Progress Residential is a major real estate company owned by a private equity group. The company is now the largest single-family rental provider in the United States, with over 85,000 rental properties, including over 10,599 homes in Georgia, according to data from a 2023 report. Progress Residential was the subject of a mass lawsuit alleging negligence, resulting in a settlement of over $2 million in restitution to current and former tenants who suffered harm due to delayed repairs of dangerous conditions.
While rental properties are an essential aspect of housing for Georgia families, Progress Residential is accused of buying up properties in mass, including homes that would otherwise become “starter homes,” thereby removing home-ownership opportunities for working families in metro areas such as Atlanta. Few individual buyers can compete with a large company that can quickly snatch up single-family homes by paying cash.
Even more alarming, Better Business Bureau (BBB) reviewers describe their experiences renting from Progress Residential as “atrocious,” “a nightmare,” and “fraudulent.” One BBB reviewer stated that they wouldn’t recommend Progress Residential to their “worst enemy.”
Progress Residential is the subject of 1,798 Better Business Bureau complaints, in addition to hundreds of negative reviews. One Progress Residential tenant in Atlanta was served with an eviction notice and became the subject of a lawsuit for unpaid rent after being repeatedly and inexplicably locked out of the portal used to pay her rent and after the company returned her unopened checks to her.
Many complaints about Progress Residential allege the misrepresentation of home conditions, internal communication conflicts, and unjust practices. For example, a news report highlights one case in which a Progress Residential resident was charged a $150 late fee after accidentally being one cent short on a rent payment.
Property owners have a legal duty of care to those who lawfully enter their properties, including tenants, visitors, delivery personnel, and repair workers. Unfortunately, when property owners, including mega-companies Progress Residential, cut corners, fail to promptly address repair problems, or perform improper, incomplete repairs, the results can be harm to tenants, including property damage and personal injury losses. Common dangerous conditions and complaints against Progress Residential noted by lawyers handling premises liability lawsuits in Atlanta, GA include the following:
When property owners fail to provide adequate, timely maintenance and repairs, accidents such as slip-and-fall incidents, stairway accidents, ceiling collapses, balcony collapses, and structural fires may cause serious injuries, leaving the property owner liable for damages.
Property owners, including major real estate investment companies like Progress Residential, have a legal obligation to maintain safe premises. Proving liability requires evidence demonstrating the following:
Premises liability lawsuits against property owners like Progress Residential not only seek compensation for property damage arising from plumbing leaks, fires, and mold, but also seek personal injury-related damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering.
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