Frequently Asked Questions

Current Tenant General Questions

• Q: What am I responsible for as a resident?

  A: Typically all residents are responsible for the following:

  • Securing all utilities for home, unless otherwise provided
  • Lawn care, unless otherwise provided
  • Changing the furnace/air conditioning filters regularly
  • Minor repairs to your home, including, but not limited to, replacing light bulbs and clogged drains
  • Changing the smoke detector batteries during tenancy (these are new when you move in)
  • Pest control
  • Complying with all Homeowner Association Rules
  • Following the terms of your lease.

• Q: When is rent due?

  A: Rent is due on the 1st of the month and late on the 2nd. Rent must be in our office by the end of the business day on the 5th of the month in order to not incur additional rent.. This is true even when the 5th falls on a weekend or a holiday.

  If you pay rent after the 5th of the month there is additional rent that is assessed equal to $15, or 5% of your total rent, whichever is greater. Any current month rental payments received after the 5th of the month must be in the form of a certified check or money order; no personal checks will be accepted after the 5th. Additionally, all payments made after the 5th must include the applicable additional rent.

• Q: How can I pay rent after I move in?

  A: Rent can be paid by check, money order, credit card or our free auto-draft option until the 5th of the month. After the 5th of the month we will only accept rent in the form of certified funds. We also offer direct draft of your checking account. We do not accept cash payments for rental payments.

• Q: How do I pay with a credit card?

  A: You will need to login to your online account on our website to initiate the payment by credit card. Our credit card provider does charge a convenience fee for this service. Fees will be detailed prior to you selecting pay. Please let us know if you need assistance with setting up your account.

• Q: What happens if my check or auto-draft payment is returned?

  A: Typically you will discover that your payment was returned before we will know. Once we receive notice that your payment was not honored, we will notify you and expect immediate payment. Additionally, you will be required to submit all of your future payments by certified bank check or money order. We do reserve the right to allow one time exceptions and in most cases, if you notify us of the returned item and pay your account balance in full prior to us having to contact you, we will grant that exception to making all future payments via certified funds. There are fees, as detailed in your lease, associated with returned items, as well.

• Q: What happens if I do not pay my rent?

  A: If your rent is not received on, or before, the 5th of the month, you will receive a letter notifying you that you are in breach of your lease and payment must be made promptly. On the 13th of the month, a second letter will be mailed to anyone who has not paid their rent by that day. Summary Ejectment filings will be made on the 18th of each month should payment in full not be received by then.

• Q: What is a Summary Ejectment filing?

  A: A Summary Ejectment filing is the first step in the eviction process and should not be taken lightly. A decision in favor of the Plaintiff (landlord) can stay on your record for 10 years and might make it difficult to obtain future housing and credit. A summary ejectment filing is also expensive; fees can reach over $200 and are the responsibility of the resident.

• Q: Can I just move out when my lease expires?

  A: No. Even though the initial term of your lease expires on a certain date, it converts to a month to month lease and is still in full force until proper notice is given by either party. Contact your property manager or sign in to your Tenant portal to give your move out notice.

• Q: How do I terminate my lease?

  A: Most of our leases require a 45 day notice to terminate by either party. They also must terminate on the last day of the month. Contact your property manager or sign in to your Tenant portal to give your move out notice.

• Q: What do I do if I need to change the terms of the lease?

  A: A lease is a legally binding agreement and cannot be changed without the consent of both parties. Should you breach the lease by leaving early, typically, you will be responsible for the advertising fee, other costs in re-renting the property and rental payments until the end of your lease, or until the property is re-leased. If you need to change the terms of your lease contact our office to discuss your particular situation.

• Q: What happens if I do not pay my last month's rent?

  A: You will be responsible for the additional rent associated with the non-payment and be subject to the Summary Ejectment process.

Current Tenant Maintenance Questions

• Q: How do I submit routine maintenance requests?

  A: In compliance with the NC Residential Rental Agreement Act, all routine maintenance requests must be submitted in writing, on our form, to our office. Please note that it is not just our policy, but the law, to not take routine maintenance requests verbally. Requests can be submitted by one of the following manners:

  • Our Web site (no need to login into your account)
  • Come in to any of our offices and fill one out

• Q: What do I do in an emergency?

  A: If your emergency is life threatening, dial 911. For other emergencies, please consult the information you were provided in your move-in packet, or subsequent letter. You may also call our office and select option #1 for instructions on our 24 hour emergency maintenance providers. Please note that calls to the wrong provider will be billed back to the resident, as all residents have been supplied information with the proper contacts.

• Q: Do I have to be present for a service technician to perform work?

  A: No, all of our service technicians are screened, licensed (if required), insured, and display the utmost in professionalism. Should you desire to be home when the service is performed, the technician will make 3 attempts to contact you and if not successful, the service request will be terminated and not re-activated. If the situation is deemed to be a risk to the property, the technician will be allowed to access the property.

• Q: How quickly can I expect my request to be performed?

  A: There are many factors that go into each request and we cannot set a firm schedule. However, we typically contact you the same day we receive the request to assess the situation and determine the proper course of action. Our goal is typically no more than a 5 business day completion.

• Q: I do not like the way a repair was done, what should I do?

  A: Please contact our office immediately so we may investigate the issue.

• Q: Can I withhold my rent for items not being corrected to my satisfaction?

  A: No. Under the NC Residential Rentals Agreement Act it is prohibited for a resident to withhold rent for failure to fix items submitted. Please contact our office to discuss your specific situation.

• Q: Can I change the locks on my home?

  A: Locks are changed immediately prior to each new resident moving in. The work must be done by a licensed locksmith and three keys to each new lock must be provided to our office within 24 hours of the work being done.

Current Tenant Move Out and Security Deposit Questions

• Q: Can I apply my security deposit to my last month's rent?

  A: No. Your security deposit is held in a Trust account and can only be used for outstanding charges after you vacate the property.

• Q: What do I need to do when I move out?

  A: As a reminder, depending on the terms of your lease, the following may be required prior to the end of your lease term:

  • Remove all personal property and all trash
  • Professionally clean all carpets, submitting the receipt with your keys
  • Vacuum all hardwood floors and mop all vinyl/tile floors
  • Wash all cabinets, inside and out
  • Clean all appliances, inside and out
  • Clean all areas of the home, including baseboards, window sills, door frames, ceiling fans, and light fxtures
  • Replace all furnace filters with new ones
  • Mow grass, trim shrubs, and remove any debris (only if lawn care is not included)
  • Have a professional flea treatment performed, submitting the receipt with your keys (only if pets were present)
  • Secure all windows and doors
  • Replace any burned out light bulbs
  • Return all keys, garage door openers, and any other items provided to you to our office
  • Notify us of your desired address for the return of your security deposit. If a stop payment and re-issue is necessary on your security deposit check as a result of you not providing a proper forwarding address, there could be a bank fee associated.

• Q: When do I have to return the keys after I move out?

  A: All keys, receipts, and other required items must be returned prior to 8:30am the day after your lease ends. Leases do not have daily tenancy provisions and failure to return keys in a timely manner could result in you being responsible for an entire month's rent.

• Q: What do you do with my security deposit after I move out?

  A: Immediately after you vacate the property, one of our agents visits the property and performs a move-out inspection to assess the condition of the property in comparison to your move-in report. We then process your security deposit in strict accordance with the NC Tenant Security Deposit Act.

• Q: When can I get my security deposit back?

  A: Per the NC Security Deposit Act, you will receive notice of the disposition of your security deposit within 60 days. If, after 30 days we have not been able to fully determine the disposition of your security deposit, you will receive an interim notice. This will only be mailed to your forwarding address as we do not allow any deposits to be picked up.

• Q: What if my security deposit does not cover my charges?

  A: We will send you a letter notifying you of a balance due and enclose receipts supporting the charges. Payment will be expected promptly to prevent further action.

• Q: What if I do not pay my outstanding charges?

  A: Any outstanding charges 30 days from the date of invoice will be turned over to a collection agency for processing and might become part of your permanent credit history.

• Q: What do I do if I disagree with the disposition of my security deposit?

  A: You must submit your dispute in writing within 30 days from the date of your security deposit disposition notice.