Click on the questions shown below or scroll down for written answers:
How do I arrange a showing for one of your rental properties?
How do I apply to rent a property and what is your application fee?
What does the tenant selection process consist of?
Is there a written lease agreement?
What is an HOA (Home Owners Association and how does it apply to tenants?
Who is responsible for caring for the landscaping?
How can I learn what properties will be available for rent in the future?
Are refrigerators, washers and dryers included?
How long is the standard lease?
How mush is the security deposit and when is it due?
As a prospective tenant, what information are you looking for on my credit report?
What is the policy on adding roommates at a later time?
How do I arrange a showing for one of your rental properties?
The first thing to do is to identify a property that interests you and hopefully will meet your needs.
The next step is to contact our office where we will generally:
* provide you with a brief description of the property
* provide you with the basic qualifications necessary to rent or lease the property, so you can ascertain if you have the capacity to be considered as a tenant
* ask you to drive-by the property first (before making a follow up appointment to see the property) to make sure the property actually meets your needs
* after all of the above has been done - make a mutually convenient, same day appointment (where possible), to see the property, get your questions answered and be provided, upon request, a Tenant Information Application for you to complete and return with funds for credit and processing.
Note: we make same day showing appointments so that: 1.) we only show properties that are still available; and 2.) hopefully everyone will remember the appointment more readily. Consequently, we do not make showing appointments days or weeks in advance.
How do I apply to rent a property and what is your application fee?
Once you have determined that you like a property, we will ask you to complete a Tenant Information Application. We will give you an application after we show you the property or you can download an application from this web site.
This application must be:
- completed in full and signed
- returned to our office accompanied by an application fee of
twenty five dollars per adult, or forty dollars per married couple
that will be residing in the home. (Note: this application fee is
not refundable in the event your application is denied.)
Additionally, incomplete applications and/or applications without application fees will not be processed.
Applications are not necessarily prioritized on a first come, first served basis. Instead they are prioritized on a best qualified basis as determined by the property owner.
What does the tenant selection process consist of?
An applicant must demonstrate a consistent and hopefully verifiable history of being a good, responsible tenant or previous homeowner. Additionally, the applicant must meet standardized financial criteria.
Once an applicant expresses their desire to rent or lease a property, they are given a Tenant Information Application to complete and return with funds for credit and processing. Once we receive the completed application and funds, our selection process may include an investigation of an applicant's history by checking out:
* PROOF OF INCOME (Please bring us copies of your pay stubs when submitting an application. )
* RENTAL HISTORY AND/OR MORTGAGE PAYMENT HISTORY
* LANDLORD REFERENCES
* CREDIT REPORT
* DRIVER LICENSE VERIFICATION
* PROPERTY TAX SEARCH
* EMPLOYMENT/INCOME HISTORY
* OTHER FACTORS
If all of the above information is verified satisfactorily, we then schedule a sit-down interview with the applicant(s) to go over the application (make sure there are no open questions) and the lease/rental agreement (to let the applicants know what will be required of them as tenants.) If the owner wishes to be a part of this interview process, they may. If they do not wish to be a part of the interview process, we will do the interview on the owner's behalf and then will call them with a recommendation and/or other related information (*). The owner can then make a tenancy selection decision and we will notify the applicant(s) accordingly.
credit and payment patterns than particular credit scores.
Is there a written lease agreement?
Yes, we use the California Association of Realtors Residential Lease or Month-To-Month Rental Agreement. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may click here to view a sample copy of this agreement.
In addition to the Lease / Rental Agreement, we may also use:
* a four page Supplemental addendum
* a lead based paint addendum
* a Key/Lock box addendum
* a Ventilation/Mold addendum
* an Agency addendum - mandated for leases with terms over one year
* a Pet Lease addendum, if pets are approved for the property
* other disclosures as necessary
In most cases, utilities are paid for by the tenant(s). Exceptions may include properties without separate meters or properties where a homeowner's association is responsible for certain utilities.
Whether or not utilities are included in the monthly rent is up to the landlord. Most often the utilities will need to be paid in addition to rent. These include water, sewer, trash removal, and gas and electric.
Tenants are required to contact all utility companies prior to receiving keys to the home and place all utilities into their name.
Home owners associations are usually created by builders and developers to help ensure that all residents living in a particular neighborhood will take care and pride in their home ownership or tenancy. The HOA 's purpose is to monitor the neighborhood and make sure that everybody is keeping their yards clean, removing trash cans from the curbs, not setting up business in their homes, not parking on the sidewalks or having loud and annoying parties. These are just some examples of items that an HOA tries to control.
To do their job, an HOA employee drives throughout the neighborhood several times a month looking for infractions. Once they
As the tenant living in a home where their is an active HOA, you are responsible for any violation that occurs at your rental property.
Once the HOA informs the homeowner, First Realty / Pryor & Associates will send you a written notice to fix the problem. If the problem is not fixed within time specified by the HOA, the HOA will access the owner a fine. These fines can often range between $50 and $250. Once you have been notified and if you have not fixed the problem, you, the tenant, will be responsible for paying this fine.
Who is responsible for caring for the landscaping?
Unless specified otherwise, you the tenant are responsible for care of the
landscaping.
I/we will not be moving for a few months. Will the owner of the property hold it if I/we pay a deposit?
No, most owners will not hold a property for more than a couple of
weeks without the payment of rent and deposits.
How can I learn what properties will be available for rent in the future?
It is at the landlord's discretion to determine if he/she will allow pets in their rental homes. Some landlords will not allow any pets, others will approve only small dogs, while others will allow dog of any size. Some landlords will allow only one pet and others will allow multiple pets. Some homeowners will allow cats, some will not, and others will allow cats only if they have been de-clawed and spayed or neutered.
There is additonal security deposit required when a tenant has a pet. This additional security deposit averages approximately $300 per animal. The incremental increase in the security deposit will be due on the move-in date.
Any damage to the property or to the neighbor's property that is caused by your pets, will be the sole responsibility of the tenant.
Failure to take care of problems caused by pets is a potential cause for breach of the lease agreement.
single family properties, you will need to bring your own.
Not at this time. This may be a feature that is added in near future.
How long is the standard lease?
Most of our leases are for one year unless specifically stated otherwise.
How much is the security deposit and when is it due?
The security deposit is set by the owner of the property. Usually it is equal to about one month's full rent plus $300. If pet(s) are allowed, the security deposit will be increased.
If you are reserving a future move-in date, you will give us half of the deposit before the move-in date. If you are not reserving the property for a future move-in date,
The entire security deposit is due on or before the date of move-in and must be paid in certified funds BEFORE the keys will be issued to you.
As a prospective tenant, what information are you looking for on my credit report?
The credit check looks at your current credit and past credit history. It will list any evictions, bankruptcies, foreclosures, liens or judgments that have been awarded against you.
At First Realty / Pryor & Associates we are looking to find tenants who will pay their rent on time. Our experience shows that tenants who regularly take care of all their other credit responsibilities will also take care of the properties that we manage. Consequently, we will closely look at each applicants credit history. We are more interested in overall credit and payment patterns than particular credit scores.
Credit checks will also search some court records and often any criminal activity or arrest will be listed.
What is the policy on adding roommates at a later time?
New roomates who wish to be added to a property MUST be approved by the owner BEFORE moving in. They must have their credit checked and qualify just like the original applicant(s). Failure to get owners approval before occupying a property is a potential cause for breach of the lease agreement. The new roomate must sign an addendum and to be added to the lease.
The security deposit will not be refunded (partially or in full) until the end of the lease term when the property is vacated. Then it will only be distributed to the current names that appear on the lease.
Each of our owners determines their own acceptance criteria. We will normally show "Section 8 OK" on the property description in the web page if the owner indicated that they will accept the program.