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Q: My application has been approved. Now what happens?
A:
You will be contacted by our application department or by one of our property managers. You will then have one business day to bring in a cashiers checks for at least the amount of the security deposit and sign a deposit receipt to hold the property. If the property is ready to rent you can also pay the first months rent and take possession.
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Q: How long will you hold the property for me?
A:
Once your application is approved and you pay a holding deposit, in most cases, you will have two weeks to take possession.
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Q: What if I pay a deposit and then change my mind?
A:
Once you pay your deposit and sign a deposit receipt you have committed to rent the property. If you fail to move in as agreed in the deposit receipt you will forfeit the deposit. The forfeited deposit pays the owner for holding the property for you. You should not pay a deposit to hold a property unless you are sure you are going to move in.
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Q: How much do I need to move in?
A:
You will pay a whole months rent when you first move in. If you move in after the first, your second month will be prorated. That means you will only pay for the days you had possession in your first month. Your rental/lease agreement will state the dates and the amount of your rent proration.
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Q: Once I move in when are my rental payments due and how do I pay the rent each month?
A:
Your rent is due on the first of each month and is considered late if the rent is paid after the 3rd of the month. If the 3rd falls on a weekend or holiday your rent will be considered late if your rent is paid after the next business day. For example, if the 3rd falls on a Saturday, your rent will be late if not received before Tuesday, the 6th. However, if the 3rd falls on a Friday, your rent would be late if the rent is not received by 11:59 PM on Friday.
The best method of making rent payments is signing up to pay rent via our website. You can also pay your rent via mail by sending your check, cashiers check, or money order to your local HomeRiver Group office. Be sure the address of the property you are renting appears on your check. You can also bring your rent to any of our office locations.
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Q: If I cannot pay the rent on time, what should I do?
A:
Your first efforts should be to figure out a way to pay your rent on time using whatever resources you have. You might borrow the funds from friends, family, your bank, or whatever other resources you have. Please bear in mind that HomeRiver Group™ has no authority to allow you to pay late. Our client has chosen HomeRiver Group™ to manage their property which includes enforcing the rental/lease agreement. We are forced to take steps to protect our client in the event the rent is late. This does not include allowing a payment to be paid late. You can expect that our office will be contacting you soon after the rent is late. This may include the service of a 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit. If the rent is paid late, you will incur late fees and service charges when a notice is served to your door. In addition, you will become liable for all legal costs if an attorney is hired to begin eviction proceedings.
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Q: Can I make repairs and deduct the cost from my rent?
A:
We do not allow residents to perform repairs at the property they rent. You must contact us to request repairs and we will respond as quickly as possible. In some cases you may be allowed to maintain the yard, but no deductions are allowed for this.
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Q: What do I do if I have to move before my lease is up?
A:
If you must break your lease you should contact your property manager both in writing (letter or email) and via telephone as soon as possible. Although you are responsible for your entire lease, we can go to work to find a replacement resident as soon as we receive your written notification. Once we are able to secure a replacement resident and start their rent, you can be released from your obligation. You may be responsible for advertising expenses and leasing fees as well as rent until the replacement resident’s rent begins.
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Q: How do I report a maintenance item?
A:
To submit a maintenance request, please login to your tenant portal and submit your request online. To report emergency maintenance needs be sure the receptionist is informed that you have a maintenance emergency. If it is after business hours, call the office and follow the voice mail instructions. For police or fire emergencies, dial 911 before calling us
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Q: What is considered an emergency?
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The following are examples of maintenance emergencies. The main sewer line is backed up. A pipe broke and water is leaking into the home. There was a break-in and you have an unsecured entrance to the home. After hours call 210-340-1717 and follow the instructions. Someone will respond within 30 minutes. If it is after 8:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. and the call is not an emergency, you could be charged for the call.
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Q: Can I sublease the property?
A:
No. The lease agreement clearly states that the resident shall not sublet any portion of the property or assign the agreement without written consent from HomeRiver Group.
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Q: When and how should I give my notice to vacate?
A:
It is important to refer to your lease for the specific terms in your own residential agreement. In most leases, notice to vacate must be received in the office in writing on or before the 1st of the month. Most leases require a minimum 30-day notice and run for a full monthly period.
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Q: What happens if my roommate moves out before the end of the lease?
A:
If your roommate moves out, a written notice needs to be submitted to the property manager. Remember that tenants are jointly and singularly liable to ensure that the rent is paid. You must have written permission from the property manager to substitute a roommate. (It is not the responsibility of HomeRiver Group to arbitrate or mediate problems with multiple tenant situations)
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Q: I have always paid my rent on time. Why did I receive a 3-day notice when the rent was only 6 days late?
A:
The rent is due on the first of the month. If the rent is not posted in our office by the date stated on your lease, we serve a 3-day notice.
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Q: I am an excellent resident and take good care of the home. Can you waive my late charges?
A:
No. We do not waive late charges. Fair Housing laws require that we treat all our residents equally. We cannot decide if one resident is more deserving than another of paying late charges, therefore we enforce late charges across the board.
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Q: What rental properties do you currently have available?
A:
Although our rental properties are advertised on many different websites and through the local media, you can view our current list on the Search Rentals page. We are constantly adding new properties, and the listings on our website are the first updated. Our website also has the most pictures, information and even video tours for you to view.
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Q: What do you look at during the screening process??
A:
We look at many different factors during our screening process. The main categories we review are:
- Payment History
- Criminal History
- Credit Score
- Personal and landlord references
- Rent to Income Ratio
- Past residency
- Collection and Delinquent Accounts
- And more…
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Q: I have bad or no credit, is that an automatic no?
A:
No, we consider other things like income, length of residency etc. We base our decision off of a scoring system that includes many different categories.
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Q: How long will the deposit hold the property?
A:
The deposit will hold the property for 2 weeks.
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Q: Why is it so important to view the home before I apply?
A:
Any cosmetic repair that you'd like to see performed (under $200) prior to moving into the home must be requested on the application in the Contingency Request section. The approved Contingency Requests then become a condition of the Residential Rental Contract (our lease). Sufficient time must also exist prior to your desired move in date to complete these items. The owner reserves the right to seek an increased monthly rental rate if the requests are in excess of $200.00.
If you do not submit any Contingency Requests then you are accepting the home in "as is" condition and we will NOT perform any work except to rekey the locks. Unlike a typical apartment complex, we will not automatically paint and replace the carpets in between residents.
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Q: Do I need Renters Insurance?
A:
Yes, our residents are solely responsible for insuring their own personal property that is located or stored upon the property leased. Any loss from the risks of damage, destruction or loss resulting from theft, fire, storm and other hazards and casualties are your sole responsibility. A valid insurance certificate will be required prior to picking up your keys.
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Q: How do I turn on utilities at my future home?
A:
It is the responsibility of the residents, unless the utilities are included in the lease, to secure utilities (water, electric, gas, etc) for their residence. It is the responsibility of every resident to supply WRITTEN confirmation from the utility company showing an active account prior to picking up the keys to their new home. The verification must have the resident's name, address of leased home and date that service was transferred/started. Please see the Utilities section of our website for utility contact information.
