All Forum Posts by: Michelle Fox

If your security deposit is equal to one months rent do you have to pay 5% interest?
if you have an additional defined pet deposit do you have to pay 5% interest?
thank you !!!

1 Vote

Cleveland, Ohio

The only way this will change is a class action suit, otherwise the landlord will continue to pay and this is wrong!

0 Votes

Cleveland, Ohio

Insurance will not cover these kinds of issues.

0 Votes

Cleveland, Ohio

Quote from @Sergey A. Petrov:

Call them what you want but I’d be willing to bet they are not “testers”. The federal government doesn’t have the budget to go make new cases. It is overwhelmed with what is already active and the volume of incoming complaints. I speculate you came up on their radar somehow. Maybe somebody filed a complaint 6 months ago or a year ago and you are actually under an active investigation where they are gathering evidence as to your practices. And that “tester” is actually an investigator working the case. I am not an attorney by any means but wouldn’t “testers” be considered “entrapment”?

This is not a federal case. The charges are being brought in by The Fair Housing Resource Center. They state there was a tester at the property and a tester called.
they are a non profit organization. Yes definitely entrapment!

2 Votes

Cleveland, Ohio

Quote from @Corby Goade:

This is super common, my market is littered with testers, we get calls and walk throughs with them several times per month it seems. You have to know the laws and be VERY conservative in your answers. You can't charge a deposit for a service animal, just because you said it to a tester doesn't mean they can't come after you. It stinks, but as landlords, we have to know the laws and act accordingly.

Well I learned the hard way. A tester came out, said she had a service animal and I she said I asked for a deposit. They are charging us close to $10,000. The Fair Housing directors reason for that amount is for “diversion of charging party’s resources and “frustration of its mission.” If you contest this amount you are liable for all of their expenses and legal fees. So in other words there is no negotiation and you pay what they say! it’s a very expensive lesson.

1 Vote

Cleveland, Ohio

Quote from @Michelle Fox:

Quote from @Sergey A. Petrov:

All you have to do is stay in compliance yet we see so many posts that ask hypothetical what if questions and / or whether someone knows how well certain things are enforced in certain areas. This forum is intended for us to exchange information, network, learn best practices, and stay in compliance with applicable laws and regulations while leveraging the expertise of seasoned professionals that are a part of this community

We posted this information because I’m sure there are many people out there who don’t realize there are testers going around with the sole intention of getting you caught up in something that is not very well published or understood This is why I bring it up to the group. Especially if you only omen a few rental properties.

0 Votes

Cleveland, Ohio