With more corporate investors controlling metro Atlanta housing, researchers call for legal protections – CBS News

With more corporate investors controlling metro Atlanta housing, researchers call for legal protections  CBS News

Ethan Vuley began renting his Southeast Atlanta home in 2023, but since moving in, he says he's dealt with flooding issues in his basement. Incident reports from his landlord, Invitation Homes, one of the largest owners of single-family rental homes in the United States, reveal the problem as a structural issue. After dozens of calls, Vuley says the landlord sent multiple contractors to his home. "They've dug up the yard. They put this thing in," Vuley says, referring to a pipe in the wall. "One group of people…"But he says he struggles to get in touch with representatives for Invitation Homes in metro Atlanta who can fix the problem, and the basement continues to flood.

Vuley says he's dealt with what he describes as poor customer service, maintenance fees he's had to dispute, and rising rental fees. "I think the most I've ever paid was about $2,600, $2,700 in a month for a place that, when I signed up, was $1,800 a month less than three years ago," Vuley said. "I have to be more budget conscious and can't do as many fun things with my children. It really, truly does affect my way of life." Georgia State University researcher and graduate teaching assistant Ryan Pardue is examining the impact Invitation Homes and others are having on renters in metro