Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Repair Issue | Case#**-*030
ANAHEIM,
CA -
92804 4552
There is a drainage leak in our apartment causing 3 bedrooms to flood with rancid water making the rooms inhabitable. We’ve been forced to live in the living room with no hot water or any water at all the past few days. People have come to make repairs but it’s one problem after another and the main flooding issue has not been resolved and the landlord has yet to relocate us and is still demanding rent. We have people we don’t know coming in the apartment in the middle of a pandemic.
Threatening neighbors, illegal eviction based on retaliation | Case#**-*163
Lake George,
New York -
12845
I have given landlord letter pertaining to the crime that happened on his property. We reported it to police, they are causing bad image for his business. He refuses to allow us to have peace and quiet enjoyment. We are being subjected to repeated eviction attempts that are thrown out of court.
Repair Issues/Uninhabital Living Conditions | Case#**-*517
Phoenix,
Arizona -
85016
In April 2023 the plumbing backed up into the condo. Water containing raw sewage spread throughout the condo & continued to do so for 5 days. My landlord chose not to send a plumber to check on the problem in a timely manner. A plumber did come to snake the line through the toilet to find it clogged several feet down the line. He also found the toilet had not been properly anchored to the floor which caused the wax ring to be tilted contributing to the amount of sewage coming into the building. I contacted the Arizona Health Department to file a complaint, they came to assess the issue and deemed then property uninhabitable. The landlord was contacted but no resolution has been reached. I have text messages & other correspondences related to this incident that explain the timeline of events.
Landlord Discrimination | Case#**-*670 send me to court to evacuate the parking property with in 5 days she lie to the court saying she came on the 9 of march i have proof she only discriminate me for my parking space not the other tenants who have more mess than me she was rude to all my family and said bad things that a landlord not suposed to the worst is that she lie in court i have proof and the iphones dont lie i have the date and time she came follow by a picture i clean whrn she told me witch im the only on to clean and other tenants didnt u accept my rent money for march rend 2 weeks later you send it back. when i told her why she only said stuff to us she said its her parking lot and she can do whatever she want and say stuff to what ever she want and to shut up she never talk to me about it she only went to court and that is it the only thing she wants to do its take posetion of my mobilehome she descriminate my family in me i have proof and witness that she lie in court when they ask her what date she came. what they did is unfair and she knows it and lie just to remove me and my family from our home.i always let her screem at me even when she call my husband drunk guy even when she screem at my kids but she want to take my home away no she is charging me with 600 hundred dollars so she can take posesion of my mobile home why only me and not other tenants who has worst mess.
Landlord shut off water | Case#**-*463
McKees Rocks,
Pennsylvania -
15136
Landlord has shut water of and refuses to turn it back on
Repair Complaints | Case#**-*003
NORTH PORT,
FL -
34286 7218
I called the emergency maintenance number to report my ac not cooling and 3 hours later I have not heard from anyone to fix it. It is 85 degrees in my home and I have a child with special needs as well as a dog. This is abuse to humans and animals! It is not right people have to suffer like this. Unfortunately this is not the first time we have dealt with this in the 1 year we have leased from this company. We also reported an ac issue over thanksgiving (the same issue) and went 5 days before we heard from them! Also have had numerous issues with our water/well system that we have gone days without it being addressed, including our neighbors threatening to call law enforcement because the pump was so obnoxiously loud in there bedroom window.
Emotional Distress | Case#**-*565
CLEVELAND,
OH -
44128 2708
the reason for my complaint is 1. my water and sewer bill was almost $1700.00 as of 2/2019 and was looking to get shut off as of 02/11/2019. my landlord then said if i do not come up with that payment he will evict me off the property. he stated that if i pay $1100.00 on the sewer bill that he will pay the remaining balance that is due on the water bill, so as of 2/20/2019 i paid him $1000.00. the Ohio water and sewer company said if i paid at least half i will be able to get on a payment plan which would have been perfect because i was behind on rent which my landlord stated numerous times that he will work with me and help me with receiving rental payments so getting on a plan would have been helpful but with that he had to call in to make this arrangement himself because my name was not on that bill i could not set that up myself,he refused to do so even with the payments i gave him to pay the bill he never called in to get that bill paid so it is still currently in the status of being turned off after i paid him what he asked me to pay. Now he is threatening to evict me even after i did what he asked me to do he also stated that i only need to focus on the sewer bill and that we will work on the rent afterwards now as of 2/22/2019 he is threatening to evict me off the property he refuses to answer the phone and refuses to pay the water bill with the money i gave him for the bill. he finally returned my call and when he did he was very disrespectful yelling and calling me disrespectful names i am now fed up because i have asked him repeatedly to stop talking to me disrespectful but he refuses to do so.
Repair Issue | Case#**-*668
TUKWILA,
WA -
98168 4371
On December 11th 2012 my apartment door was finally broke. It's a old poor,cracked,unsafe door, the doorlocks were also in bad shape to where the key woulda get stuck and could not close the door. On the 11th we asked for the repair and the maintenance came to "fix" the door. Well we left when he fixed the door knob, bad repair. We came home late at night to find out we couldn't get in because the door knob was actually locked to where you couldn't open the door. When we try to reach management , like always never answers the cellphone. We manage to open the door but it broke the door knob and we just need a whole new door for safety reasons . Well it's December 12th 2012 at 5:18pm still haven't got a new door, the door has NO door knobs. Really unsafety!!! We can't leave and we can't sleep! We had to ask for a new door like 3 times in the morning time until they decided we do need a new door around 12pm!!! And still no door!! And no door knobs!!
Unfair Rent Increase (increased Too Much) | Case#**-*288
OCEANSIDE,
CA -
92058 1510
I have rented at this location for 6 years. I have always paid my rent on time and have caused no issues. My current rent is 1166.00 a month and I just got a new lease that they are raising my rent to 1495.00 a month which is an unallowable amount to increase rent.
Repair Issues , Breach Of Agreement | Case#**-*978
Dallas,
Texas -
75216
The apartment we looked at first was in good condition but by the time we moved in they gave us a different apartment..... The A/C did not work the first day we moved in..... Their was a leak in the bathroom they fixed but still kept leaking every time it rained the rain would come through our bedroom window .... I have two littles girls it was just unsafe for them to be in the apartment with no A/C ...... Bad neighborhood but I already knew but my girlfriend didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t and she requested that they moved us to the front because she was scared after a incident happened between some of our neighbors
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.
