Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Kept deposit and knowingly is renting to druggies putting my son in danger | Case#**-*894
Denton,
Texas -
76201
The owner of Ridgewood Property Management Co., Mr. Jack Vaughan, has kept a deposit that he should have returned. He also knowingly rents to people that deal in drugs. There is no way he does not know because he checks on the property every couple of weeks. He is annoyingly checking on the properties, so much so, it's almost an invasion of privacy, so there is no way he did not know. He put my son in grave danger. My son was a student at North Texas and he has left Denton because the circumstances were so bad. So, then, after being told in mid June my son was moving out Aug 1, he kept a $850 deposit. The apartment was kept in pristine condition. I know that is unusual for a young man, but my son is very neat and clean. Mr. Vaughan also received complaints about how hot the apartment was and did nothing to remedy it. It is a very old unit and would consistently stay at 85 degrees. We bought fans for my son, but it stayed very warm.
This landlord is a very bitter, angry old man that preys on college students. I have had words with Mr. Vaughan because he is being such a jerk about everything. I am to the point where I believe he is crooked and knows about the dangerous situation my son was in. So, when he kept the deposit after being told a month and a half before, It pushed me to the point where I had to report this to someone. I will also report this to the police.
Lanlord fails to honor terms of lease nor response to email/ phone calls | Case#**-*575
Elkins Park,
Pennsylvania -
19027
I signed a lease 7/22/2011 with my landlord for an apartment on the second floor of a house and listed in the address. I said a washer/dryer is very important to us, so she wrote into the lease that is would be available within one month. I sent her several emails and a few calls asking for updates on the washer and dryer availability which was to be at the latest by 8/26/2011. Her response to me was if I was not happy, I could "move the fuck out", on September 23, 2011 (an additional month after the w/d was promised). Since then I have not been responded to by her by phone or e-mail nor is a functioning washer and dryer replaced. I am more than willing to move out into another resident, if I know she will not try to hold me although she did leave me a message previous to the one I just mentioned saying " that I've been bitching since I moved in and if I you aren't happy, I will give you all your money back, and you can just move out."
harassment, defamation,uninhabitable, retaliation, fraud,breach of contract | Case#**-*139
LAGUNA NIGUEL,
CA -
92677 4521
I've been complaining to my landlord for months about a water leak on the walkway leading to my front door. She even came over to see it back in end of March beginning of April. She promised to take care of it and nothing was ever done. I kept calling and said she called Hoa to handle it but was never fixed. Sept 09 i slipped and fell after having a major medical procedure done(on top of my 2 spinal fusion and reconstructive surgeries) I then again called her all weekend and the hoa directly for some1 to come out the water was 2 my front door and i no longer could ignore it. Hoa finally sent out a plumber, who notified water restoration company who found a from a mold infestation from a slab leak and a major microbial hazard through half my house and estmated about 2 weeks of less to fix. so i stayed in a hotel for the rest of the month of sept and since i had already paid rent that month she was supposed to refund costs back to me and or deduct it from next months rent. since remediation was supposed to only take 2 weeks or less(i was promised by cathy, who then stated she's had 2 done in my bedroom closet before right before i moved in. I was devestated she required me to sign a hold harmless and promised she would take care of me. she didn't. remediation company never sealed off containment properly and mold spores were spread throughout my house. she refused to help me pay for anything after the 2 weeks were up and also agreed this whole time to get an inspection since her lawyer said it was required since my health has slowly decreased since i moved in and also all of my symptoms are signs of mold poisoning. I kept telling her to get an inspection reminding her daily and she flaked it off. So b4 they finished demo'ing the kitchen i hired an inspector who found 4 diff. types of toxic mold and mycotoxins. she stole contaminated wood from the mold comp. who were disposing of it and had these unlicensed contractors that she literally met 2 days b4 rebuilding started( from a friend of a friedn). she told me they would complete kitchen in 1 day. it took 5. these guys were not only unlicensed to contract but also unlicensed to work period especially with mold, and to reinstall knowing how sick i've been and how extremely toxic and dangerous it is for me and anyone else who comes in the property. she never hired any1 certified to clean rid house mold. filed unlawful detainer. has fake attorney send me another lawsuit,
Bed Bug Infestation | Case#**-*955
ROSEVILLE,
CA -
95678 4384
Moved into apartment in February and started noticing bites. Finally after weeks we notices that it wasn't mosquitos. We called property management saying that there is an infestation and they said no one can come till 5 days later. After calling a pest person that actually services the community they came out right away and stated the Manager NEVER called them. The pest explained that is not livable and is HIGHLY infested with bed bugs. He couldnt explain how they got there to us. The manager is wanting us to cover the cost by adding $200 to the monthly rent. We are unable to live in our apartment. They are all over the walls in the vents and it is not habitable. We tried to show her the bites on my sons body, but she wouldn't even speak to him.
Breach Of Contract Covenant Of Quiet Enjoyment | Case#**-*161
HONOLULU,
HI -
96818 3020
Landlord had violated my covenant of Quiet Enjoyment. Living in misery and stress. The landlord failed to do anything about it or try on fixing the issue. And also
I didn’t receive any certified letter from the landlord in which she kept my security deposit after the 14 days in moving out.
AFTER BURGLAR, MINIMUM REPAIRED, AGENT DOES NOT RESPOND | Case#**-*851 The house that I rented in was break in by burglar on 9/8. On 9/9 - mininum repaired done in the front door which is supposed to be change to new door since the damage is very bad, alarmed was installed.
Finally the old door removed to put the new door on 9/12-this was not done at the beginning since there was problem to find the right door size. The old door is trashed in front of the yard along with attached alarm sensor. I had the place without alarm for a week. The new door condition is very poor- and not secured with the loose hinges and locks( and bad cosmetic look-raw material, chipped here and there and with marked everywhere-dirty door) and I had to make appointment with ADT alarm to pick the sensor from the front yard where they trashed the old door and installed it in the new door. On 9/12 Darryl-the agent came over just to meet the door guy in my place-and he said he is going on vacation. He said a handyman will do the work when he is away. This is to do the knobs and hinges and secured the door. I asked him whether he has assistant to take over his work when I need to reach him. He said he will be responding to the call anyway. A handyman came over on 9/15 Monday, but did not fix the front door-the hinges and knobs front and back door are supposed to be taken care of per Darryl. The handyman did not do the work on the front door and only filed the back door panel and left soon said he is busy and will not be able to do the work in the future. I have texted Darryl on 9/15 and today 9/23-asking him to come over to inspect the door when he comes back. He has not responded back. I do not know the owner in person and only deal with Darryl as the broker. He is always acting unprofessional and careless. I am staying in this apartment and felt unsafe after the break in. I like to get some help with this situation. Thank you.
Bed Bug Problem | Case#**-*793
Raleigh,
North Carolina -
27606
I moved into apartment 1409-14 on April 27, 2012. One month later, my fiance started to notice red itchy bumps all over her body. She initially thought they were mosquito bites. However, when she continued to get them through the fall into the winter, she suspected hives. After seeing several specialists over the past few months to no avail, both of us suspected bed bugs. On Friday. April 12, she checked under the box spring and found several bedbugs. She immediately called the Arbor Creek on-call service and was told that a exterminator would come by on Tuesday, April 16. Since then, I am staying at my fiance's apartment to avoid the bed bug bites. Because her apartment does not allow dogs, my dog is staying with my brother for the time being. This issue needs to be resolved immediately, as I am moving into a new apartment on April 22. I do not want to carry these bed bugs into my new apartment.
Arbor Creek is trying to hold me responsible for the costs of exterminating the bed bugs. These bed bugs were in this apartment prior to my move-in. Arbor Creek should not hold me responsible for its own fault. This past year has been emotionally and physically draining. My fiance and I have already spent a lot of money on these bed bugs and I should not be required to pay for something that is the fault of this apartment.
Bed Bugs | Case#**-*586
LOS ANGELES,
CA -
90006 3700
This problem is affecting both my jobs! I have bite marks everywhere. I work around food and I do modeling part time. It disgusts me that I`m afraid to aware my manager that I have bed bugs in fear of losing my job or being laid off. Its embarrassing to have pounds of foundation applied to my back, hips, legs, and arms before photo shoots. Im only 21, Im also a student and very independent in my work.
The Removal Of The Washer And Dryer Machines Was Temporary, Building B | Case#**-*581 since june 2013 our landlord mr.Bruce removed washer and dryer machines from bulding B, and said that is temporary,both will be replaced shortly, its already 8 month,nobody replaced them we have walking to a different building to do our laundry its disregard of my rights, Mr. Bruce doesn'ridgilt pick up a phone , always ignore calls
Tanner Orness,5700 Baltimore, Leaking Ceiling, Early Termination Of Lease | Case#**-*331
LA MESA,
CA -
91942 1641
Air conditioner began to leak through the ceiling and I notified my property manager on the 16th of August. I did not run the A/C and the unit continued to leak. Lake Park HOA was notified via the property manager, but did not fix the issue. Property Manager had their handyman come out in an attempt to fix it Friday 8/21. The next day, the A/C still leaked and caused a puddle on the laminate flooring. I contacted the Property Manager again do notify him of the leak as well as the potential for water damage and potential mold. I also stated that I believed it had something to do with the neighbors A/C running that was causing the leak. Property Management contacted Accu Air company to resolve issue, but according to the property management, the heat wave disrupted them from coming out until the 9/15 based off their availability. The commitment to have the unit fixed by the 9/15, came on 9/3. The unit continued to leak throughout this time leaving me to keep buckets and towels in my hallway. On 9/4, JD Property Management also stated that the water was all dried out and had no issues. On September 7th, I notified JD Property Management that the water was coming down the wall adjacent to my bathroom and one of the ceiling tiles was about to cave in. I also stated on the 9/7 that other units could potentially have damage below me and a health inspector would be a good idea to ensure no other damage was taking place. In that same email I notifed them of my intention for early termination. The next day JD Property Management spoke to Accu Air and said the reason for the leak was due to my unit still turning on and not from another system. JD Property Management stated on 9/8, that the owner agreed to provide a portable AC unit until the unit was fixed. On 9/8 i notified them that I would like to break my lease early referencing item 32 in our rental agreement. Restoration Company began work 9/10 with dehumidifiers and industrial size fans. My 30 day notice was provided 9/11. JD Property Management stated that the owner would let me out my lease but only if I paid September\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s rent in full. The unit was still not fixed. On 9/12/15 the cause of the leak was identified to be a common line leak from the neighbors unit. A 3 day notice to pay rent in full or quit was posted on my door on 9/11 with the issue still not fixed. Today, 9/15/15, unit is still not fixed.
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.
