I have rented my home from Homes 4 Lease for roughly 10 years. I have always paid my rent on time…read moreand recently renewed for another year. My experience had generally been acceptable. They have usually responded when something breaks, although I have seen little proactive or preventive maintenance.
On July 9, I reported that the built-in blinds in my front patio door had stopped functioning, along with deteriorated weather stripping on that door and improperly sized weather stripping on the garage door.
This is the entrance I use as my front door. It opens directly onto my front patio facing the street and mailbox. Packages are delivered there. From my kitchen, I normally keep the blinds tilted open for natural light, to see the porch and street while cooking, and to see who is at the door.
The blinds no longer open at all. The tilt control does nothing. They also hang off-kilter, are difficult to raise and lower, and leave an uncovered gap near the top even when closed.
On July 10, the original maintenance man called first thing in the morning and said he could stop by in about 30 minutes. I work from home and schedule calls in the morning, so I could not accommodate an unscheduled visit on that little notice. I called him back around 11 a.m. with no answer, then texted around 3 p.m. asking to schedule a time that worked for both of us. When I did not hear back, I called Homes 4 Lease and asked to schedule a time. A contentious text exchange followed (attached). Homes 4 Lease ultimately sent a plumber instead.
The plumber inspected the blinds and weather stripping. I then heard nothing for almost two weeks. Homes 4 Lease informed me on July 28 that the owner did not think replacement was necessary because there were two windows next to what they described as the "back door." I responded with photos explaining that this is my primary entrance and that functioning blinds matter for normal use, privacy and visibility.
I sent a formal repair request by certified mail. On July 30, Homes 4 Lease emailed: "The owner has approved the blinds to be repaired or replaced."
The plumber returned on August 5 and attempted a makeshift workaround using a separate set of external blinds mounted on the outside of the door. Their plan was apparently to remove the existing blinds from inside the failed sealed module and then install the external blinds over the glass. Once the door was disassembled, they discovered that the built-in blinds could not simply be removed from the module, so the workaround was not possible. The weather stripping they brought was also the wrong size. After another service visit, nothing had been repaired. I was then told the correct replacement blinds module would be ordered.
Another week and a half passed with no update. When I followed up again, I was told the plumber had reported that the blinds "actually work" because they can technically be raised and lowered.
Yes, they can be raised with difficulty, but doing so fully exposes the glass and eliminates privacy. The control to open/tilt the blinds does not work. I normally keep them open so the door provides natural light, a view of the porch and street, and the ability to see who is at the door or delivering packages. None of that functionality is currently available.
I requested a complete copy of my original lease agreement on July 29. As of August 17, I have received no response.
This issue has been carefully documented and I am reviewing my options under the lease and Oklahoma law. The relevant correspondence is attached, including the text exchanges, and a video walkthrough so prospective tenants can see the condition and timeline for themselves.
Had I known that getting landlord-supplied built-in blinds restored to normal operation would become this prolonged and adversarial, I would not have renewed my lease.
I really like my home and neighborhood, but I do not intend to renew again when my current term ends. I would advise prospective tenants to carefully consider how maintenance decisions may be handled once you are already under lease.
