tenants have rights, solving security deposit problems is your right...
Every day, tenants like you, turn to the RPA to quickly get deposits refunded & unfair charges dropped.Filing a Complaint with the RPA is the fastest and most effective way to get your deposit refunded and unfair deductions dropped. - even attorneys rely on the RPA to help solve dispute problems for their clients. As a tenant you have rights to fight for your every penny of your deposit. Yes, the RPA fight to get your deposit back.
What Security Deposit Problems Can the RPA solve?
Did you know... the RPA accepts all deposit complaints, but these are the most common complaints resolved by our organization:
Security Deposit Refunds
Getting your security deposit back promptly.
Charges to Security Deposit
Unfair, False, Unreasonable, or other types of deductions
TIP: On the complaint form you can request that your landlord reimburse you for the $35 complaint filing fee. (that's the only required fee to file a complaint)
Rent Problems Are Frustrating; but you're not alone: Thousands of tenants rely on RPA to solve problems
Move Out Fees | Case#**-*769
ELK GROVE,
CA -
95758 1270
Our family lived in Vasari apartments for 9 mos only while we were waiting for our house to build. We knew that we’ll live there temporarily that’s why we did not hang wall decors and we took care of the apartment like it’s our own home .We were shocked after we moved out that we got charged for unneccessary fees that we think we did not cause. We got charged for carpet replacement because they are claiming that there is pet urine.. we don’t have pets, not even small children living with us , the carpet when we moved in was old . Our charges was like $2100 minus our deposit of $500 totalling $1600. We’ve been charged with repainting walls, plank replacement, cleaning fee of $300, carpet replacement.I think it’s way too much. The pictures that they’ve sent us was most of them have multiple copies to make it look that there were a lot of issues. I don’t think it’s fair for us to pay such huge amount of money. We are willing to pay but in a fair way .
Breach of Agreement/Retaliation from reporting | Case#**-*474
Catonsville,
Maryland -
21228
I have rented the property at 715 Frederick Rd. Office 1 since March 5,2005. Have verbal lease with brother in law, who owns property, Robert Morsberger. In 2012, I added space 2 upon approval of JTL and Robert Morsberger, owner of property. Jan of 2011, I asked to sublet space 2 small space, I fixed celing that fell in and painted and fixed door and window, at my expense. Tis, Tag and Title moved in Jan of 2012. Approved by property manager. I had reported tenants that share common hallway and bathroom of suspicious activity and drug use and possible distribution of drugs in addition to them "residing" on the premises. Landlord, Joe Loverde, knew of this as they were his friends so he Neglected to do anything after my reporting. In June, of 2012 the AC would not work, and did not get fixed all summer. The drug addicts were committed to rehabs however, they still left trash, crack pipes, food, etc. in the hallway. In Aug again, and lastly on the 3lst, asked about repair of safety concerns, broken AC and drug cleanup and to be more selective of tenancy. I received notice to quit, immediately.(Dates will be provided in during legal proceedings, TBD. In the meanwhile, Tis, Tag and title, was told by JTL attorney that she could continue to stay and begin a new lease with JTL Management. She has rented from me for almost a year and had certain stipulations met my MVA regarding her new business. Shanette has built a nice small business in the year, with great perserverance and since Joe Loverde retaliatiated fiercely against myself for reporting issues, he now states, she had no business on premises. She has absolutely a right to be on the premises as she has been there for one year. His attorney called and said they wanted me out of there(after 7 years) for no reason, and she could start with JTL after I moved out. I am leaving Dec. 1st and she would like to continue her tenancy with JTL for $350/ per the attorney for Bob Greenwalt. She is a nervous wreck because she has built a clientele including the owner of the property, who told he it was fine with him. He loved her being there. Can you please mediate to ensure, Shanettes tenancy as of Dec l. Thanks you, Please advise ASAP, so she can prepare, legally if necessary. Unfortunate this company has treated successfull hard working woman like this. I will await your hopeful resolution. Thanks again.
Health Hazard | Case#**-*413
HOLLYWOOD,
CA -
90028 5810
We are filing a complaint against Chris Priscilla, our current landlord for his lack of response and unwillingness to address our cockroach situation in a timely manner. I notified Chris on the 6th of November, 2022 of a hole in our kitchen wall, and the possible entrance point for the cockroaches getting into our apartment. It is now the 3rd of January, 2023, and Chris has yet to respond or take action. This is not the first time we have had to deal with Chris not responding to calls, texts, and emails about apartment repairs and health and safety concerns. This has become, for far too long, a common issue that many tenants have had with Chris, and it can no longer be tolerated. Another example of Chris\' inability to respond to his tenants in a timely manner was when we first moved into our apartment in April of 2021. Chris had not changed the air filters in our apartment before we moved in. The air filters were old, clogged, and blowing out polluted air. We addressed our concerns to Chris and it took him 5+ months just to get us a new air filter. Even when he did, the filter was the wrong size and was a used/dirty filter. And now, we\'ve been living with cockroaches for over 9 months now. This cannot continue.
harassment | Case#**-*753
houston,
Texas -
77053
he is a person that doesn't have manners and respect for others treat people like there not humans and always want him to speak and he thinks its never his fault that he always have the rights and true... Well my mom paid him the rent for February he lost the money order and now hes charging my mom $900 i don't think that's right why charging her the late fees for the month of February when he lost the money order she paid on time + chagrin her more of what she supposed to paid for rent on February and every year making the rent to go up $10.
Infestation Of Bed Bugs | Case#**-*928
GRAND JCT,
CO -
81501 2605
After continuous attempts of asking the landlord/property management to handle our bed bug infestation nothing was completed. We now have doctor fees, prescription fees, and many other fees. We also are very uncomfortable and unable to stay at our own apartment. Loss of job is at hand also.
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.
Safety Issues/Slip and Fall/Burglary | Case#**-*473
Indianapolis,
Indiana -
46256
Since moving in, I've been harassed by complex contracted workers, followed to my apartment, threatened my lease has my name spelled incorrectly, I've been billed incorrectly from the start, management has changed, I've slipped and fallen on snow and ice covered roads and stairs 3 times, the final time resulting in me rushing to the hospital with a concussion. I receive almost daily notices on my door, every unit around me is under construction which I was not informed of when I moved in, they've attempted to evict me once already, my home was burglarized and everything of value was stolen, the complex charged me to change my locks, and now I want nothing more than to leave.
Landlord Wants To Evict Tenants Claiming That We Breached The Agreement | Case#**-*501
Lower Gwynedd Township,
Pennsylvania -
19002
Initially, we had a friendly and good relationship with our landlord, Fred, until January 6th, 2020. On this day, he handed Thomas Hupf Sr. a letter claiming that the tenants violated the terms of the lease, and this was his notice to quit the lease and file for eviction. This situation created tension, especially since we call him a lot to do repairs and work inside the rental. We have been good tenants by paying rent on time, minding our own business, and keeping the premises in good and clean condition.
Fred argues that we violated articles 8 and 12 of the lease. Fred’s logic is that the lights alter the landscape and the character of the neighborhood and premises, but there are no laws to support this communal belief among township residents. Article 8 of the lease has no legal relevance, because the lights are plug in lights that are not affixed to the house. Following this same logic, we are surprised that Fred personally and on behalf of the neighbors complained about our security cameras, which are also not affixed to the house.
Here is the main reason that we seek mediation: everyone argues that we are a neighborhood nuisance, which article 12 in the lease prohibits. According to our landlord, the zoning officer; everyone in the neighborhood, it’s harassment for us to have our lights. The reason why we have security lights in the first place is because there have been numerous trespassing, harassment, and theft issues from both neighbors and strangers alike. We have ample documentation, camera footage, and police reports. We didn’t bother telling Fred, since according to him, “there have never been any problems in this quiet and safe neighborhood before.” We believe Fred would see these issues as a problem that we brought to the neighborhood, and he would feel the solution is to get rid of us to make everyone happy.
In addition, Fred is not concerned about people constantly violating our right as tenants to quiet and peaceful enjoyment of the premises. The lease is governed, construed, and interpreted by through and under the Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We put up lighting as a measure to keep trespassers, thieves, and nosy neighbors at bay and off our property. We even told Fred that we have seen trespassers; we cooperated with the police on all issues. However, it is clear on March 11th, 2020, Fred’s only priority is to get rid of us and sell the property to make everyone happy at the cost of our peace, well-being; enjoyment.
Repair Issue | Case#**-*120
Houston,
Texas -
77036
For over a month my land lord has not fixed my air conditioner. I have proof it has not been working for over month now and she basically is telling me she is not going to fix it. My lease is up in 1 month and a half, by time I take it to court I will no longer be living there. I want reimbursement for my rent for the months I am being forced to stay there with no air, which some nights i cannot stay because the heat is unbearable. The home is inhabitable but yet I am paying rent. There are many corrupt things going on in this complex. Such as being charged different prices for an apartment but we are all being told we are receiving he upgraded unit. They all look exactly a like. Also there is way to enter the gate without a clicker. There is no keypad or phone dialing, You have to purchase a clicker for $25 or you wont be able to get in the gate. I am not understanding why I am being charged to have access to my own home. A clicker should be optional or included when you sign a lease. They are charging us for a pest fee i have never seen one spray especially not inside my apartment, when i moved in i showed them Roach build up that they tried to kilts over which they still haven\'t taken care of. and not to mention the cats that show up on your balcony and have their kittens, Cats basically own the complex. I need some help here.
Deposit Dispute 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 Me Get My Deposit Back?
As a tenant you have the right to get every penny of your deposit back. When you file a complaint through the Rental Protection Agency this starts a formal dispute resolution process in which the RPA will do everything in our power to see that your landlord promptly resolves your complaint. Landlords know that if they fail to cooperate with the RPA it can result in a negative public record that can make it hard for them to fill vacancies in the future.
Why is there a Filing Fee of $35
The $35 filing fee is the only required fee to process a complaint. The fee is required to help offset the cost of representing your complaint. The RPA complaint center is designed as a low cost legal solution for tenants and in most cases is more affordable than other legal options. Many tenants will compare the cost of filing a complaint to the cost of not filing a complaint. If you file a complaint and the problem is resolved will the solution be worth the cost of filing the complaint?
TIP: Don't forget, on the complaint form you can request that your landlord reimburse you for filing fee.
Most tenants file a complaint with the RPA to solve the problem such as getting a deposit refunded, or to get an unfair charge or deduction removed. However, some tenants file a complaint to report the landlord publicly as a warning to other tenants. When a complaint is filed against a landlord it will show up on their public record which is indexed by all major search engines. Filing a complaint is one way for tenants to stand up against bad landlords to warn future tenants about deposit problems they've had.
Does the RPA Guarantee to Solve My Deposit Refund Complaint?
We do guarantee to do everything in our power to solve each complaint that is filed. However, there are some situations where bad landlords fail to cooperate. The RPA can't force a landlord to comply if they refuse; but we can impact their public record which can make it difficult for them to find new tenants. We guarantee to represent the complaint and to create a public record against landlords that fail to resolve complaints.
Will My Name Show up Publicly?
No. After the complaint is closed and made public; your information (tenant name) is removed. During the complaint process your complaint can only be accessed through your case number and pin number. Both the landlord and tenant are assigned a pin number that is unique. The RPA protects tenant's privacy by blocking your name from the public record database. However, the record does show the landlord name.
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.
All 50 States have regulations that protect security deposits. In most cases the landlord is required to provide a refund within 30 days and must provide proof cost associated with charges or deductions against your deposit. Many states require the landlord to furnish copies of receipts for work completed. If you have a deposit refund dispute or feel your landlord is being unfair with your security deposit; you have rights. Filing a complaint is one of those rights.
