Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Repair Issue. Squirrels In Walls And Ceiling | Case#**-*706
Silver Spring,
Maryland -
20904
I’ve moved in to Parc at Woodlake in August. It started off being a terrible situation because I had traveled from Alabama to Maryland to move in to my new apartment. I got there my apartment wasn’t even ready when it was suppose to be. So I had to wait for another 5 hours. The 2nd week I moved in. I noticed that there were squirrels crawling in the ceiling where I sleep. I filed a complaint to the office and they told me they would get in it. A week goes by and the squirrels are still there. I go to the office and they tell me that they have to file a contract with animal control before moving forward. So I leave it alone for a while and I go back a month later. They then tell me that they are going to set traps up there to catch them. I told them that wasn’t going to happen because there is a hole outside that they are coming in from. I have filed a complaint about the squirrels in my ceilings for almost 8 months now. Nothing has been done. They are now in the walls by the head of my bed. The ceiling in the bathroom. It’s almost impossible to sleep when they are running around and making noises. The people at the office are giving me the run around with this. There is no reason this issue should still be happening. I am told three things all at different times 1. “ we have to file a contract” 2. “ we will set traps” 3. Pest control will fake care off it.
But in all actuality, they need to repair the hole where the squirrels are coming in. And I have expressed that to them. And still. It’s april. And nothing has been done since August. I am past fed up with this issue. I also spoke with animal control and he told me there was nothing they could do and that it was the landlord responsibility to get my ceiling repaired. Please help me. I’m so tired of sleepless nights.
Health/safety, not going through lease adequately, security deposit | Case#**-*316
PUEBLO,
0 -
81007 1261
April 2010: The first time the hot water heater broke. Had to pay to shower at a local gym, and she would not reimburse me, stating it was not an emergency issue.
July 2010: At time of re-signing the lease, the property manager stated she did not have time to go over the lease again with me, and rushed me to sign it because she had somewhere else to be.
Febuary 2011: The second time the hot water broke, I called her and she again told me to try to fix it myself. A repair agency came out about a week later, and stated that a part was bad, and the venting was not to code. She refused to have the venting fixed by them because of the cost, and asked me if I would do it. A month later, the hot water heater was replaced. The venting was never corrected.
June 2011: Attempted to add my boyfriend onto lease. Told not to worry about it, we would just do it when I renewed the lease the next month. Also, informed manager of pets, I told her I would pay the pet deposit if neccessary or whatever was needed. She stated she would speak to the owners and get back with me. She never did. Later in the month the owners visited to check on foundation issues with the home. Owners (in the presence of the manager) stated they didn't care about the animals and it wasn't an issue for them. Told we needed to submit receipts for work done to maintain the home and any improvements made.
July 2011: Attempted 4x to renew annual lease. Was told that she didn't have time because they were moving offices. Was not told about being shifted onto a month to month lease. She stated she would get back with me, and never did.
September 2010: Submitted receipts for damage to property. Manager called and spoke with my boyfriend (who still wasn't on the lease) claimed she knew nothing of the animals and demanded $1k nonrefundable deposit. 2 weeks later, she called and stated she needed to do a home inspection. I am still waiting on the inspection.
October 2011: Dishwasher broke, leaking water. I called, and was told to fix it myself. I refused. Finally replaced on 23 Nov. Front steps broke & pregnant sister. Called, and was told they would have someone fix eventually.
10 Dec: Gave 30 day written notice to terminate lease with post dated (dated 1 Jan 12) pro rated check. On 16 Dec the check was cashed. On 17 Dec she called me and told me they don't allow pro rated months, and that I would lose my security deposit. I called her back several times with no response.
Repair Issue | Case#**-*353
Hopewell ,
New Jersey -
08525
I moved in in September. Immediately bathroom toilet started leaking and by October floor came up and has black mold growing on it. This problem clearly existed before i moved in. There are no fire alarms. The carpet has mold growing on it in living room along with my belongings now. Heat only works in one room and has to be turned off for hours ahead for water to be warm and by warm I mean barely. I can\\\'t shower everyday. There is a huge hole in water heater I found that has definently been there before I moved in. There is a raw sewage smell outside house everyday and not it\\\'s frozen. There something fishy about how everything set up outside. Stove broken because it\\\'s rusted through. Kitchen sink does not run due to pipes frozen I\\\'m sure. They never even cleaned the house before I moved in like they agreed. Told them in October about mold in bathroom. Nothing\\\'s been done. Floor completely exposed underneath and toilet still leaking. Stop paying in November until they fixed everything and nothing\\\'s been done. There are icicles growing in my house. I\\\'m cold and I can\\\'t shower on a daily basis and i think mold is affecting my health. And my animals as well. They said they had place inspected before hand which is a lie because this house would have been deemed unlivable. It took them a month to even finish the new room they had not finished by time I moved it. I had a plumber come out and look at water heater and the guy said it\\\'s going to go any day. The hooked up a heater which is being powered by my electric to heat water pump which isn\\\'t working and probably more dangerous.
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*737 I moved out on the 31st of July. On the 9th of August, once I was settled in a new apartment, I sent an email to the leasing company with my forwarding address. It is the same email address I have used to contact them throughout my whole time as a tenant. Yesterday (September 4th), after not having recieved my initial security deposit of $725.00 back, or any itemized list of damages, I contacted the company again, this time asking for double the amount of my deposit ($1450.00) according to the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 and Pennsylvania state law. I received a response back within 10 minutes saying that they checked their previous emails and had no email from me with a forwarding address, that maybe it went into their spam folder but they have no record of it. I promptly responded with a screen shot of the email from my sent box, which showed my address, the date it was sent, and their correct email address. Also, that I found it curious that they had received EVERY SINGLE ONE of my other emails but that one, including my email yesterday. They had my contact information as well and could have called or emailed me when they were preparing refund checks and noticed they did not have an address for me. She told me that with so many tenants, she wouldn't call those who didn't lease forwarding addresses. The fact of the matter is that they had mine. They offered to send me my original deposit, but at this point it's not enough. When I moved, I had to pay my last month's rent on that apartment, as well as a security deposit and first months rent on a new apartment, a lot of which i had to charge. I'm still catching up on that, and having my refund by the time it was due would have really helped me. This company works with college students, who are easier to take advantage of, and they stand a lot of money by holding on to security deposits and not doing what they could to contact their tenants. I have also had problems in the past with them with slow response times and not returning my calls.
Cockroach Infestation | Case#**-*344
CHICAGO,
IL -
60626 3363
Ever since I moved in, I have been killing cockroaches or finding dead cockroaches in my clothes or around the apartment. I am terrified of anything that crawls and I keep my light on everyday in fear of them running around. I do not think i should have to deal with this kind of infestation. The land lord did not warn me of any kind of infestation in the building. I just want to move out.
BREACH OF CONTRACT, MAINTENANCE ISSUES | Case#**-*316 I am a tenant at Mainstreet Renewal property located at 13426 Fountain Hills ct. Houston, TX. 77086. I have been calling the maintenance hotline and submitting tickets with complaints regarding bugs and insects throughout the first floor of the home. Other times I would fog the first and second floors of the property and spray to help prevent insects from being inside. I have been having outbreaks on my skin since I moved in. I have been to the doctor and depended on over the counter meds for the skin irritation. Needless to say I found out Monday on December 15th that this home has had bed bugs. This was after I called pest control myself to confirm. I had no idea what bed bug look like or the information regarding bed bugs. I try not to call maintenance for every single thing and result to paying for simple things myself. I have had electrical problems, insect problems, ac unit problems, and plumbing issues since the day I moved into the home. I had to throw out my king size bed and furniture in my bedroom and furniture in my kids room to ensure these bugs do not continue to feed off us. I have had the home treated as of yesterday December 16th. I had to purchase a new bed which will be delivered once we know for sure all insects and bed bugs are gone. This has cost me too much money and is hazardous to the health of myself and my children. I asked Mainstreet Renewal is they would provide me proof documentations that this home was effectively inspected and treated for insects and bed bugs. First I was told by Matilda Rodriguez that MS Renewal was not covering any pest control treatment for this issue. She mentioned that I could get the information from the company that conducted the pest control and she provided me with the number. I called the rep at pest control about the document and she claimed she would get it to me the same day which was yesterday. She never did. I called Matilda back because she told me she would call me back and she stated that she cannot provide me proof of the home being inspected and treated because its MS Renewal information and not for the consumer. I insisted that she provide me with something and she then says we have no idea is it was treated before you moved in because IMS was the maintenance team when I initially moved in the home. I asked Matilda who is denying the request to treat this home for bed bugs and she stated that his name is Brand Duhon at the corporate office. I asked her for the number to corporate
Deposit Problems | Case#**-*575
Albuquerque,
New Mexico -
87108
I vacated my apartment, managed by White Oak apartments, LLC, May 31, 2017. I moved to Cal. (see mailing address above,) where I have resided since June 1, 2017. About June 15, 2017, I received a letter from White Oaks\' Albuquerque office, dated June 8 and signed by Dagmar Nelson, saying that the \"corporate office in San Francisco\" would send my $385 refund to my new address in California.. The letter did not give any contact information for that office; I don\'t believe the office exists.I subsequently wrote to Dagmar Nelson asking her to check on my refund and verify what address it was sent to; this request was ignored. I have contacted some tenant-rights organizations, but they haven\'t gotten to my case yet. I have had a problem with the USPS, which has not forwarded any of my mail from my former address in Albuquerque to my new address in Cal. However, Ms. Nelson has refused to check with the White Oaks\' corporate office to see whether my refund check was sent to the Albuquerque address. She told me in the June 8 letter that it would be sent to my \"new\" California address. Please note: I am still a N.M. resident..
Repair Issue: Bathtub Keeps Licking Out Of The Spicket | Case#**-*839 I have complained 3 times to the apartment about the spicket in the tub keeps dripping even when I turn it to the off position it still leaks out. The maintenance has come out 3 times and says there is nothing wrong and it keeps dripping. I am required to pay the water bill monthly and I would like to have it fixed right away.
Breaking Lease Due To Excessive Noise By Neighbors | Case#**-*764 We have been enduring excessive noise from the neighbors since the landlords, Sally and Dennis Hanley, allowed a family of 4 with 2 twin 6-year old boys to move into the upstairs apartment of our Squirrel Hill duplex. Before informing Sally and Dennis of existing problems, we attempted to resolve the noise issue with the neighbors, Pam and Roger, who admitted to the noise (see "Admittance of Noise" jpg file), but continued to remain incredibly noisy (stomping, banging, screaming, fighting, etc.). Pam and Roger became increasingly hostile towards us every time we asked for the noise to be reduced, sending texts that read, "Sleep in another room. The kids will play where they want unless you pay our rent," and intentionally making more noise above the bedrooms to punish us for our complaints.
We brought these issues to the attention of Sally and Dennis on the 4th of December, 2013 (see "Email Correspondence" documents) but continued to endure excessive noise, being forced to repeatedly stay at friends' houses in order to get undisturbed sleep and study time. We specifically told Sally that the noise was impeding our lives and preventing us from functioning normally on a daily basis.
On more than one occasion, Sally assured us that the neighbors would soon be moving, while Pam and Roger simultaneously communicated to us that they were not sure if or when they would move at all. So, after making repeated complaints to Sally and Dennis, who were unable to resolve the issue, we chose to move out in order to find a living space that was quieter. We moved out on February 15th, 2014, in an effort to not spend any more time waiting to see if/when the neighbors would finally leave.
We paid rent through the month of February, as we did live in the apartment until mid-February. We do not feel that, given the conditions in which we were living, we should be required to pay for the months of March and April (as the lease was set to end by May 1st). *Lease conditions are attached in "Lease" document, but the end date of the official lease was extended to May 1, 2014*
As Pennsylvania tenants, we are entitled to the Right of Quiet Enjoyment. This Right was not duly observed in the months during which we were forced to live in such conditions, thus invalidating the lease agreement. As a result, we vacated the premises to find housing that meets the standards of Quiet Enjoyment, and we should not be required to pay for the remaining time set by the lease agreement.
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.
