Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Maintenance Neglect | Case#**-*558
PATASKALA,
OH -
43062 7645
The Redwood AC units are expected to have maintenance performed as needed. However, my AC unit was neglected maintenance and I paid an extra $100+ monthly on my electric bill as a result this summer. My AC unit was empty of coolant and 100% blocked on all 4 sides with blockage of debris/buildup due to no maintenance. Assuming my AC unit was working properly due to the redwood promise of “maintenance free” I continued to pay astronomical electric bills. Then, through conversations with other tenants, I discovered I was paying more than double in electric. Additionally, my apartment was always hot, but I assumed it was due to the outside temp being really warm; which turned out to be not the case. When I reported this to the Apartment complex, the Apartment Manager turned the issue back on me and stated I should have reported it earlier and that Redwood would not compensate me whatsoever. I find this to be very poor customer service and do not like being treated poorly. The manager even told me the unit was maintenanced this summer, however, when the technician came out to fix the unit, he admitted this unit was not maintenanced/cleaned this year. I was lied to, blamed, and treated poorly.
I took pictures of the AC units gunk as proof.
Please assist.
Thank you,
Zach Byer
Bug Infestation | Case#**-*980
Scottsdale ,
Arizona -
85257
San Tropez has been negligent in an attempt to remedy a bug problem. They ignore our calls and proceed to just try and charge us. I told them if they did not remedy the problem that we were going to give a thirty days. They attempted to remedy the problem and where unsuccessful. The apt continues to be infested and neighbors are complaining as well. I have pictures, as well as neighbors than can attest the their similar bug problems. I will not be bullied into paying for a unhealthy and unsanitary living environment. They breached their lease contract by not maintaining a clean leaving environment. There are extremely unresponsive to forming any kind of mutual resolution. The manager is extremely rude and continues to lie to us saying that roaches are not a problem in Arizona. We have called three pest companies and had them look at the problem. Each one said the same thing and we have it in writing. She told us their company said bugs are never a problem. They continue to try and slap us in the face and tart us like second class citizens, This will not be tolerated by either me or my roommate. I am willing to meat in the middle and that is as far as I will go.
Repair Issue, Water Leak. | Case#**-*592
TALLAHASSEE,
FL -
32301 0829
Our A/C unit freezes up when it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s on. There\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s evidence of the unit leaking waters. There\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s evidence of mold because of it. One of our pipes is leaking water which is causing our electric bill to be extremely high because of the leak. We have notified them for several months to no avail. They installed a window unit that only cools the livingroom, and is not securely installed. Because of this, bugs are entering our apartment. We have been having a/c issues for over a month. They promise to send someone, but no one ever comes out. We are both college students.
They don't provide services. | Case#**-*453
fallon,
Nevada -
89406
They used to provide services for mowing the front yard and setting up the swamp cooler before summer and winter. When they had moved their office, they didn't provide the services any more. I've been told that I had to submit a support ticket in order to request service. Several requests later...No response from the landlord. The inside of house went up to 89F, and I had wondered when they were going to set up the swam cooler...for a week. So I had to ask someone to set it up for me. Also the weeds and grass had grown and usually the landlord sends someone to take care of it. Again, they had ignored my requests. So I purchased equipment to cut the grass and weeds. Someone in the office told me to send a receipt for the equipment and that they would refund me. But Sylvia refused to refund me, she came up with excuses. If I can't get a refund that's fine, but I want them to acknowledge the fact that they have failed to provide services. I am not a happy renter.
Refusal Of Full Deposit Return | Case#**-*105
W MELBOURNE,
FL -
32904 7450
Ellingson Properties is refusing to return our $2,000 deposit for renting a property from them. Their reason; They are accusing us of leaving behind items in the garage. We did not and we have a picture to prove it also the items in their picture saying those items were left behind, was number one taken by their cleaning company (that we hired) before we were done moving and 2, the items they say we left behind are in our possession. We sent them pictures showing that and they are still refusing to return our deposit. A total of $262 is being withheld even though we haven\\\'t received one single penny back from our deposit. They are charging us $60 in rent extra for 4/15 even though our rent started on 4/15 plus Kaicee was at the property to show to a potential new tenant and she said that it wasn\\\'t a problem. When we started the lease, the property was not ready and we couldn\\\'t move in until 4/19 also it wasn\\\'t cleaned and we had to make arrangements to get the property cleaned when we moved in. we lost 4 days of use as well having to pay rent elsewhere until the house was ready. Other items, they are charging $89 to so called unclog the guest bath tub that we never used and $48 to replace a wall plate. It seems this company is trying to keep extra money for no good reason other than their Christmas bonus. We have numerous pictures of the condition we found the property in and the condition when we left.
dirty filled with bugs | Case#**-*877
tyler,
Texas -
75703
we have asked them several time to take care of the problems and they do it hafe ass
we have bugs all over our food and all over our stuff
when we moved in it has only gotin worse
i have a 4 year old son and something needs to be done
please help us get in to a clean place with our money back or for them to take rent off for a couple of months
it was so bad that we could not stay in the apartment the first night and had to get a hotle and they told us hat was just to bad and not there problem
Never Moved in & Landlord won't return deposit (total of $4503) | Case#**-*004
New York,
New York -
10023
1. This was for an entire one-bedroom, furnished apartment at #200 W. 72nd st. New York, NY 10023.
2. I found their ad through Zillow (the post has been removed) and the person I had contact with was Tony Asch. Although Tony was listed as landlord on the lease (I have the lease in PDF), I suspect that he is an agent because I had to wire money to an account belonging to Andrew Biddle.
3. I'm not sure if Tony Asch or Andrew Biddle is the owner. Also, this involved someone called Susan Rice. She was the one who told me and Tony that I'd need to pay $5050 for an Anti-Drug Certificate. When I refused, she said I'd need to pay her $540 for the certificate before she can wire back my prior deposit.
4. I signed the lease over email but the lease states that I am entitled to have all my deposit back if I don't like the place after seeing it. I never got to see the place so I do not see why they won't return my deposit. I tried contacting both Tony and Susan but Susan said it's law and I'd need to go to court if I refuse to pay the $540.
5. Lastly, a lawyer named Terry Smith was also involved to reassure me that paying for the Anti-Drug Certificate ($5050) is a new policy in NYC and needs to be implemented.
6. I refused to pay the Anti-Drug Certificate ($5050) and the $540 for the certificate. I tried contacting Susan, Tony, and Terry multiple times but to no avail.
Everything is very confusing for me. I have recently signed a lease through a proper real estate agency. However, I do need to resolve this because they owe me a total of $4503. That is, $1300 (one-month rent) + $1000 (security deposit) + $2203 (apartment insurance). I'm pretty sure the deposit was an overcharge as well.
Security Deposit Refund | Case#**-*560 I was charged $635 in damages to the unit. I had already identified these damages as existing upon move-in (property manager has only copy of move-in inspection). My move-out inspection was scheduled for October 15, and on November 15 I received a letter saying that due to the condition of the property, the settlement would be resolved within the next 30 days. I did not receive an interim accounting of damages as stipulated in the NC Tenant Security Deposit Act. I called Ms. Hinton on November 18 and asked what she meant by "condition of the property," and she said they were just waiting on payment from a vendor. On December 2, I went to the office because I hadn't heard back from her and left a message with her secretary for her to contact me. On December 4, still I hadn't heard back from her so I called again about the deposit. Ms. Hinton told me it should be out by the end of the week and to email her a copy of the utility bill because she hadn't received the fax I attempted. I was sending her the utility bill because there was usage at the address after I had moved out, but the account was still in my name and it needed to be paid so my credit wouldn't be negatively affected. On December 14, I received a letter saying there was $635 in damages to the unit and after the deduction of my security deposit, I still owed $35. On December 16, I went to the office and gave Ms. Hinton a letter disputing the damages because since she did not follow the stipulations of the NC Tenant Security Deposit Act, she voids her rights to withhold any portion of the deposit. On December 31, I still had not heard back from Ms. Hinton so I sent her another email but did not receive a response. On January 6, I called the office and left a message for the office manager to call me back. I have not heard from Ms. Hinton, the office manager (Paula Garcia), or any other person at First Class Property Management since I gave my dispute letter to Ms. Hinton.
The work order I received that itemized the damages to the unit states that the estimate of damages was completed on November 20 and the work order was created December 13 which is well after 30 days. I am requesting punitive damages because I believe Ms. Hinton and the office of First Class Property Management have demonstrated willful negligence in conducting their duties and so they will be deterred from further violations of the NC Tenant Security Deposit Act.
Excessive cleaning fees | Case#**-*720
Dallas,
Texas -
75226
The Broadstone Amborse has provided me with five pictures of items considered "dirty" and have assessed cleaning fees totaling $85.08.
1. A black stove with what appears to be residual water marks from wiping
2. A microwave oven that looks spotless to me from the picture they attached.
3. The freezer with one small piece of lettuce and a carrot.
4. The corner of my bathroom with a barely viewable layer of dust from non-usage (I shower at the gym).
5. The bathroom cabinet with six small pieces of lint from a dark green towel I once owned.
**Notice no picture of carpet was provided by them yet I am being charged a $10.08 to clean it? My apartment only had carpet in the closet and by not taking a picture of it, it proves we agree it was clean.
Repair Issues | Case#**-*037
Baton Rouge,
Louisiana -
70820
My daughter complained several times about the unhealthy conditions of the unit and asked to move to a unit that had no problems as advertised, however management said they had no other units available. The units have bug larva, an A/C that doesn\\\'t work, pipes that have sewage smells, swelling along the door panels in the bedrooms and bathrooms, and mold. She went to the hospital for an Asthma attack because the conditions of the A/C not working and unhealthy mold smells within the carpet. My daughter is moving out of the unit and returning to California because the unit is not up to standard health regulations.
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.
