Following are the most common questions asked by prospective new clients. Perhaps by reading these answers you might find our information you did not know to ask!
How will you find tenants for my house? How long will it take?
Your home will immediately be put on our list of available properties. It will also be put on our web page at www.realestateserv.com, several other websites and on the Multiple Listings Service.
Do you collect the first and last months’ rent?
We collect the first month’s rent plus a security deposit. The carpet is professionally cleaned and repairs are made between each tenant as needed. The cleaning and any tenant-related damages are withheld from the Security Deposit. Repairs not due to tenant damage are an owner’s expense.
Can I say that I do not want any pets or smokers in the house? How about children?
Pets and smokers are definitely not protected, classes. However, by eliminating both you are probably eliminating 80% of the people in the market for a rental house! We advertise all properties to be “non-smoking” which means no smoking inside. We encourage our clients to be open to the idea of pets, with the owner’s approval. However, if you feel very strongly about this issue, we will agree not to rent your property to anyone with a pet. Children come under the protected class of “familial status” and it is not possible to discriminate in this way.
What happens if the tenant does not pay rent on time?
The rent is due on the first of each month and considered late after the fifth. More than 95% of the tenants pay their rent by the fifth of the month. If not paid by the fifteenth of the month, a 3-day notice will be served.
Should the tenants leave the property owing more than is covered by the security deposit, they will be billed. If they do not pay, it will be turned over to a collection agency. Any funds received by a collection agency are subject to the agency’s fees. All remaining funds are forwarded to the owner per the contract.