from her and her son Derrick as recently as a few days ago. I got up and went to the bathroom. 3 minutes later Christina was banging at our door threatening to cut us if we ever walked that hard again.
* Christina intentionally caused damage to my vehicle for which the police wanted to arrest her for, but she would not open the door and they stated they couldn\'t forcibly enter.
* Items smashed on our door in the middle of the night.
* Constant non stop all day LOUD music.
* Threatening behavior with no provocation.
* False reports sent in by Christina to her mom, of which her mom took the liberty to try and evict my gf without investigation. Police reports arrived and nothing happened. Zero consequences and therefor the behavior has escalated.
We\'ve called the police at least a dozen times to no avail. They state its a civil matter and to call management/Christinas Mom, Carolyn, GM. What a joke. Take my word. Avoid this place.
The list goes on and on. We are now seeking an attorney as management/mom does nothing.
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*297
Setauket,
New York -
11733
I was the tenant in #52 neal path, apt 52 in setauket NY. I moved out end of May this year as listed in the leasing agreement. It has been four months and I still have not received my security deposit as it should be legally I have made at least 20 phone calls to the deposit department, and every time different story regarding the status of my deposit, from \\\"it has been sent\\\", to \\\"we will need time to process first\\\", to\\\"we have sent again\\\", to \\\"there is a remaining balance due to the damage to the carpet\\\". I also have called to request for the break down of the damage through mail and email, and the only answer i received from Jessica is she will do it as soon as she finds the document on file, and I have never heard from her or anyone again.
I have made calls and left voicemails, and four months past there is no one in the entire company are in charge of deposit refund and help tenant with it. I am reaching Fairfield one last time before taking legal actions.
No Heat, Possible collapsing of roof, Mold due to leaking roof | Case#**-*170
phoenix,
Arizona -
85023
My name is Bernadette Chavez, I am submitting this for my son and his roommate who live at the Desert Star apartments at 1106 W Bell Phx 85023. They moved in on Dec. 11, 2012 and have paid their rent on time, followed the rules and no I am not saying just because I'm mom, I have receipts and lease to back up all comments. On Dec 27, 2012 my son put in a work order for maintenance to repair the heater in their 2 bedroom apartment since it only blows very cold air. There were several attempts to get this fixed, finally on January 31, 2013, my son sent a demand letter giving the manager 5 days to fix this problem, they refused the certified, signature receipt returned mail that was sent on 2/1, the refusal was on 2/4/2013. I have submitted a copy of the letter. My son just turned 23 and is a window washer, works very long hours sometimes off high buildings and should not have to worry if he got enough sleep because it's so cold, and his roommate who works as a server at night, comes home to the air outside the last 3 times there has been a freeze warning, being warmer than inside the apt.. The garage literally is warmer at my mother's than in his apartment.
The second thing that needs fixing...the roof has leaked from all the rain which now is bubbling and looks like it's ready to collapse in the living room and there is mold growing where the leaks are going downward on the bathroom wall and around the massive bubble in the living room.
I would love make these obviously "slum" managers and owner accountable for the total disregard of the law. Even if they were not great tenants or behind in rent or just a nuisance there are still laws they have not followed and refusing to be served the certified letter just snubs their nose at their duties as landlords to preform. Matthew does have copies of receipts to show rent is paid in full and on time, copy of the complaint we sent certified that they refused the delivery on, which he also has the emails to validate the USPS shows it was refused.
Again as Matthew's mom I am only submitting online for him, however all of my son's information is on the form in order for you to contact him as quickly as you can since this has gone on long enough.
Living Problems And Indirect Discrimination | Case#**-*608
Kennesaw,
Georgia -
30144
My name is Daniela Stoyanova and I am writing this letter with the hope that someone will look seriously at my problems. My family moved to Woodstock West by Walton 3 months ago after we sold our house. At this time my son Valentin was already working for Walton Community and this is the reason why we decided to move here. It seemed to be a nice and quiet place where we wanted to live in peace.
Five years ago we came to America with the hope and dream that we are coming to the country of freedom, that this country is a place where people are not discriminated based on their accent and skin color. Atlanta is a very diverse city and this is the reason why I liked it. Well not true.
The reason why I am writing this is to explain how my family became a victim of discrimination and, personal appearance and dislike from the manager of Woodstock by Walton Laura Gentilello
Everything began when my son Valentin had to fly emergency to Bulgaria due to his father illness. In the meantime me and my husband decided to move to another complex because I sensed that my son will be fired. From being the employee of the month suddenly he has a new manager who was showing in any possible way that there was personal dislike towers him. Without my sons employee discount it would have been very hard for us to pay the full amount of the rent. In the meantime we applied to another apartment complex, we paid the fees and got an approval letter. We also got the welcome letter and we paid $350 in fees. We checked the rent in the other building,it was cheaper than our apartment so we ask to transfer us there.. We had an inspection before we leave the apartment and the manager told us that everything is good ane we can be transferred and will send us the documents to sign so we decided to stay in our old complex.
On February 15 my son came back from Bulgaria and on February 19 he went to work. At noon he was called to the office and told that he is fired because he does not fit to the team anymore. After 3 weeks off and 4 hours of work the manager told him that she will not transfer us either because our dog is a Pitbull and because our apartment smelled on cigarettes and Walton Apartments are Christian community.
During the inspection on February 12 no one said anything, we were told that everything is fine and now suddenly a week later there was a smell and we will not be transferred to the other apartment . The manager can change her mind as much as she want, but because of that we lost $350 that we gave to the other apartments.
All my life in Bulgarian I worked as a teacher and as a matter of fact my family is Christian. We are Eastern Orthodox but this shouldn’t matter. For sure my English is not perfect but I am not thinking with my accent, I am thinking with my head.
The apartment complex is full with aggressive dogs, but the manager sees only mine. For your information my dog is not Pitbull, it\'s an American Bulldog. This dog is my emotional support dog and I have a letter from a doctor to prove it.
I have made an appointment with the new manager to ask some questions but I did not got the answers.
So my questions are:
Why at the time of the inspection she did not say anything about the cigarette smell and a week later she said so,Because of this we lost $350
She has the right to fire my son for no reason but why she plays with our family, you will live here, than you will not live here.
If there is a policy for aggressive dogs why the complex is full with these kinds of dogs. I can prove it with pictures.
Did the manager has any problems with any one from our family? I did not get why we were denied another apartment there?
What is the real reason Valentin to be fired? ( He has Resident Satisfaction Award as well as First Impression Award)
Why she treated us as differently from the other residents with similar problems?
Isn’t this a indirect discrimination?
Isn’t our rights the same as the other residents?
In my personal opinion the manager should show respect and fairness to all people living in the complex no matter their skin color ,race ,religion and ethnicity.
My family felt discriminated and disappointed from the way we were treated.
Gross Negligence | Case#**-*407
COLUMBUS,
OH -
43219 3189
I called in a work order to have my garage door looked at. It has been painted shut due to a recent paint job done by the property management. The work order was completed however a large amount of my personal belongings were stolen when the maintenance tech serviced my garage. I called the office and they quickly turned me away and said there was nothing they could do. The maintenance technician name is Jay Jay I had a friend of mine speak to him he claimed he did not even complete the work order and it was not him who stole my property. I spoke with one of the property managers named Jackie she advised that Jay Jay was the one who completed the work order. I called the corporate office to try to get help with this matter and after 36 hours I still have not received a call back. I made a post on their Facebook page voicing my dislike of being stolen from and with the apartment in general and they have now threatened to take me to court if I don’t remove the post from Facebook. They did not call me back when I tried to reach out to them for help but they want to hush me on what happened. There is no forced entry into my garage in which you have to unlock with a key so I know for a fact that someone in the office opened my garage and stole my property. Sentimental items that can not be replaced were stolen. This has caused me a lot of emotional distress, lost of sleep, and anxiety. I had to take an unpaid day off of work due to this matter and the amount of stress it has caused me. The individual who stole my property is still employed with this company and still has access to my garage and my apartment. I do not feel safe as he knows I complained on him he can come into my apartment at any moment and harm me. My daughter has lost sleep and also does not feel safe here. We just do not know if he will come and try to hurt us because I complained about him. The office is not trying to help in any way. I just want to move and get out of this lease without penalty. I am a single mother who works two jobs to support my child and I do not feel safe here. My daughter has to see the accused maintenance technician in the morning when she is walking to her bus stop and is uncomfortable with the way he stares at her. I want my daughter to feel safe in her home
and that is no longer a possibility where we currently reside.
Broke Lease 3 Months Before Due Date For Safety Reasons | Case#**-*926
SAN JOSE,
CA -
95127 5517
I broke my lease for safety reason due to behavior and drug related activities of Mr. and Ms Lope, occupying unit 3256 directly below me when I live on the property. I had reasonable expectations to hold you to contract I signed.You completely failed to enforce your own rules and allowed the ongoing issues and concerns escalate to verbal assault and repeated drug related activities on your premises.
Although I and till last year my daughter Martina informed you number of times about how noisy tenants in unit 3256 were, your office never took any direct actions to curtail their repetitive screaming, violent door slamming and hitting shared walls, from happening again and again. We were told repeatedly they you talked to them but nothing else can be done. Every time you talked to them to address our complaints, their hostility toward us, and this year toward me increased.
They also smoke marijuana in their car in the parking lot directly under my bedroom windows. Your office spoke to them when we complained but nothing else was done. We were told repeatedly that there is no proof that they are smoking marijuana in the parking lot. However I remember clearly that on one occasion when we called guards on them because they were smoking marijuana in the parking lot again, the security guard Frank who responded to the call, was hollering at Mr. Lopez and his wife from far : “Are you smoking weed in your car again?” The ongoing issues escalated on August 18, this year when I attempted to take picture of Mr. and Ms Lopez smoking marijuana in the parking lot in desperate attempt to obtain proof. During my attempt to take pictures, they verbally insulted me in the parking lot. I emailed written complaint to you and was told it will be followed up on.After week of no contact from you, I called your office on September 2nd to follow up on my complaint. I spoke to Gail and informed her that Mr. and Ms Lopez are now smoking marijuana under my window twice every night while glaring at my bedroom window. I was told that the matter was already addressed with them and nothing more can be done.
Due to your persistent failure to act upon my previous complaints and for safety reasons I decided to break my lease early and move away.
Bed bug due to Negligence of manager | Case#**-*395
fort myers ,
Florida -
33907
On august 2nd 2011 the downstairs neighbors were moving out and made us aware that they had bed bugs on august 4th I found out we then had bedbugs woke up to two on myy arm and then look and see 4 on our sheets. I then went to the complex office and talked with the manager Emilio and he went on to tell me he "prayed this day would never come" that the neighbors made him aware of the situation when they moved in , then changed his story to they told him in December ..Meanwhile me and my husband have been there for a year and 4 months and we signed a new lease in MARCH and he never made us aware of the situation at all ..We had a exterminator come to the apartment and he told us that we did have bed bugs and we then had to throw everything out .. Im not that type of person and I was sick with tons of bed bug bites as well as throwing up and headaches and didnt even know why I thought I was going crazy because I was itching way more than a simple flea or mosquito bite... The manager simply tells me that "ITS NOT A BIG DEAL" yes it is a big deal ...I asked him for the OWNERS number to take it to a higher power and he refused as well as other tentants in the complex that wanted to speak with the owners ..Me and my husband simply wanted out of the lease and move on we didnt even want compensation for all the stuff we lost ...something needs to be done...
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*267
Phoenix,
Arizona -
85014
I moved out on Dec 1st, I got my deposit deposition letter stating that i had to pay additional $63.00 for October and November , which was Included already in the rent I paid for those 2 months. I also sent them the canceled checks showing this. Chamberlain & Associates just acquired this property from Pro Residential. None of this Information was in my lease. When I asked her to show me where it states this Information to send me where it states this she just apologizes and states she is sorry that no one told me, but she could not pick up the phone to call me to discuss this. I reached back out and advised to send all correspondence to my mailing address and i ended the conversation.
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 Resolve Rental Problems?
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.
What Happens After I file a Complaint?
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.
