Several Beaumont renters say they've spent months chasing their landlord, ReFresh LLC, for repairs that never came — broken water heaters, air conditioners that can't keep up with the Texas heat, mice, and leaks that soaked through ceilings and kitchen floors. Some tenants say they're done waiting and plan to move out of their homes entirely.
The complaints, first detailed by KFDM, span multiple ReFresh LLC properties across the city. One tenant told the station she lived with mice, water entering through her windows, and a leaking air conditioner during her two years in the home. She said her water heater still isn't working, and that going without hot water for nearly a month is unsafe for her children. According to KFDM, she relayed the igniter problem to her landlord, and a CenterPoint inspection later found the water heater's igniter simply wasn't working — but ReFresh LLC failed to send anyone to fix it.
Sweltering Homes And Failed Inspections
Another tenant reported her home reached temperatures around 80 to 85 degrees even with the air conditioner running constantly, per the same account, and said the problem has dragged on for months without resolution. A separate tenant said a sliding back door at her property failed an inspection and still hasn't been repaired. Several renters say they contacted ReFresh LLC repeatedly by phone, text and email about the issues without getting anywhere.
A former tenant told the station she dealt with water leaking from her ceiling and pooling under her kitchen sink, and eventually paid for an air-conditioning repair out of her own pocket rather than keep waiting. She said the repeated problems changed how she approached dealing with her landlord going forward. A fourth woman said she's watched other women she knows struggle to get answers from ReFresh LLC, though she said she would personally respond to tenants in a timely manner.
What The City Says It Can — And Can't — Do
City of Beaumont Code Enforcement told KFDM that mechanical systems at rental properties must remain in good working condition and that owners are required to provide heat, but officials said there's no city ordinance that requires a landlord to turn on air conditioning. A tenant dealing with an AC issue has to report it to the city directly to prompt an inspection, which is meant to confirm the mechanical system is functioning properly. HVAC professionals have already inspected at least one tenant's air-conditioning system as part of the fallout.
Under Texas law, the stakes for landlords who let health and safety issues linger are higher than a single city inspection might suggest. Texas Property Code Section 92.052 requires landlords to maintain a working device supplying hot water of at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit, according to FindLaw. And per Texas Law Help, state code sets up a rebuttable presumption that seven days is a reasonable window for a landlord to fix a health-or-safety issue once they've received written notice.
The Legal Options — And The Pitfalls — For Renters
Tenants do have statutory tools beyond simply waiting. Under Property Code Section 92.0561, renters can hire a qualified contractor to make emergency repairs affecting health or safety and deduct the cost from rent, capped at one month's rent or $500, as long as strict notice rules are followed, according to RentInSA. The Law Office of Elena Vlady notes that sending notice by certified mail with return receipt requested satisfies the statutory written-notice requirement without a second follow-up letter — phone calls and texts alone may not count.
That distinction matters because Texas law prohibits tenants from simply withholding rent over unrepaired conditions; renters have to stay current on rent to preserve their statutory repair rights and avoid eviction, per Austin Property Management. If a landlord still doesn't make a diligent effort to fix a health or safety problem within a reasonable time after proper notice, Texas Property Code Section 92.056(e) lets a tenant terminate the lease outright and collect a pro-rata rent refund, according to the Texas State Law Library. It's not clear from the tenants' accounts whether formal written notice by certified mail was sent in these cases, which could affect what remedies are available to them.
A Landlord With A Growing Beaumont Footprint
Better Business Bureau records show ReFresh, LLC is a non-accredited real estate company registered to a P.O. Box in Beaumont. Public property records reviewed by Homes.com show the company has owned multiple single-family rental homes across the city, including properties on Bryan Drive, Lexington Drive and Beaumont Drive. Tenants say they simply want ReFresh LLC held accountable, and are asking for safe homes and serious consideration of their repair requests. ReFresh LLC was given an opportunity to respond to the tenants' claims but had provided no response as of KFDM's report.
The complaints land as Beaumont officials weigh a broader shift in how the city polices rental housing. During a July meeting, City Council members discussed proposals for proactive rental property code enforcement ordinances aimed at high-risk landlords, pointing to a model already adopted in Houston, according to a city council discussion. Beaumont Code Enforcement currently charges $120 per hour for inspections and can pursue formal citation hearings or abatement warrants against property owners who don't fix violations, per city fee guidelines — tools that, for now, still rely on tenants reporting problems rather than city inspectors finding them first.
