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Aetna Properties faces a costly dispute
What began with a damaged outlet became a reminder that small rental disputes can carry consequences. Portland renter Jonah Spring reported the problem to Aetna Properties days before Christmas 2024, and an electrician later replaced the damaged outlet.
Spring said the electrician attributed the damaged outlet to aging wiring, but Aetna Properties later passed the $287 repair bill to him. Spring refused to pay, saying he had only used the outlet for an alarm clock.
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Aetna Properties raises the rent
After the dispute over the $287 charge, Aetna Properties raised Spring and Sternett’s monthly rent by $100. The company later denied that the increase was retaliation and said market rents and the timing of their previous increase explained the change.
Spring believed the increase was punishment for disputing the repair bill. Aetna Properties denied that explanation, saying nearby units rented for more and the tenants had gone 18 months without an increase before that point.
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Aetna Properties loses before a jury
Spring and his fiancée, Lindsey Sternett, sued Aetna Properties under Oregon’s landlord retaliation law, arguing that the rent increase followed a good-faith complaint about the repair charge. A jury agreed that the company had retaliated against them after the repair dispute…