There are currently more than 115 million people renting apartments or homes in the U.S. – more than 35 percent of the population. That's a lot of people living in rental spaces in close proximity to others, which means that complaints are bound to arise. At some point, you'll probably have to seek help from the landlord.
Problems will come up, and when they do, the landlord or management company should take care of them. This is true for any type of complaint, whether it's something that's a major inconvenience (like a repair/repairs the landlords just won't handle) or something that's completely against the law. But how do you explain your concerns in a way that gets results? The answer to that often lies in the details.
It's always nice to talk it out but some things need a report in writing. This is especially true when the recipient is someone you make your rent payment to. It's always best to cover your bases when money is involved.
There are many valid, even necessary, reasons to write a complaint letter to the landlord, whether you live in a house or apartment. Here are a few of the most common reasons for a formal letter to a landlord:
The best rule of thumb is to send a complaint letter to your landlord about anything that's out of your control as the tenant and outlines the responsibility of the property manager. No one wants to get the law involved and a quick complaint letter to the landlord will probably keep that from happening.
While you can't expect everyone to live life the same way you do, you can require those around you to act respectfully. As a result, you may encounter certain situations you can't reconcile on your own. For example, if your attempt to inform them via polite texts or attempts to talk it out in the hallway fails, it's time for an official written complaint letter to the landlord.
Oftentimes, tenants aren't aware they're being too noisy, so it's a good idea to inform them of the issue before writing a complaint. If that doesn't help or the noise goes on late into the night, it's time to take more serious action and let your landlord know what's going on with the tenants. Keep a journal full of details for the landlord.
Some tenants show little respect for others. Examples include leaving articles of trash outside in the hall, littering and parking in your spot. Take pictures of the evidence and document the details, like date, time, amount of trash, etc.
It's a good idea to give them the benefit of the doubt and bring the example to their attention before taking it to property management. Or, other tenants might be inconsiderate people, which is why a landlord can step in to help.
Alerting management to an issue with your neighbors through a complaint letter to the landlord automatically gives you the proof you've tried to handle the problem. Should the issue escalate, you can show you took every action possible through previous contact thanks to the paper trail.
In order to submit a complaint letter that will get results, make sure you're clear about the issue and your expectations. A professional complaint letter to landlords should include:
If the grievance is significant enough, send the letter to the landlords by certified mail and (nicely) threaten to withhold rent or take legal action if ignored.
To further guarantee your complaint gets the attention it deserves, make sure you're in good standing with your landlord. If you're not up-to-date on your rent, send in that check, then put your grievance in writing. Additionally, double-check your lease to ensure the issue you're filing a complaint about is actually management's responsibility.
Next, let's review a sample complaint letter with an easy-to-edit template that the landlord will take seriously.
If you don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel by writing a letter to your landlord from scratch, here's a downloadable sample complaint letter. Simply fill in the information in the template for sections in parentheses ( ). This example letter to a landlord deals specifically with issues related to neighbors, but you can edit it to address different tenant problems, such as maintenance or repair problems. Hold onto a copy in case legal action becomes necessary.
(Your Name)
(Current Address of Your Apartment, Unit #)
(City, State, Zip Code)
(Landlord or Apartment Company's Name)
(Address as Printed on Your Lease)
(City, State, Zip Code)
Re: (Short statement of the issue, such as Noise Complaint; Trash in the Hallway; etc.)
Dear (Name of landlord or manager),
Please accept this written complaint as notice of an issue that (has arisen/has been ongoing) with my neighbors in (neighbor's apartment number). I formally request your help in dealing with this problem. On (date), the tenant violated their lease agreement by (list infraction details here). I am happy to provide additional details on the infraction(s) upon further request.
To date, I have taken the following actions to amicably resolve the matter:
These previous attempts to resolve the problem with the other tenant have been unsuccessful and this issue is directly affecting me by (state the impact this situation is having on you, for example, health problems, loss of sleep, litter, peace of mind, etc.) To resolve this issue, I'd like you to get in touch with (neighbor's name/the residents of unit XX) and facilitate a resolution.
I'm hoping we can resolve this issue on or before (set a specific date that's reasonable, maybe a week out). Please provide a response by then.
Should you need to reach me to discuss this further, please contact me at (call/email) at (insert phone or email based on preference for communication). Please respond promptly with a plan of action as to how you plan to deal with the tenant issues/repairs/maintenance/other problem. I hope we can handle this matter quickly.
(Your Name and Signature)
(Apartment Number)
(Phone Number or Email Address)
What do you do if nothing happens after you've submitted your complaint letter to the landlord and followed up? Unfortunately, this is a sign that you're not being taken seriously. There are other options to consider if your landlord or apartment company doesn't respond.
Make sure you let your landlord know you're prepared to take these alternative steps. Be polite and professional when you communicate to keep everything above board.
Use of a template letter to file a complaint to your landlord or management company can help move you to a quick resolution of your issue, whether it has to do with overdue repairs that you long ago requested or a major issue with a neighbor.
