Location: Texas

Hi everyone — I really need help or guidance because this situation has followed me for years and has suddenly become a huge problem.

Back in 2022, during my senior year in college, I rented a house with five other girls through a big realty company. We always paid rent on time and never had major issues while living there. But when we moved out, the landlord sent us a list of charges that made absolutely no sense.

Here are a few examples:

• They charged us for carpet cleaning… but the house didn’t have ANY carpet.

Not a single room had carpet. It was all hardwood or tile.

• They charged us for “missing mattresses,” but THEY removed those mattresses at the very beginning of the lease.

We literally watched them take the mattresses out. They weren’t missing — they were removed by the company.

• They never provided any photos or invoices. Just a move-out checklist that they could've checked everything off from!!

We disputed the charges through email (using our school emails), but after a couple exchanges they completely ghosted us. No explanations, no evidence — nothing. Instead of responding, they just sent the account to a collection agency (NAR, Inc.).

The collection amount is $1,690.19.

At the time, it didn’t impact my ability to get apartments or a car, so I honestly didn’t pursue it further.

Then I moved to Texas this year — and that’s where everything blew up.

Now I’m being denied apartments because the collection shows up as unpaid “landlord debt.”

Multiple complexes have told me they can’t rent to me unless this gets cleared or removed. I can’t get any place under my name, and it’s starting to put my life on hold.

So I recently tried to formally dispute the debt with the collection agency. I explained:

• the house had no carpet
• the landlord removed the mattresses
• we were never given any proof of damages

Their response?

They rejected my dispute as “invalid” and “frivolous”… but still didn’t provide ANY documentation to support the charges.

Unfortunately, our school emails are now deactivated, so I don’t have copies of the original exchanges with the landlord either.

I’m stuck. What can I do?

I’m trying to understand:

• Do these charges violate Illinois landlord-tenant law?
• Can the collection agency legally reject my dispute without showing evidence?
• How do I force them to validate the debt?
• Should I file a CFPB complaint?
• Can I recover my old university emails for proof?
• Is there a way to get this removed from my credit so I can finally rent an apartment in Texas?

I’m totally willing to pay the amount if I actually owed it, but being charged for “carpet cleaning” when the home had zero carpet feels insane.

Any advice, next steps, or legal direction would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you to anyone who reads this.