Hi out there,

My property management just sent out lease renewal letters. They are now requiring people to pay an additional $25 per month ("payable with rent") for a "Resident Benefits Package" by a company called Second Nature.

This "package" provides a bunch of services that I do not want or need, such as "utility concierge" (I already have utilities signed up), "Resident Rewards" (unspecified what these "rewards" will be), and Home Buying Assistance (I am looking to buy a house in the next few years but sure as hell don't trust this program to help me with it).

Other features include services that we already have and/or landlords are required to provide - a maintenance request system and an online portal.

I looked this company up and they are bragging about how they will increase profits for landlords/prop mgmt companies by $120/year. So it sounds like the prop mgmt is basically trying to charge me for services I don't want and didn't ask for, and charge me extra money that is not rent for services they are legally required to provide (a maintenance system) - all while making money off of me for it!

What is my legal recourse here? I want to send them a letter saying this is a f***ing joke and I'm not paying it. In the past when I have pointed out illegal things they were doing, they often just ignore me, and I don't have the money for a lawyer. There is a legal assistance organization I can contact, so I guess that's my next step. But I thought I'd ask here if anyone else has faced this and what your experience was, or if anyone with legal expertise can weigh in.