Yesterday, three Philadelphia residents of Bentley Manor, a large apartment complex in West Oak Lane, filed a class action lawsuit against Odin Properties LLC, one of Philadelphia’s largest landlords that is believed to own or manage over 1,500 apartments in the city, and the related companies that own and operate the building.
Four months ago, Bentley Manor was designated “unsafe” by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I). In a notice to the landlord, L&I stated that the “unsafe structure” posed “immediate danger or hazard to health safety and welfare” due to dangerous conditions, including “loose and missing bricks” and a “leaning parapet.” In the months since, the lawsuit alleges, Odin has illegally collected rent in violation of city laws while tenants have lived in those unsafe conditions.
The named plaintiffs—a Philadelphia police officer, a SEPTA transit operator, and a grandmother with disabilities—are represented by the Public Interest Law Center and Hausfeld in the lawsuit, which comes after months of organizing by Odin tenants and OnePA Renters United Philadelphia (RUP). Last June, Odin tenants affiliated with RUP delivered a 450-signature petition to Odin demanding that they improve living conditions at Bentley Manor and other properties.
Dawn Colbourne, a RUP member and one of the named plaintiffs, moved into Bentley Manor in 2023 expecting a safe home. Instead, she found leaking around her window, flickering electricity and electrical outages, mold growth in the hallway, and a lack of security due to the building’s non-latching front door.
“We all deserve a safe place to live, no matter who we are or what road we’ve travelled to get here,” said Ms. Colbourne. “These landlord companies are quick to file an eviction when a tenant doesn’t pay rent, so it’s only fair that we hold landlords accountable when they don’t do what they’re supposed to do.”
Philadelphia law prohibits a landlord from collecting rent if the landlord fails to correct a serious L&I violation within 30 days. The plaintiffs here allege that Odin has continued to charge, demand, and collect rent each month, even as the building remained in unsafe status. With this lawsuit, on behalf of the proposed class of tenants, plaintiffs are seeking a refund of illegally collected rent and late fees, a court order enforcing Philadelphia law, and injunctive relief requiring that the defendant companies make Bentley Manor safe.
“One of Philadelphia’s biggest landlords has let a building sit in unsafe status for months, collecting rent along the way,” said Madison Gray, staff attorney at the Law Center. “The tenants are sending a clear message: landlords must follow the law or face consequences.”
“Hausfeld applauds these tenants for their tenacity, bravery, and sacrifice to protect not just their own rights, but also those of their neighbors and all renters in Philadelphia,” said Jeannine Kenney of Hausfeld. “We look forward to helping them win that fight.”
In addition to this lawsuit, tenants and advocates are calling on city officials to hold corporate landlords like Odin accountable. On February 27, RUP launched its Safe, Healthy Homes Campaign, calling for a pilot proactive inspection program, greater protections for tenants living in unsafe buildings like Bentley Manor, and increased funding for L&I to address the City’s housing safety crisis.
“I know for a fact that some corporate landlords make a quick buck without solving problems properly,” said Tyrone Jones, a former Odin renter and a leader with RUP, which began organizing Odin tenants last summer. “That is exactly why we launched our Safe Healthy Homes campaign to demand a pilot proactive inspection program through L&I that would include stronger enforcement of consequences for landlords who do not follow the legal guidelines to keep tenants safe.”
For more information on the lawsuit and campaign, visit www.pubintlaw.org and www.rentersunitedphiladelphia.org.
Read the full complaint here: https://pubintlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Odin-25.3.13-Complaint.pdf.
