Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Repair Issue, False Advertisement | Case#**-*097
Stockbridge ,
Georgia -
30281
I applied for this apartment thinking that I was getting what was shown online. \\\\\\\"Newly renovated apartments\\\\\\\". Not even close, everything in my apartment is old, nothing close to what is online. I approached the manager shameka letting her know that I was unhappy and felt lied to, her answer was she was not changing anything in the apartment. I\\\\\\\'m confused because they\\\\\\\'re are other apartments that are newly renovated and we pay the same rent. I feel discriminated against and that is completely unacceptable. All o want is what I applied for and am paying for.
Apartment Building has Bed Bugs | Case#**-*494
Louisville ,
Tennessee -
37777
My neighbor in apt A called the landlord that they had bed bugs on Oct 23, 2012. They had the apts inspected and found that is in fact what they were bed bugs. The landlord called the resident in A blaming me and my son for them. Since my mom lives in A she blamed her too. The landlord said to my mom's fiance that we had to pay a thousand dollars to treat the bed bugs. I personally was never talked to about the situation. The people below my mom were complaining of having rashes on thier arms. They had replaced their furnature and had to take thier grandson to the doctor because of his bites. They called the landlord and were told they have a dog its fleas. After they moved out my mom began having problems. Since this has been overlooked by the landlord I too have them now. Today in the mail I got an eviction notice from the landlord. When I called her she said she was going to treat the apartment building after we are evicted. I don't believe she can place blame on my son and I. I am at a loss.
Couldn\\\\\\\'t Move In At All/kept Depost | Case#**-*405
Heath Springs,
South Carolina -
29058
I gave a 500 dollar deposit to move in trailer on 12/6/18. The place was still under work from previous tenants on this day and was said it would be all finished w by the next day. I couldn\\\\\\\'t get the power turned on due to the hefty deposit they required so i told renter and went to meet him the next day to keys back he left w his friend across the street from his home. He told me he wouldn\\\\\\\'t give deposit back because he gave me the keys and that was like an agreement. I never moved anything in there. Never signed any rental agreement at all.Tools and all the work tha\\\\\\\'t that wasn\\\\\\\'t finished yet was still all over the place even. I never had anything done that a normal process takes to move in. All i did was pay the deposit and find out I couldn\\\\\\\'t get the power turned on and then i asked for deposit back cause i obviously could never move in due to not being able to turn power on. He said that i wouldnt get deposit back because i told him in a verbal contract that i wanted his rental. I told him I would have to take legal action and he then began to tell me how the legal action would all play out and that all they would do is tell gim to pay me, he won\\\\\\\'t pay me back and that they\\\\\\\'ll put a judgement on him and that is all that will happen. That i still won\\\\\\\'t get my money back and that it will cost me more to take him to court than i would get back. He said hes been through this before and I\\\\\\\'d never win. I am totally confused here because i never did a thing but give him the deposit and 3 days later inform him i couldnt get the power on and couldn\\\\\\\'t rent his rental. I did absolutely nothing else but wait on him to finish working on everything he was working on. He had to replace floors and walls from the last tenant that resided there.
Moved In With Apartment Not Finished. Being Lied On By Maintenance Person | Case#**-*418
SACRAMENTO,
CA -
95825 4260
Originally I agreed to and saw apartment 12.and was to move in on January 15,2020. Manager called and asked if I would be willing to allow another person to move into 12 for emergency housing, I said okay .Manager said I can move into 52. Manager called and said I would not be able to move until 1-22, because they found mold in the tub walls, so I had to wait. I am moved in and tub does not drain properly and stove not done, no lights(bulbs), torn screen door, slats missing, garbage disposal not working, hall storage closet doors missing Cracked vanity cover cracked, Was promised 1-24, all would be done...Received 24 hour notice on 1-23, Intent to enter premises. I had errands to run and took my dog with me. When I came back home within less than 2 hours, maintenance guy told manager he heard dog barking, so he didn\\\'t enter. Got email from manager stating he had a right to not enter because of dog. I sent message back stating dog was not there. I have a 5 pound 74 year old Chihuahua that can barely walk. Manager texted back that she would get to the bottom of it, and I have to wait until Monday. Absolutely unacceptable
Pest Problem, Rent Fraud | Case#**-*066
AMELIA,
OH -
45102 1789
I paid rent on 9/5/2019 1775.00 which is my monthly rent amount. The rental company reversed my rent payment off and applied it to a water bill and then charged me a 75.00 late fee for rent being late. Rent and water is a separate charge. Also, ive never received a water bill so dont know the accuracy of charges. Ive asked several times still no bill. Now my rent look like its unpaid and 499.00 short, but it was paid on time. Now im at risk for eviction. This was my last month before renewing lease. Ive been here 5 years and this has never been done. Also, i have mice and snakes in home that was pre-existing per my lease anything pre-existing is there responsibility they have never properly corrected this problem.
Neighbor who complain about standard noise ie walking across floor | Case#**-*263
Morrow,
Georgia -
30260
I live on the second floor I do not cause any loud noise ie loud music, screaming etc. I am getting complaints filed for regular standard noise ie walking across the floors. I pay 1200.00 a month and feel like I can't even live in my home without worrying about something being said. I have had the lady bang on the ceiling for no reason , and the worst was last night when I was awoken at 1130 at night by two police officers knocking on my door. How is it that I am making noise when I was sleeping.
Breach Of Agreement | Case#**-*776 I have requested since January of 2014 to resolve an iisue that has occured. My son has certain health conditions that are not being taken into consideration by the property management. Dut to the bad living conditions he is unable to live in his apartment. property management has done nothing to resolve this. Also there is a violation on the lease by them. both residents are to be on the electric bill but they are not. My son is the only one on the bill and we have been told to just pay the bill and they would "TRY" to collect it from the other tenant? They also said that if we do not pay it then the will make us pay a fine for it not being paid? Is this fair? All we want is to pay our way out of the leae thats all. We are not asking to get out for free but to pay our way out. But hey are saying NO!
Repair Issue | Case#**-*863
AURORA,
CO -
80012 6172
We reported that the Ac is not working to the office ,However they responded that they are not fix it until the Temperature is 80 degrees.
The next time when I went there the Temperature was 85 degrees still no solution, also the Manager said that am not the only person, and I have to wait until the past tusday(05_15_20018) even if I have 16 month daughter .still my AC and Heater is not working. Am still waiting ,but no response.
Unsafe Living Conditions | Case#**-*496
Hillsboro,
Oregon -
91724
Landlady does not keep the residents sage .Ms. Hoyt continues to keep the maintenance man employed that is fighting charges for assault with machete in her rental property against tenants and continued to allow him to remain in home even when there is a lead witness living at same address. There has been 2 orders served against him to stay away and stalking and 1 against his girlfriend and landlady tried to evict tenants due to them filing against maintence man. Maintenance man attacked 1 tenant with a knife and has physically attacked another by hands and throwing a ashtray at her. Maintenance man and girlfriend tried to contest order but it was denied by judge. Landlady has been aware of rats and mice in home as well as roaches in kitchen and there is also mold all over home. Tenants are having health problems due to dirty living conditions created by the maintence man. He has brought in garbage and items and has them all scattered in backyard and electrical wires exposed in water exposed areas. Fire Department came out due to the smell of something burning and they found wires that were melted in panel box and furnace and heater blocked by flammable items as well as no working smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors in home. Fire Department installed new ones and put detectors in added places. Landlady was asked to fix but still has had none put in. Tried to illegally evict 2 tenants after they filed restraining order against maintence man and made one sign a new lease under stressful and pressured force.The landlady would not change the locks and the attacker still had keys to home. No lighting outside for safety purposes and electrical fixtures are exposed to shock and open wires all over home. Outlets have missing plates. Tenants installed own security and have a laser to detect when someone comes on property at our expense. Never gives notice when coming in and has brought in people that are intimidating to scare tenants
BedBugs, Retalation For Health Dept. Complaints, Raising Rent Un Unfairly | Case#**-*287
LA CROSSE,
WI -
54603 1425
was not made aware of bedbugs prior to moving in. Landlord constantly harassing me stating he is gonna raise the rent in retaliation to notifying the dept of health.
Landlord has practiced unsafe treatment measures bu using a gas stove in confined spaces and it was tagged by local fire dept. as unsafe. The place is deemed uninhabitable. Have been being harassed on the basis of withholding my rent due to non repairs of these issues and have had damages to property due to landlord\'s negligence not covered by renter\'s insurance.
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.
