FTC says it’s sending more than $47 million to renters who were deceived by Invitation Homes

ATLANTA — The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced it is sending more than $47 million in checks to renters who were deceived by Invitation Homes, one of the largest landlords in the country and one with a significant operating presence in metro Atlanta.

An 11Alive investigation almost a year ago followed the story off a Smyrna man, Patrick Colson-Price, whose dream rental spiraled into a struggle for accountability. He found shards of glass and construction debris underneath the soil at the home he’d moved into, raising serious concerns for Patrick, his wife and in particular their dogs.

RELATED: Smyrna man fights to hold Invitation Homes accountable for unsafe conditions

They made repeated requests for a cleanup, but the property manager never took care of it. His attempts to get answers from Invitation Homes repeatedly went unanswered.

His story was one of more than a thousand complaints that were filed just in Georgia against the property company. In 2024, the FTC sued Invitation Homes and later announced a $48 million settlement over allegations including “deceiving renters about lease costs, charging undisclosed junk fees, failing to inspect homes before residents moved in, and unfairly withholding tenants’ security deposits when they moved out.”

The FTC’s release Wednesday said money from that settlement will soon reach consumers’ pockets.

The agency said it’s sending more than 444,000 checks to eligible and impacted consumers who should be able to cash the checks within 90 days.

“Consumers who have questions about their payment should contact the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, Inc., at 800-804-6915 or by email at info@InvitationHomesRefund.com,” the release said.

It added that eligible consumers will include people who paid Invitation Homes $45 or more for covered fees or charges between January 2021 and September 2024. Anyone who has previously received a credit or refund from the property company are not eligible.

“In settling the FTC’s complaint, the company agreed to an order requiring it to turn over $48 million to be used to compensate consumers harmed by its actions,” the release explained. “The corporate landlord also was required to clearly disclose its leasing prices, establish policies and procedures to handle security deposit refunds fairly, and stop other unlawful behavior.”

The FTC said $47.2 million in all is being sent to consumers.