Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Repair Issue | Case#**-*426
Raleigh,
North Carolina -
27603
I have been having issues with my toilet for the past three months and the complex has had their maintenance come and fix it but all they do is plunge it. It ends up messing up again and I have them come out to fix it but it stops working again. I have messaged the property manager and the community manager and they have not been very helpful. I even hired a plumber to look at the toilet to find an issue and he could not find one. All he could do was tell me that it was not a good toilet. I informed the property manager and the community manager and they told me that the toilet cannot be replaced.
Noise Complain | Case#**-*391
Raleigh,
North Carolina -
27613
I have been living on the property for a little over one year. I have always been on time with all payment and referred other tenants to the property. My neighbor has recently moved in a few months ago. They constantly keep loud noises between the hours of midnight and 5am. I have to sleep on my sofa in order to get rest. I have filed several complaints with the property management and emailed the corporate office. I have been instructed to contact the authorities. I have contacted the local authorities and with no success my neighbors continue to make noise at unreasonable hours. The property management has on reached out to the tenant via email and mail. With no success they have informed me they are waiting for my neighbors\' response. This situation has been going on for over 60 days. I have been more than reasonable and can not receive any help with getting my complaint properly addressed. Please help!! The corporate contact is Susan Hughes she can be reached at 919-381-3827 ext 4.
Unfair Lease Changes | Case#**-*848
LAYTON,
UT -
84041 2572
It is time for our lease renewal and we were given a Renewal letter stating our options for what we can do. On our renewal letter, it states \"You may renew your lease for 12 months at the monthly rate of $960.00\" After having signing the renewal letter our intent was to renew our lease for 12 more months, 2 weeks later on 2/29/16 I got a new renewal letter from them saying our rent would actually be $1095 with a note attached to it saying that they were so sorry but they had made a mistake. If we wanted to renew our lease it would actually be at this price and we have to have it turned in on 3/1/16. On the notes they said they would work with us on the price. Contacting them the last 2 days, they are refusing to work with us and are giving us no other options but to move out.
Neighbors Keep Complaining Of Simple Noises. | Case#**-*271
Baton Rouge,
Louisiana -
70815
The neighbors downstairs keep complaining about my children bouncing basketballs and we don\\\'t own any. They\\\'re even complaints of rumbling noises.
Landlord Harassment | Case#**-*644
North Las Vegas,
Nevada -
89081
My rent is due on the 15th and late on the 20th of each month. Since October, I have received 7 of the 5 day notices to pay rent or quit. Of these, 3 have been posted on my door, either the day before or 2 days after the date and time indicated on the notice. The last one they dated for March 7, 2018 at 12:00 noon, however, posted it on my door on 03/09/2018 after 6:00 P.M. My daughter and her husband were visiting me from Utah, and had left about 5:30 P.M. to go to the store. When they returned at 6:45 P.M. they brought it in to me. This was very embarrassing since my rent was not due for another 6 days so it most certainly was not late.
They send the owner a letter every month on the 6th telling him that I am delinquent in rent and that they have contacted me by phone as well as posting notices to collect the rent. These are false and slanderous statements. The owner responds advising that my rent is not due until the 15th to which they reply that they know this, and if I don\'t pay it on the 15th I\'ve been made aware and they will proceed with eviction.
By their own statement on each notice they have delivered, they have committed 7 or more counts of perjury as none have been served on the date, time, or manner indicated on the notices.
I truly feel that they are harassing me and causing a very uncomfortable living situation. My lease ends on May 15th, however I want to move as soon as possible. I don\'t want to deal with this another 2 months.
False Accusations Regarding Ownership of Pet | Case#**-*999
Nottingham,
Maryland -
21236
On the morning of 07-26-12, I arrived home at 0530 to find a letter posted to my door casting an accusation that:
'We have been informed that you have an unauthorized pet (cat) in your home. Please be advised that you are in direct violation of your lease agreement. Pets are only allowed with prior written consent from management.'
The letter then goes on to explain adjustments to monthly rent and a supposed refundable and nonrefundable pet deposit which is now due on my account.
There is a second page listing the Baltimore County Code Title 6 rules and regulations, as well as an addendum for which I am to fill out and sign documenting that the supposed pet exists and necessary adjustments be made to the monthly rent that is due.
I do not own a pet. I work three different jobs. One of my jobs as a resident physician requires that I am on overnight call for 6 continous nights about once a week every 6-8 calendar weeks. Therefore, I own no pets because I would not be home enought to take care of them.
The accusation is false and egregious. The way the accusation was handled amounts to no more than an attempt by management to browbeat me into admitting something that does not exist. This is not professional behavior. This is not the first time I have had to deal with Tristar Management making errors in their business practices. I would like this reported and available for review to future tenants that are considering dealing with this company.
Move-in And Move-out Carpet Cleaning Issue | Case#**-*275
Roseville,
Minnesota -
55113
We write this complaint against RE/MAX Consultants rental business, because it treated us unfairly as tenants and took advantage of us during move-in and turnover at townhome 1069 Lovell Lane leased 2/22/13 - 8/31/15. We moved in on 2/23/15. We were astounded by how dirty the home was. The most significant issue was the great amount of animal hair heavily soiling the carpets, floors, and vents. We found this all remarkably surprising but did not complain about this and had the home cleaned at our own expense. We did document the findings on a move-in form in addition to taking photos that captured a stained/ash-filled oven and bathroom toilet with caked feces that we, the new tenants, had to scrub off with a pick. Therefore, we were in utter disbelief when we learned that RE/MAX mandated that we professionally clean the carpet upon moving out, specified on its move-out instructions sheet. This request was unjust, especially given the poor condition the carpet was in when handed to us. It was demanding us to clean the property above and beyond its own standards. On 8/31/15, I verbalized all of this to Ms. Meredith Mayo, current property manager. I, Margareth, asked for proof that the carpet had been cleaned before we moved in since it had been evident to Graham and I upon move-in that the carpet and rest of the home had been neglected and not cleaned. She reported that this was before she started with RE/MAX but that she would look into the issue and talk to the other property manager. Ms. Mayo also indicated that, “I know you already know this but a rental property is obviously not going to be perfect“ when I told her of the terribly dirty home that former RE/MAX property manager Mr. Kelly Mayo had handed over to us. The request for proof was dismissed as Ms. Mayo called me on 9/1/15 and told me that regardless the tenant handbook states that the professional carpet cleaning was our responsibility and that we would be charged for it. This type of behavior is deceptive and unprofessional. It speaks to the way RE/MAX and the owners it represents operate. As a young professional couple uncertain of whether we would remain in MN beyond 2015, we had decided to rent this property only to be treated sub-par and unfairly in a passive-aggressive manner. We do not trust RE/MAX and it lacks integrity in how it conducts its rental business. We stress to RE/MAX and Ms. Mayo that they should treat tenants as people even if their sole priority is their owner clients.
Sewage in the basement, stairs not up to code, water leaking into unit, peeling paint, kept portion | Case#**-*779
Elmhurst,
Illinois -
60126
While living at 110 S. Kenmore Ave., Elmhurst, Illinois many general maintenance and larger repairs went neglected. At the time we did not feel comfortable taking further action as we were in no position to move should our landlord require it of us. At this time I would like to make others aware so should something similar happen to current or future tenants of Yolanda Gentile, previous incidents are on record. Yolanda’s daughter, Lisa Steder, acted as our main point of contact. Our neighbor, Nick, was designated as the maintenance man and very often neglected his job.
I broke my foot on the front steps which are not up to code (the stair that connects to the sidewalk is slanted and substantially taller than the others) and have not been fixed.I was in a cast and on crutches with an 18 month old toddler for seven weeks as a result.
The front and back walk was rarely cleared after it snowed or froze.
The inside door handle on the front entranceway fell off. It took three business days and three phone calls for it to be replaced.It was a fire hazard as there was no way to exit the front of the building. It became a trap for the mailman.The poor mailman knocked on my door because he couldn’t figure out how to get out of our building after delivering the mail.If I hadn’t been home he would have had to call someone to open the door from the outside as the door missing the handle was the only exit for him.
$460 of our deposit was unfairly not returned for expenses that were a result of normal wear and tear from 41 months of occupancy by two adults and a child.
Hire a cleaning lady to clean all appliances, ceiling fans, and vertical blinds - $75
Patch, sand and paint wall - $250
Rekey door and replace the mailbox key - $35
Living room carpet professionally cleaned - $50
Bedroom carpet professionally cleaned - $50
Our 30-day notice to vacate listed our last day in the unit as April 1, 2012.We were then asked to move out on March 31st.As a favor to our landlord we moved the vast majority of our belongings into a large moving truck on the 31st and were able to vacate the premises by 11am on April1st as promised to the landlord. The new tenant showed up at 10am asking why we were still there and demanding we to get out sooner.Our landlord did not show up that day but instead choose to do our walkthrough the previous day.At that time she stated the apartment was in satisfactory condition and no additional action on our part was necessary.We were rushed out of the unit and not given an opportunity for a true final walk through with the unit vacant.The new tenant moved in immediately after we left confirming that the unit was in fact in move-in condition. In addition to the charges above they also charged us for a blind that was broken when we moved in and repair costs for an accordion door that we purchased and installed ourselves.
The place was not cleaned or painted prior to us moving in. Windows were replaced shortly after we moved in and the plaster/paint surrounding the new windows was not repaired for years. We had a small child so we placed tape over the peeling portion so that paint chips would not break off. The paint from the actual wall under the window started coming off in sheets.
Water damage inside of the unit was reported repeatedly over the years. The ceiling in the bathroom bubbled and crumbled in places. We were told it was because there was no fan in the bathroom and that it would not be repaired until they installed a fan which they never did. They did eventually sand and paint the ceiling but the same thing happened again because they did not repair the leak from the unit above. Eventually the leak became so great that it leaked across our entire bedroom for a week before anything was done about it. Calls were made daily as we slept on our couch. In the process a larger mirror of ours was damaged and we were charged for the cleaning of the carpet in that room when we moved out just weeks later. Water also leaked into the basement from our bathtub. When the water would leak it would pour down the wall onto the electrical box. Again, we had to report it several times before anything was done.
Sewage backed up into the basement laundry and storage area a minimum of three times while we lived there. Each time it took several days to get a response from our landlord and the problem fixed. The first time it happened was pretty major. After it was fixed the repairman failed to clean up properly leaving a 5 gallon pail of human waste outside of the building near the back steps and a soiled mop was also left in the basement.
More often than not the light in the front entrance stairwell was burnt out and the automatic light that lite the stairwell to the basement laundry and storage room was never adjusted as the sunset earlier leaving tenants to have to navigate the stairs in the dark should they need to access their laundry or storage at 7pm in the winter.
The washer and dryer often broke down when we first moved in. Whenever I would call to notify the landlord she would mention that it would be easier to remove the units then repair them. It made it uncomfortable to call her when repairs were needed. Once they replaced the unit there were no additional problems for the remaining 3 years we lived there. It had nothing to do with the way the tenants utilized the machinery it was that it was old, broken and need to be replaced.
There was a putrid unidentified smell in our front stairwell that took several phone calls and many days before our landlord showed up to investigate. She herself gagged as she stood in our main common area.
Please let me know if any further information is necessary to file a formal complaint. I do have photos of the paint chipping and peeling along with some water damage if needed.
Thank you so much for your time in this matter.
Flood/Repair/Breach | Case#**-*438 On Tuesday, July 8th, a main water line behind the water heater in my apartment burst at approximately 10p. Unfortunately I was not home at the time. After speaking with two of my neighbors, one which resides in the apartment directly above me in apartment 3. I learned she actually called in at about 10p to emergency maintenance informing them she heard a loud noise below her and water running consistently. She was told by the Supervisor, Ed Price. that he could not come out because the tenant was not home. At exactly 11:44p, the tenant in apartment 2 also called after coming home and seeing water in the hallway coming from my apartment. At that point Ed advised him he'd be at the complex in about an hour, as he lives that far away. , I was told it would take 2-3 days for the carpet to dry. It would then be cleaned and deodorized and some of the drywall would need to be replaced. As of today, July 14th, none of that has happened. After having several floor fans and 2 dehumidifiers running at my expense consistently, I am STILL unable to reside in my own home. At this point mold and insects are definitely a concern. When I came home on 7/12, a note from the flood response company informed me they wouldn't be back until Monday. So extending the time these appliances are running in my home further.
Pest Control Proplem | Case#**-*259
N HOLLYWOOD,
CA -
91606 1949
I am writing to inform you that I am taking matters in my own hands in regards to our pest problem. Attached are the following notes that I have been taken in regards to this issue :
On October 31, 2019 at 9:52 AM,after two months of calling, your office called me back and said that we would receive a letter and someone will come spray 11/8/2019.
By 11/5 we did not receive the letter.
On 11/8/2019 I received a call without any warning that pest control was at our unit . According to the California law , we are to receive notice at least 24 hours prior to application of pest control . When I mentioned to your office that no one notified our unit, I was told \"We only send letters out when we are spraying the unit. The person at your unit today is just going to put down gel bait.\"
It doesn\'t matter what type of pest control they are using, we are supposed to receive notice.
As you know,we do have the right to request removal of insects and it is to be done in a timely manner, 30 days maximum. I have attached a screenshot of when I first mentioned to Eli that we have an issue . In that screenshot you can also see that I followed up with him a month later on 11/23 because it still was not resolved.
I am going to escalate this issue to the Health Department because I can not live under these circumstances. We have been more than patient with you and it seems that the only way things get handled is when WE initiate and call.
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.
