Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Wrongfully charges against tenant | Case#**-*000
meridian,
Mississippi -
39301
I had been gone doer two weeks because of job training. Before my job training began I gave my mother my key to my apartment so she can check on it while I was gone. The manager of my apartment wants me to pay $650.00 for repairs that have been done in my apartment and for my neighbors carpet cleaning in his apartment . My bathroom sink pipes had a minor leak along with a big hole where the pipes lead into the wall. My kitchen also has the same exact problem except the kitchens leak is more severe. Maintenance replaced the vanity in the bathroom and fixed the leaking pipes but the hole in the wall is still there. At least once a day my kitchen floor covered with water. You can clearly see and hear the water running from the wall and into the floor. The kitchen issue has yet to be fixed after giving management notice almost 17 days ago. The manager want to charge me for the damages because they believe that it has been an on going problem. Before I moved into the apartment it was basically being used as a storage room. Management claims that the leaking had rotted the bathroom vanity even though it was like that when I moved in. None of these problems are clearly nothing that, I, the tenant can control.
Bed Bug Infestation | Case#**-*516
Portland,
Oregon -
97219
We have experienced 3 different infestations since our original move in day of July 23rd of ants, fleas, and bedbugs, we assert that we are not required to pay the early termination fee set forth by our lease agreement as we have been, ??evicted from our premises due to parasites?, as stated in Oregon rental law. The infestations of ants and bed bugs were both treated by the landlord, but at great personal cost to the tenant which included not being able to access the apartment or use its facilities for at least 1 week in total. We have also been required to pay $150.00 for mattress coverings to treat bed bugs.
On both occasions, the land lord was responsible for or knew of these conditions. On September 15th, 2011 Bug-a-Boo extermination determined that the beg bug infestation was, within reasonable speculation, pre-existing. With regards to the ant infestation on September 13th and on multiple prior occasions, the landlord of Lu Don admitted to having prior knowledge of ant infestations. The landlord claimed that the apartment was, ??on an ant hill?.
Because of this breach of the implied habitability warranty which requires landlords to provide a safe livable unit, we are not required to pay the early lease termination fee.
Fire Hazard | Case#**-*823
VINEYARD,
UT -
84059 2541
Dryer duct is clogged and the management refuses to get it cleaned out in a timely manner. This is creating a severe fire hazard putting the lives of my family at risk
No Notice Intent Of Sale, To Show People, Take Photo | Case#**-*430
SACRAMENTO,
CA -
95815 3121
unknown to me a friend found that the rental Kurt resides is on the market and listed for sale.Then found photos of my personal property in recent time its humiliating. the landlords son came and changed my locks and brought approx.10 or more people into my home without my knowledge. I do not have any notices to move, vacate, pay or quit, and no notice to sell the property. Kurt is a high risk health person and was not told there would be a parade of people in his home. then he arrives home and the landlords son had changed the locks and sent a threatening text message in order to obtain access where kurt hid keys for the access and still the man changed the locks. kurt also suffers severe ptsd from a 2003 home burglar whom shot him 6 times, 1in each leg and 4 in his torso leaving him sociallly in fear and with COPD due to collapsing of the lungs and being in a coma for so long. to be invaded in this manner without knowledge the home is for sale has to be a major violation and he doesn\'t know what to do? he is hoping for asssitance with a new deposit and first months rent somewhere of his choice. He has resided in Ken Zables property for at least 7 years now. He cannot afford to move abruptly. The home is in the worst condition, mold, sunken toilet, gas issues where the stove and dryer have to be disconnected and reconnected to work, the refrigerator hardly works and leans forward, the electrical has obvious shortages and many outlets do not work, the ceiling is full of water damage due to roof leaking for a long time. the conditions are livable but not healthy. I am a realtor, I have known kurt since we were school age he is 52 now. He would have moved a long time ago but his disability has impaired him of doing most things in life. he struggles.
Will Not Return Deposit, Never Moved In. | Case#**-*836
GREELEY,
CO -
80631 1068
Landlord decided not to rent to us after we paid $1100 in deposit, nowrefusing to return our deposit. We never moved in. When we saw the unit on the supposed day of move in, it was no where near to being ready for us to move in. We had to pay the remaining $900 for the deposit, but the landlord decided not to work with us. Stating that since we didn\'t pay all of the deposit we were in default. The unit wasn\'t even ready for us. There were no safety handrails on the stairs, holes in the walls, the garage was and is still full of construction supplies and saw dust, and the dishwasher wouldn\'t even open.
Bed Bugs Black Mold Water Leaks Falling Foundation Termites | Case#**-*299 My landlord Leon Ed tapp refuses to fix any problems just takes my rent and continues to say he will fix these problems with no action behind it. I have deadly with the mold termites, water leaks for two years with no actions to fix these problems. Now because he moved in new tenants next door who bro ught bed bugs from they're previous previous apt he refuses to get it taking care and has lied to me every step of the way. I just need someone to help me
Violation of Tenant rights and Harrassment | Case#**-*319
Owatonna,
Minnesota -
55060
Our landlord contacted our family members (not living with us) and discussed private financial information, without our permission. We in fact requested that our family members not be contacted for any reason because of his harrassing, inappropriate demeanor. We have been verbally abused and harrassed by Roger on multiple occasions because our rent has been late. His behavior has caused me and my children to be afraid of what he will do. We are afraid of living in our own home and he is requesting a walk-through, but we are not comfortable being around him at this time. We are moving out of the house the end of March and would like him to stay away from us until then. We also would like to ensure he NEVER contacts our family, friends, employers, or associates for ANY reason whatsoever. It is defamation of character and will not be tolerated. He is unreasonable and we will no longer speak with him over the telephone or in person because of the way he speaks to us. It is inappropriate, agressive, and abusive. We feel that regardless of the issue, it is not okay to contact our relatives and discuss personal information without our permission, and it is under no circumstances acceptable to verbally abuse tenants.
Rodent Issues | Case#**-*385
BURLINGTON,
WI -
53105 1470
We have lived there for almost two years. The mold in the kitchen has always been there and we\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ve lived with it. When the weather changed; around May of 2016, we started noticing that there were several mice in the apartment. We notified the landlord of the issue where he came and helped us with 2 mice. Then he told us to just \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"catch them and kill them.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" He supplied us with 2 standard mouse traps that failed. My fiance and I spent $40 on glue traps because the mice are mostly babies and the standard traps weren\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t working.
We have caught 16 mice in totoal; 6 adults and 10 babies.
The landlord seems to think that because we are on the third floor, that there isn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t a possible way for us to have mice. This is creating expenses for us as they are now hiding under our refrigerator and eating food from the pantry.
These are not suitable living conditions. We pay rent to live there and we treat this as our home. We expect that the issues should be resolved. Also, it is not sanitary to have mice running around as they could be carrying diseases.
bed bug infestation of whole building | Case#**-*765
OGDEN,
UT -
84401 4323
Talk to any of the tennants, i've been here three years and never had a problem until i moved here, i've lived in apt. 6, apt.3 and aprt.1 they ALL HAVE BUGS
Repair Issues/manager Being Un Proffecional | Case#**-*880 For the last week, my family and I have been without a stove, we are a low income family so we don't have money to be buying food all the time, I have a 1 year old kid and he haven't been eating well because of this, after several attempts for them to fix the stove they still haven't done it, there's a lot more issues that we need them to repair, for example my dining room window has been broken for the past 6 months or more, all winter time we had that thing broken, our apartment was really cold my kid even got sick because of that, our fridge is broken also, we can't even put frozen stuff on it because all the food will spoiled, there's is a lot more that has to be repair, all cabinets are falling down, my husband even went to the office very upset, the manager even said in his face that she was not going to fix anything, we need something to be done, we can't stay living like this, i really think they are being very racial on this, she is not being proffecional at all, and everytime we go there she has an attitude with us only and the maintanance supervisor is very rude and always making excuses so that he won't repair anything. I would really appreciate something to be done about this.
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.
