Location: MA
Currently on the last month of a lease with my wife and was rejected for a new lease in a different state because our current landlord sent a bill to collections that we never should have been charged for. Long story short:
- We have lived at the same apartment complex for 3-4 years and currently on the last month of our lease. We recently applied for a new lease and was denied due to an erroneous charge our LL decided to send straight to collections.
- Last year we moved to a new unit within the same complex.
- Previous unit had a pipe burst which caused over $3k in personal property damage and is well documented with our renters insurance and on site maintenance.
- Landlord erroneously charges us for the carpet damage and sends the bill straight to collections.
- When we moved apartments within the same complex we were locked out of our payment portal for the old unit. We were never notified in any way shape or form until a collections letter arrived which we promptly paid. We had previously reached out multiple times via email to confirm there was no past due amount. (you would think they would have sent a bill in the mail since they know exactly where we live or apply the charge to our new online payment portal but they just sent it straight to collections).
- Turns out this was an error and they owe us over $400 which they have paid, but they are not responding to a request from Experian Rental to provide a “move out letter” or “Ledger” which would clear this blemish from my wife’s credit report and allow us to be approved for a new lease. I have repeatedly asked them to address this urgent issue and they are not helping. We feel that we have done everything in our power to get this taken care of and we will not be approved for a new lease anywhere due to this issue.
- What can we do?
Short: LL mistakenly sent a bill to collections without notifying us. Admitted they were in the wrong and that we are actually owed over $400 (which has been paid), and now they will not comply with requests from Experian Rental to provide the necessary documentation to clear this from my wifes otherwise unblemished credit report which is preventing us from securing a new lease and we are on the last month of our current lease.