Genesis is the trade name of Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC, a Washington-based collection agency that focuses on the apartment industry. If a former landlord says you left owing rent, fees or damages, the account may have been sent to Genesis.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC; Columbia Debt Recovery LLC dba Genesis; Rowland Avenue Management, Inc.
- Collects
- apartment and rental balances
- Phone numbers it lists
- (866) 863-9194, (877) 397-9337
- Website
- genesiscred.com
6,149 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Rowland Avenue Management, Inc. A/KA Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC d/b/a Genesis from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Genesis?
"Genesis" is the name Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC uses with consumers. Its website describes the company as specializing in collections for the multi-family (apartment) industry and lists NMLS number 1603096. It also publishes a Nevada collection agency license (CAD11658). The CFPB complaint database lists the company as "Rowland Avenue Management, Inc. A/KA Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC d/b/a Genesis," so you may see any of those names.
The company's website gives a payment address of P.O. Box 3630, Everett, Washington, and a separate address for all other mail, P.O. Box 83030, Phoenix, Arizona. A 2022 press release announcing a partnership with the rent-reporting company CredHub was datelined Spokane, Washington, and said Genesis handled collections for "nearly 10%" of unpaid apartment units nationally.
Why Genesis May Be Contacting You
Apartment communities and property managers place accounts with Genesis after a tenant moves out with a balance on the final account statement. That balance can include unpaid rent, lease-break or reletting charges, cleaning and repair charges, utility pass-through charges, and late fees, minus any security deposit the landlord applied. The CredHub release described Genesis as the step that takes over "when a tenant leaves a property with a balance owed."
The website lists (866) 863-9194 for consumers and (877) 397-9337 for Spanish-speaking agents. It lists office hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
How to Check a Debt Genesis Says You Owe
Rental collection accounts are built from the landlord's move-out paperwork, so the key document is the final account statement. Texas landlords must account for a security deposit in writing, and a deduction for "normal wear and tear" isn't allowed (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.104).
- Read the validation notice (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34). It should name the property owner or management company and itemize the balance.
- Within the validation period, send a written dispute and ask for the lease, the move-out inspection, photos, repair invoices and the deposit accounting. Genesis must stop collecting until it verifies the debt.
- Ask whether the landlord still owns the account or whether it was sold.
- Compare reletting charges with your lease. If the unit was re-rented quickly, you may not owe rent for the full remaining term (Tex. Prop. Code § 91.006 requires a landlord to mitigate damages).
- Note the move-out date. Texas generally gives four years to sue on a debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and a debt buyer can't sue on a time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Other states set different deadlines.
What Genesis Can and Can't Do
An agency that collects debts on behalf of landlords is a "debt collector" under the FDCPA, 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6), and Texas regulates third-party collectors under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Some practical limits:
- It can't report a rental balance to the credit bureaus as if undisputed after you dispute it; the tradeline must show the dispute (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(8)).
- It can't add fees or interest that your lease or the law doesn't allow (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(1)).
- It can't call more than seven times in seven days about the same account (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)); see our note on Regulation F's call limits.
- It can't discuss the debt with your new landlord, roommates or employer, apart from narrow location inquiries.
- In Texas, a rental balance can't be collected by garnishing your wages.
To stop calls entirely, you can use the written stop-contact request. If you think a collector broke these rules, our FDCPA attorneys can take a look.
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Genesis (Columbia Debt Recovery) or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- Columbia Debt Recovery LLC dba Genesis: official website
- PR Newswire: Genesis and CredHub launch partnership for multifamily collections (Aug. 16, 2022)
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Rowland Avenue Management, Inc. A/KA Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC d/b/a Genesis, debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Genesis (Columbia Debt Recovery) has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date. Lea este perfil en español.