Landlord Tenant Question

[Liberty Kenyon]

Colleague used property manager to manage large apartment complex. Property manager engaged in harassment of tenants, and failed to enforce maintenance taking care of property. Trash not collected for months at a time, dumpsters overflowing. Trash attracted pests: rats, mice, **** roaches. Inside apartments and on grounds. Fire alarms going off 24 hours a day, maintenance entering tenants apartments randomly without consent, appliances not working for months at a time, no lights in particular apartments for months at a time. Some tenants have vacated, without paying, in accordance with state law, for breach of contract by landlord. Landlord reported accounts to collections. Tenants have still not paid. What are options for payment for landlord? Is reporting to collections illegal, based on breach of contract? If so, what are possible repercussions? 

Thank you

[Theresa Harris]

If the PM failed to take care of the place and all of the other stuff, you're lucky if all that happened is the tenants left without paying rent.  The PM clearly should be reported to the licensing board.  Get a competent person in charge and get the building back in order. Apologize to the tenants that are there and let them know this will not happen again.