‘They’re trying to poke the bear,’ renter says as she’s hit with $3k in hidden fees – a city law ties her hands
A RENTER claimed she was unfairly charged over $3,000 in extra fees by her property management company.
ShaWayne Hodges, 40, complained about these supposedly hidden fees that have hit her on top of rising rent and utilities costs.
The mother-of-five said she received multiple charges for issues on her Vancouver, Washington, property, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Hodges said her property management company Zenith Properties NW has hit her with these fees that have ended up accumulating.
These have included a $125 charge for the state of her grass, following a drive-by inspection.
A notice reportedly said she broke the maintenance standards in her lease with “brown, long and dying grass on the front yards."
READ MORE ON RENTING
She added that she had also received a $125 charge for taping a piece of paper to her front door.
Zenith Properties NW defended itself and said these fees were in line with Washington’s Landlord-Tenant Act, in a statement to OPB.
“Our fees are in alignment with our local competitors. By signing the lease, the tenant agrees to all fees as disclosed in the lease,” Zenith added in the statement.
Despite this, the low-income mother argued against some of the fees she was sent.
Most read in The US Sun
Hodges claimed she was also charged for fixing plumbing and other maintenance problems she did not cause.
These fees have added up to $3,000 as of early August.
“It was almost like they were trying to poke the bear in order for me to move,” Hodges said.
“I work two jobs as it is right now. I pay everything that goes along with the bills and rent and child care for two kids and gas.”
The mother explained she was able to afford her rent with a federal program made to assist low-income families through housing choice vouchers.
LOCATION MATTERS
This has come as the city’s rent and utility costs have risen by nearly 40% since she moved to the property in July 2023.
I work two jobs as it is right now. I pay everything that goes along with the bills and rent and child care for two kids and gas."
ShaWayne Hodges
Other neighboring areas like Oregon and Seattle, Washington, have strict laws and even bans against certain fees.
For example, Oregon has limited the amount landlords can charge residents for these extra costs.
Some of these fees, like the noncompliance and notice delivery charges Hodges has faced, are not regulated in Washington State.
The mother took drastic action and decided to move out of the home in July and take her children to Georgia, where her father lives.
“Here, me being a single mom, it’s just, it’s not — I can’t do it anymore,” she said.
Read More on The US Sun
“I’m done treading water. I need to thrive.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Zenith Properties NW for comment.