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Communicating with Us -
Maintenance -
Utilities -
Inspections -
Decorating -
Renewing Your Lease -
Moving Out -
Security Deposit Refund -
Emergencies -
Pets -
Rent Past Due
Have questions about a specific service and our corresponding process?
Please click on an icon for an overview or read more for in-depth information.
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Maintenance Request -
Is it an Emergency -
Maintenance Priority -
Assign ServiceTech -
Schedule Appointment -
Evaluate Problem(s) -
Maintenance Limits -
Estimate Approval -
Funds Available -
Maintenance Progress -
Completion Validation
Have questions about a specific service and our corresponding process?
Please click on an icon for an overview or read more for in-depth information.
While we understand you would like the option to just call us to submit a Service Request, to avoid misunderstandings that might affect our relationship with you, company policy requires you to submit all non-emergency requests in writing.
When you submit a Service Request, we create a Work Order on your portal, where we track all communications between you, our administrative staff and our ServiceTechs.
Please understand all Service Requests must go through our office and our ServiceTechs will not schedule an appointment with you if contacted directly.
Our company policy defines an emergency as an issue that will result in injury to a person or cause severe damage to the property. If your maintenance issue meets these requirements, we will take your request via phone.
Some maintenance issues are more urgent than others, so we are constantly prioritizing the Service Requests we receive and then doing our best to address them in order of priority. Occasionally, this may require that we reschedule an existing appointment.
Our staff reviews your Service Request and assigns a ServiceTech with the skills to address your maintenance issue(s). Please be patient and informative if we contact you for clarification about your Service Request. It’s very frustrating for all involved if we schedule a ServiceTech that can’t address your maintenance issue(s), because we didn’t have enough information from you.
Once your Service Request is assigned to a ServiceTech, they will contact you to schedule a service appointment. Please contact them back promptly if you receive a message from them.
Upon arrival, our ServiceTech will do their best to evaluate the Service Request issue(s) to confirm they have the expertise to proceed. Before proceeding, they are required to document the issue(s) with pictures or video and notes.
For non-emergency Service Requests, our ServiceTechs are limited as to what they can repair without office approval. They may have to submit an estimate to our office and return once they receive approval.
Depending on the amount of an estimate, we may be required to obtain additional estimates. While we understand it can be frustrating having multiple appointments for this, please cooperate, so we can move forward as quickly as possible.
As we do not own the properties we manage, we cannot proceed until we have the necessary funds. Our staff will inform you as soon as funds are available, so a maintenance appointment can be set.
Often, especially with city required repairs, multiple ServiceTechs (electrician, plumber, HVAC) will require separate appointments. Our staff will do their best to coordinate the necessary appointments to stay on track.
As work is completed, we require our ServiceTechs to take pictures and/or video to document progress. We prefer they include you in their video, so you can confirm your satisfaction.
Maintenance Request
When you submit a Service Request, we create a Work Order on your portal, where we track all communications between you, our administrative staff and our ServiceTechs.
Please understand all Service Requests must go through our office and our ServiceTechs will not schedule an appointment with you if contacted directly.
Is it an Emergency
Maintenance Priority
Assign ServiceTech
Schedule Appointment
Evaluate Problem(s)
Maintenance Limits
Estimate Approval
Funds Available
Maintenance Progress
Completion Validation
To avoid misunderstandings and provide more efficient service, we require all non-emergency maintenance issues to be submitted in writing via your portal, email or letter. We also strive to get maintenance details, so we send the appropriate Service Tech. Please see our Maintenance Flowchart for more details.
We do our best to address your maintenance issues promptly and here’s how you can assist us, so you receive faster service:
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Submit all non-emergency Service Requests to our office in writing on your portal, via email to our Maintenance Department, or via letter.
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Include as many details as you can about the issue(s) and cooperate with our staff if contacted for additional information. We may even request pictures to better understand the maintenance issue(s).
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If you call us, and we’re busy assisting other clients, please leave a detailed voicemail message, so we know you called. We respond to most messages within 24 hours or less.
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If you have limited availability for communication, please let us know when you’re available and if you prefer phone, text or email communication.
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Note our standard hours of operation are M-F, 8:30am – 5:30pm.
Please review the Maintenance Flowchart above that describes our maintenance process.
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Communicating with Us
Communication is critical to meeting your expectations, so we document all communications with you in your Tenant Portal. This allows all our staff to reference past communications as needed, for better service. Please let us know if you’d like to schedule a tutorial about using your portal.
On your portal you’ll also find a copy of your lease contract, your rent ledger and copies of other documents related to your lease. We try our best to keep everything on the portal for easy reference.
Maintenance
To avoid misunderstandings and provide more efficient service, we require all non-emergency maintenance issues to be submitted in writing via your portal, email or letter. We also strive to get maintenance details, so we send the appropriate Service Tech. Please see our Maintenance Flowchart for more details.
We do our best to address your maintenance issues promptly and here’s how you can assist us, so you receive faster service:
- Submit all non-emergency Service Requests to our office in writing on your portal, via email to our Maintenance Department, or via letter.
- Include as many details as you can about the issue(s) and cooperate with our staff if contacted for additional information. We may even request pictures to better understand the maintenance issue(s).
- If you call us, and we’re busy assisting other clients, please leave a detailed voicemail message, so we know you called. We respond to most messages within 24 hours or less.
- If you have limited availability for communication, please let us know when you’re available and if you prefer phone, text or email communication.
- Note our standard hours of operation are M-F, 8:30am – 5:30pm.
Utilities
Electricity, gas & water utilities are typically your responsibility wherever possible. Water Affidavits are required for homes in municipalities that offer them.
If a Water Affidavit is not offered by the municipality your home is in, we have the water bill sent to us, we pay it, and then bill you via your rent ledger. A copy of the water bill is made available on your portal. Unpaid water bills are considered unpaid rent and will accumulate late fees if not paid when due.
If you are renting a unit in a multifamily building, please check your lease to verify what utilities you are responsible for.
Inspections
We do interior Annual Inspections and required city inspections which require your cooperation to schedule them.
Annual Inspections are done to confirm you are taking care of the home properly and to also identify maintenance issues you may not be aware of. Our Inspectors video these and we appreciate your cooperation.
We also do inspections when we take over management of a home, so we can document the condition and identify any maintenance issues.
Please cooperate with scheduling all inspections, otherwise you will force us to issue a Legal Entry Notice to gain access.
Decorating
We understand that you may want to make changes to your home, so it better reflects your personality. Please keep in mind that most alterations will require prior approval. Usually, you will also be responsible for returning your home to its original condition when you move out. This also applies to cable and satellite dish installations.
To avoid misunderstandings, alteration requests must be submitted in writing on your portal or via email, and you must obtain our approval in writing before proceeding.
Renewing Your Lease
Our standard lease has an auto-renewal clause in it, making it as easy as possible to renew & stay – you don’t have to do anything! On your portal you’ll find a copy of your lease to review the auto-renewal terms, so you can contact us with any questions. We strive to meet or exceed your expectations, so you continue to stay.
So you’re not surprised when you lease is automatically renews, we email you reminders 90-days and 70-days prior to your lease expiring. These emails also include reminders about our MoveOut process.
Moving Out
Hopefully you’re moving because of good news! We typically require a 60-day notice, but please check your lease to confirm. Also check our available homes if you want to move to a bigger or smaller home. If you’re looking to buy a home, we can also assist with that.
Please make sure you read your lease and the emails we send you about the required MoveOut steps, so the process is as smooth as possible for you. Here’s a summary of some of those steps:
- Contact the city to schedule a water meter reading for a final bill.
- Make sure to cut the lawn and trim weeds along fenceline, around house & garage foundations and dispose of any yard waste. If it’s winter, be sure to shovel the snow one last time from all walkways, sidewalks and the driveway.
- Clean any appliances inside & out and pull them out and clean behind and underneath them.
- Remove any stickers from doors and walls.
- Make sure all smoke & carbon monoxide detectors have the proper lithium-ion batteries.
- Be sure to replace any missing or nonworking lightbulbs.
- Don’t leave any debris behind as you may be charged for us to remove it.
Feel free to contact us to clarify any other MoveOut concerns you may have.
Security Deposit Refund
If you’re set on moving, please read your lease and our email notices about what state law requires you to do. We legally have 30 days to inspect and obtain bids for any damages, before returning your deposit. Please note our MoveOut Inspection will only be scheduled once you return possession of the home to us.
The most common charges we make to security deposits are for: lack of weeding, no final water bill, dirty appliances, missing/wrong lightbulbs & smoke detector batteries and debris left behind in yard, garage & basement. Please understand it is usually cheaper for you to address issues than to have us handle them.
Emergencies
We don’t want anything to happen to you, so if the safety of you and any occupants is in danger, please immediately vacate the premises and call 911! If the issue is electric, gas or water related, you can also call the local utility company emergency service. Then call us to report the problem.
Your safety is our first concern, so please remove yourself from exposure to any dangers. If you feel comfortable staying in the home, we’d appreciate your assistance to minimize damages until we can get a ServiceTech there. This may be as simple as letting us walk you through how to turn off a gas or water valve.
Please note our company policy defines an emergency as an issue that will result in injury to a person or cause severe damage to the property.
Pets
We’re animal lovers, so if you want to get a pet please let us know ASAP. We’ll do our best to obtain approval from the owner of your home, so you can enjoy having a pet. Typically, a monthly pet fee and Renter’s Insurance will be required, as well as the signing of a Pet Addendum.
We will also require a picture of you with your pet, your pet’s name, breed, weight & age, proof all required shots are up to date and your pet is licensed with the local municipality.
Please note we must be notified in writing if you plan to watch anyone’s pet overnight. Any pet-sitting for more than a single night will require our written approval. Penalties will be charged for violating these requirements.
Rent Past Due
Life happens and sometimes you’ve overlooked paying rent or can’t make ends meet right now. Communication is so important when this happens. So, please contact us ASAP to discuss your options and avoid forcing us to assume the worst and proceeding accordingly.
We have fairly strict Eviction Procedures, but we do have some flexibility for tenants that proactively contact us to work out a solution. Avoiding us only forces us to aggressively pursue eviction. If you need time to catch up on a past due balance, we require a Payment Plan in writing with specific payment amounts and dates, with supporting proof of the income to make those payments. If you won’t follow our requirements, you’ve just told us you’re not serious and we need to part ways ASAP.