Hawthorne Residential Partners Lawsuit: Explore the latest status, key allegations, legal updates, and potential impacts.
Many renters in the southeastern U.S. are aware of the lawsuit against Hawthorne Residential Partners (HRP). Hawthorne is a large property management company in Greensboro, North Carolina, having thousands of apartment units in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee.
Tenants have complained about the charging of undisclosed fees, the improper management of security deposits, the ignoring of maintenance, and the violation of the rights of tenants. While these complaints have no legal bearing, the increasing frequency of complaints, viewed through the lens of Behavioral Law as indicators of recurring organizational conduct and tenant perceptions, have led to the filing of lawsuits against the company in different states and increased the focus on the company’s modus operandi.
Who is Hawthorne Residential Partners?
Hawthorne Residential Partners manages a variety of apartment communities, and includes student housing and family housing. As they have many thousands of rental units, the frequent and increased complaints by tenants of different apartments have led to a heightened focus on Hawthorne Residential Partners.
The complaints against Hawthorne are mostly about undisclosed fees, poor and delayed maintenance, and security deposit disputes. These concurrent complaints are the cause of the legal issues that Hawthorne Residential Partners is facing.
Why Are Tenants Suing?
The lawsuits detail several complaints that relate to the following:
Undisclosed, or Hidden, Fees
Hawthorne inconvenienced some tenants by charging so-called “administrative fees,” “service charges,” or “undisclosed rent increases” that were not mentioned anywhere in the lease. Some lawsuits bring forth complaints of unjustified large (of the order of several hundred dollars) rent increases.
Disputes Over Security Deposits
In some cases, tenants of Hawthorne have complained that their security deposits were either inappropriately reduced, or were not refunded at all. Typical complaints include “unfair” extrapolated cleaning charges, and charges for so-called “normal wear and tear.”
Maintenance Neglect
Tenants describe many unresolved maintenance issues such as mold, leaks, broken appliances, and HVAC failure, infestations, and hazardous conditions. Many describe requests for maintenance as being ignored or as having been left pending for long periods.
Habitability Concerns
In the most egregious cases, tenants describe the lack of heat and threatening conditions and severe maintenance problems as making their apartments uninhabitable.
Fair Housing Allegations
A Georgia federal lawsuit states Hawthorne declined to make a reasonable accommodation to a tenant with a disability, possibly violating the Fair Housing Act.
Tenants believe the issues described do not consist of one-time errors but demonstrate a systemic approach to property management across many of their properties.
Lawsuit Timeline
2018 – 2022: Preliminary Complaints
Tenants began to post complaints on the internet using a variety of means: social media, forums, consumer complaints. The most common complaints were about maintenance problems, challenges to the return of security deposits, and various out-of-the-blue fees.
2023: First Complaints
Some tenants filed individual complaints. One notable case from North Carolina countered illegal eviction related fees, and a class-action lawsuit required Hawthorne stop the fee and refund the tenants.
2024: Further Complaints
- More lawsuits were filed in several states.
- Florida tenants claimed unfair lease practices and discrimination. That case was settled privately.
- A South Carolina case described safety concerns about that particular property.
- Further cases were filed in Georgia and other places.
January 2025: Federal Fair Housing Complaint
The case of Jehramyus v. Hawthorne Residential Partners, LLC is a prominent federal lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Georgia. The case describes Fair Housing Act violations concerning a lack of disability accommodations.
2025–2026: Ongoing Litigation
Lawyers will still be filing claims across more states. Dialogues around class certification and case consolidation progress. Experts expect these legal battles will span multiple years.
Main Allegations
We can identify a few major common complaints across many of the statements and lawsuits.
1. Unauthorized Fees and Rent Overcharges
Many renters state that they were charged fees that were not disclosed nor authorized in their lease agreements.
2. Deductions from Security Deposits
Numerous renters state that security deposit deductions were delayed and that the amounts were not justified.
3. Deteriorating Services
Many people voiced issues with services in the buildings such as ongoing mold, plumbing issues, HVAC, broken appliances, and pest infestations.
4. Lease and Notice Violations
Some customers state that Hawthorne charged fees that local ordinances do not allow and/or failed to give the legally required notices about rent increases and enforcement of lease obligations.
5. Fair Housing Issues
The federal lawsuit in Georgia claims that the company did not comply with federal law when they failed to offer a reasonable accommodation to this tenant with a disability.
Legal Claims Being Raised
The lawsuits initiated by the renters have multiple legal theories that they rest on.
Breach of Contract
If a landlord charges a fee that was not authorized or does not keep the building in the state required by the lease, a tenant may claim that there has been a breach of contract.
Unjust Enrichment
The claim states that Hawthorne benefited by charging fees and keeping security deposits which they were not entitled to.
Consumer Protection Claims
Numerous states have laws against offering services that are not in compliance with laws and that are not in good faith. It is claimed that some fees and policies were in violation of these laws.
Violations of the Fair Housing Act
Landlords are required by law to offer reasonable accommodations to those tenants with disabilities. When a landlord is found to be in violation, they must pay damages and are required to change their policies.
Violations of the Landlord-Tenant Statute
Some of the lawsuits stem from the violation of state laws regarding the notice to quit, the notice and demand for rent, the requirements for accepting a deposit, and the requirements for maintaining a rental unit.
These are still claims and have not been proven in court or been settled.
Is This A Class Action?
Partly.
One of the North Carolina cases was a class action, and the result was a class action settlement for eviction-related fees. Most of the other lawsuits are individual lawsuits.
A class action must be approved by the court in order for a large group of tenants to sue as a class. The attorneys for the tenants are requesting class certification for these lawsuits, but there is no approval of a class action for the entire country.
If class actions are certified, it is likely that tenants will be able to claim a portion of the settlement or judgment.
Current Status
As of mid-2026, there are still ongoing lawsuits with no resolution for the country as a whole.
Georgia Federal Case
The Fair Housing Act lawsuit from January 2025 is still ongoing.
State Cases
- North Carolina: The class action was successful regarding eviction-related fees.
- Florida: The case was resolved with a confidential settlement.
- South Carolina: The lawsuit is still ongoing and is being heard in the state court.
Discovery
The parties are in the discovery phase and are collecting evidence including maintenance records, lease agreements, company emails, deposit slips, and other internal company documents.
Potential Consolidation
Some legal experts are predicting that the federal suits will be consolidated and treated as a multi-district litigation (MDL). This has not been done as of yet.
What This Means For Tenants
Current and potential tenants should know that a lawsuit, in and of itself, has no bearing on your lease or housing status. The incidents encourage individuals to protect their rights.
LEASE REVIEW
Check for hidden fees and for your landlord’s obligations to maintain your unit.
KEEP DOCUMENTS
Maintain copies of your lease, receipts, requests, emails, and all other written or recorded communications.
COMMUNICATE IN WRITING
Maintain written communication with your landlord. If a disagreement arises, written correspondence may be your best support.
KNOW THE CLOCK
Every state has a deadline for civil claims relating to landlord issues, fees, and missing your maintenance requests.
STAY AWARE
Keep an eye on the news and legal resources and advocacy organizations for any updates on the case.
FAQs
Q. Is Hawthorne Residential Partners being sued?
Yes. Numerous suits have been filed covering issues from tenants being charged hidden fees to unsatisfactory maintenance and violating the Fair Housing Act.
Q. Is there a class action?
Some lawsuits have been filed as class actions while others have been filed as singular actions. One North Carolina case is a class action, while others are not.
Q. Could tenants win money?
The lawsuits could compel Hawthorne to return fees, pay tenant’s damages, pay rent, or change their business practices, but the suit has not set a specific amount.
Q. Does this mean every Hawthorne property has issues?
No. These lawsuits cover specific allegations for specific properties, but severe issues have been reported at several properties.
Q. Has Hawthorne accepted guilt?
No. Hawthorne is like every other defendant in these lawsuits and has denied guilt and is defending these lawsuits.
Q. What should tenants do if they have issues?
Maintain a thorough record of the issue and all communications, reach out to tenant support organizations, and seek legal counsel.
Conclusion
- The lawsuits against Hawthorne Residential Partners demonstrate the need for increased accountability in housing regarding tenant rights, transparency, maintenance, and housing at large.
- With the number of complaints and lawsuits growing, there is significant increased focus on the company, even if the complaints have not been fully addressed.
- The most important lessons for future tenants are simple. Know your lease, document everything, and know your rights.
- While the lawsuits are ongoing, future rulings or settlements could determine the approach and response of other large property management companies throughout the country in relation to fees, deposits, maintenance, and tenant protections.
