Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Numerous Complaints About Unruly Tenants Above Me. | Case#**-*047
Lexington,
Kentucky -
40515
I have lived here for three years and the tenants moving in above me keep getting worse. The tenant before the existing one had two children who jumped off the furniture day and night. I was told the parents didn\"t control them but they were on a short term lease. After a short time of being vacant someone else moved. They have two huge dogs who run back and forth across the floor or they start barking at 530 in the morning. About three weeks that started playing the stereo so loud the bass was vibrating the ceiling. Complaints have been filed on numerous occasions and nothing is done. The security officer and people from the managers office have been here to listen to the problem, yet the problem still exists. Surely there are rules about being able to live peaceably in your apartment.
Lease never signed or upheld/harrassment | Case#**-*145
SIMI VALLEY,
CA -
93065 1917
I have paid my rent plus a deposit and have paid all my utilities all while my lease is no good. I signed the lease and mailed her a copy in July of 2012. I emailed her requesting a copy for my records, but never received it. Also, Levi Smith; the other tenant in the home (the supposed manager of the property) holds all the utilities in his name. I am supposed to receive a copy of ALL the bills and I am responsible for 1/2 of all except the electricity, I am only supposed to be responsible for 1/3 because he runs a business out of the garage at the home - using a lot of electricity for all his equipment. I have never received a single utility bill, only a stub stating what I owe. That is against what my lease states. I have several pictures showing many problems with the neighbor and things that I was promised by Susan that would not happen and continue to, such as smoking in the garage and near the home. Also, I have paid out of my pocket several hundred dollars for repairs and maintenance due to miscommunication and Susan refused to make it right, so I had to eat that money. I paid to paint both bathrooms and install 3 fans in the home: 1 in each bedroom and a large one in the livingroom as to cut back on electricity cost as to not have to run the A/C. Susan should have paid for the fans and the labor, but did neither. She has left me several harassing phone messages and is very unpleasant on the phone. She takes sides in any situation with the other tenant regardless of all the facts and I am always wrong or on the losing side. I do not claim to be perfect in all this, as I have made my share of mistakes, but have made many attempts at making things right.
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*836
Johnston,
Rhode Island -
02919
We went without heat and cable/internet services on several occasions (which were included services in our rent) and when complaints about other tenants breaching the rental agreement went unresolved, they advised us to "deal with it or move out," so we did at the end of the month and they're holding our security when the apartment has been re-rented.
unhabitable. | Case#**-*978
new brunswick nj ,
New Jersey -
08901
I never gave Mrs. Nancy Carreon 1.5 months rent deposit because extermination was done on or about the 28th of february and on my first visit to the apartment bedbugs or clutters were not apparent., But once i revisited the empty apartment no more than 2 hours of being in the house a bedbug was on my shirt! this is all AFTER the first extermination on or about 2/28/12. Being that it was already 3/2/12 i had no choice but to move in or i would have lost a $500 deposit given to Mrs. Carreon on 2/27/12, she subsequently received $1,250 for first months rent. Mr. Carreon came on that same date to personally exterminate the house, unprofessionally. from the dates of 3/3/12 - 3/6/12 i was unable to move any type of furniture into the apartment or even sleep in it. on 3/7/12 at 9.45a i informed Mrs. Carreon the bedbug infestation may be worst than what we may have previously believed it to be. Mrs. Carreon suggested 2 things; 1. bringing over the same form of bedbug insecticide Mr. Carreon had exterminated with so that i can personally kill the bedbugs myself when they appeared. 2. waiting another 72 hours for her personal "professional" exterminator to return from vacation. on March 8, 2012 I, Henry Elvir personally handed Mrs. Carreon the apartment keys before the month kept of rent i paid for even made it halfway into the verbal one month lease. Mrs. Carreon willingly took the keys in return wished me better luck next time and apologized to me for losing the $1,250 in the deal.
Breach Of Agreement | Case#**-*161
BERKELEY,
CA -
94707 1518
The landlord has breached the Studio Lease Agreement terms in Section 11 that state the landlord shall maintain premises in a decent and safe condition and shall comply with all laws, regulations, and ordinances concerning the condition of dwelling units.
Lease Renewal Agreement/ Breach Of Agreement | Case#**-*236
Lawrenceville,
Georgia -
30043
We had an agreement. I complied to the terms of that agreement. And they reneged without cause. I believe this to be a vengeful/ retaliatory eviction because i notified a government agency of questionable activities and practices.
Bed Bug Problem | Case#**-*828 I'm getting charge to pay for the pest control a rageous amount of $4,600 also i am getting taken to court to get evicted. which to be honest i rather leave these so called "luxury apartments" however the managers are trying to destroy my credit while at the same time make me pay for their own pest control problems. I have lost so much money because of the bed bugs they have in these apartments. Other tenants also have had them. the pest control came and inspected our apartments and told me and other tenants that the bed bugs must of came from the laundry room
Hostile Roommate With Threatening Behaviors | Case#**-*694
PARK RIDGE,
IL -
60068 4548
3BR 1BA house in Park Ridge, IL. I am renting one room, while one other tenant rents the second room. The third room has been vacant for the last three months.
My roommate is a Caucasian male in his mid-50s. He is unmarried and works a part-time job at a restaurant. Over the last few months, said roommate has demonstrated increasing hostility against me, including: calling me names, insulting my religion, yelling at me to my face, throwing tantrum at midnight, along with many other aggressive behaviors. It is worth noting that this person has demonstrated anger and control issues in the past as he got into physical altercation with the previous tenant. I have not retaliated or return his behavior with any aggression, but it is clear to me that the place has becoming unpleasant and perhaps unsafe to stay.
My lease ends on May 1, but I fear for my own safety that it is best to move out within the next few days. I should be able to find a place to stay for the next 2 weeks, but I am requesting the landlord to provide compensation. Alternatively, he can pay for or provide other housing arrangements. Since I will not be able to move into my new apartment until May 1, I also request that any furniture that I own to be permitted to remain in the apartment until my lease ends. All items will be cleared after May 1.
Harassment | Case#**-*382
FALL RIVER,
MA -
02721 1363
I have been constantly harassed while living here. My landlord has gone through my garbage (I have texts showing he stated he found an envelope with my name on it.) I receive text messages almost every day, often multiple times a day. I am often blamed for other tenets leaving doors unlocked, overstuffing the dryer and washer and more. My daughters have friends over, and I receive texts accusing me of having their friends \"living\" with us (even though they always go home at night) or wanting to know who her friends are. I have asked repeatedly for my landlord to converse with my husband because I simply cannot take the constant texts, but I still get texted. I have had a leak in our bathroom for 8 months and it has not been fixed. My landlord\'s kids have thrown their balls into my car numerous times, and his son and friends make mean, spiteful comments to us as we pass. My landlord is constantly rude and demeaning to me, yet once I say something back than I am in the wrong. Recently, we got into \"trouble\" because my daughter rang the downstairs doorbell. The downstairs people have rung our doorbell, as well, yet nothing was ever said to them about it. I feel completely uncomfortable living in this place or throwing away garbage or anything for fear he is going to text me yet again or go through my garbage yet again. We have finally found a single home to live in, and while we have give our 30 day notice, I have been told \"the sooner you are out the better. I am not waiting three weeks.\"
Repair Issue, Breach Of ARegreement, Lock Up Mail Box , Invading Our Privac | Case#**-*169 On September 27, 2013 the hot water that supplies the second floor was turned off without formal notice. I notified the landlord of the problem, via telephone and text
message, on September 27, 2013. The landlord informed me that there was no lost of service. He stated in the same message that we should give you a date that we are
planning to move out when we never informed you of our intent to leave. We current hold a lease of one year at the address stated above.
On October 4, 2013 the water that supplies the second floor apartment was complete terminated. I contacted the landlord in regards to the problem, by telephone, on
October 5, 2013 without any respond. Therefore out of urgency, I had to contact the East Orange Police Department and the Water Authority in order to get more
information in reference to my current water predicament.An officer from East Orange Police Department came over twice on saturday the 5th of oct 2013 to talk to my
landlord about the water he turned off and the landlord refused to open his door so the officer proceeded to turn on the water and the landlord turned it off
immediately the officer left. Then i went to the Water Authority on monday the 7th of oct to find out why they havent sent any of the officer to come check whats wrong
with our water and they immediately sent out an officer named Raymond Riddick who came and found out that the landlord turned it off and he gave him a 24hours notice
to turn it on or repair whatever that spoiled of which the landlord refused to co-operate, at the expiration of the 24hours notice i called the Water Authority again
and the sent another officer named David On both instances, the landlord was not cooperative with any of the authorities. The landlord willfully reduced services by
interrupting or causing the interruption of our water as an attempt to get us to leave or to penalize us for his own selfish interest.The landlord is renting the attic
of the house for $400.00 a month without giving the 2 occupants lease nor receipt of their house payment because the landlord knows that it is a 2. ALong with the my
of water, landlord locked the mailbox and I have not been able to get my mail.
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.
