How to File a Complaint Against Illegal Construction

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Apartment complexes can sometimes offer great amenities, but what happens when these amenities aren't working or your property management company isn't providing proper maintenance? If you encounter a situation in your building that needs to be addressed and it's impacting your quality of living, here's when and how you can file a complaint.

Situations in which you might file a complaint against an apartment complex

When you're an applicant or a renter at an apartment complex, you may face issues in your unit and feel the need to file a formal complaint. Some of these situations may include:

• Harassment or invasion of privacy by the landlord, property management team, or maintenance staff
• Violating state landlord-tenant laws or federal Fair Housing laws
• Breaching of lease terms and rental policies
• Unfair termination of your lease
• Failure to abide by the state's implied warranty of habitability
• Failure or refusal to repair necessary features of a rental unit, such as plumbing, HVAC, appliances, structural integrity issues, etc.
• Failure or refusal to address health and safety issues in public spaces
• Failure to disclose issues that cause significant health issues
• Refusal to rightfully recover all or a rightful portion of a security deposit after moving out
• Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, familial status, etc.
• Unfair denial of rental application
• Unfair withholding or handling of a security deposit or rental application fee

How to file a complaint against an apartment complex

If you're ready to file a complaint, there are steps you can take. Please note, this article should not replace professional legal advice, and you should always consult a lawyer before taking legal action. Here are some of the steps you can take to effectively file a complaint against an apartment complex:

Contact the property management company

Perhaps your issue is with a maintenance staff member or property management team member. In this case, you could speak to the property manager about the issue. If your issue is not resolved or is about the property manager, you might reach out to the company headquarters via email, phone call, regular mail, or comment or complaint form through their website.

While any of these options are fine for initial contact about an issue, it may be better to have the company's formal response to the complaint in writing. That means two of your best options for lodging a complaint are through a formal written letter mailed to the headquarters or an email.

File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD is responsible for ensuring all citizens have equal access to safe, habitable housing, and that includes rentals. You can file a complaint against a landlord who owns an apartment complex or a property management company through the HUD website. This complaint resource allows you to report unsafe housing conditions and landlords who do not take care of the units or buildings they rent out, leaving unsightly properties around town.

Specific issues you can (and should) report to HUD include:

• On-site safety issues with the property
• Safety issues or concerns about the property manager or landlord
• Fraud
• Poor management
• Health hazards
• Unfairly withheld security deposit
• Discrimination during the application process or while living in the rental

File with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)

The BBB uses ratings and reviews to showcase a company's trustworthiness in the industry and with consumers. Property management companies know that a BBB rating can be an important determining factor when a prospective renter, vendor, or employee is making a decision to do business with them. Therefore, many companies take their BBB ratings very seriously. You might consider filing a complaint with the BBB to put pressure on the property management company to resolve your issue.

Register a complaint with an industry ethics organization

Property management companies often get registered with a national industry organization to showcase their trustworthiness to potential renters. These possible clients can refer to the organization's website to better understand the quality of service the property management company upholds. The National Association of Residential Property Managers is one organization with which you can register a complaint against a property company. This organization takes all complaints to the Board of Directors, who determines whether or not the company adhered to the organization's ethical standards.

Lodge a complaint with a city housing or rental department

You can also call, write to, or fill out a complaint form with a local government department in the city in which the property is located. Here are some departments you might consider contacting, based on your situation:

• Human rights department: You would file a complaint with this department if you feel you were discriminated against based on your race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, etc.
• Construction services: Contact this department if there are structural issues in your building the landlord or property management company has refused to address or waited too long to fix.
• Housing: Some large cities have a housing department where you can file a complaint about unfair housing, poor management, and other similar issues.

Know your rights, and consider legal action if necessary

Review your state and local laws, and consider speaking with a legal professional. You can consult a laywer at any stage in the complaint process for advice and insight on how to approach these situations with sensitivity and caution.

Knowing what does and doesn't constitute a formal complaint can ensure that you follow the right protocols and register your complaint with the right agency. This makes sure that your negative experience is documented with the right agency or other powers that be. Although having negative experiences with an apartment complex or landlord can be discouraging and challenging, these situations do provide you with lessons that you can learn from.

How to File a Complaint Against Illegal Construction

Source: https://www.zumper.com/blog/how-to-file-a-complaint-against-an-apartment-complex/

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