Late payment policy : Why do you have such a strict policy on late fees and court filings?
- On-time payment of rent is critical to our business. Without prompt rent payments, it becomes more difficult to pay our expenses.
- When someone signs a lease, they are promising to us that they will pay the rent each month on the first of the month it is due. When they don't, we look at this as a failure to live up to their promise.
- Going after residents for unpaid balances is a time-consuming and very unpleasant part of our business. The more our residents pay on-time, the more we can avoid unnecessary paperwork and aggravation, and the more we can concentrate on serving everyone better.
- We always get requests to make exceptions to our policies. Unfortunately, we have found that exceptions invariably lead to more exceptions and accusations of unfair treatment. There is no better way to treat all residents fairly, and to get everyone in the discipline of paying on time each month, than to have a policy that is stated clearly and enforced evenly.
Legal fees: Why are the court fees and attorney fees so expensive?
Court fees and warrant fees are set by the courts; we only pass on what we are charged. While the attorney fees may seem expensive, we have actually been able to keep them well below the typical average of $175 per case. We do not make any profit on any of the legal fees we collect.
Rent increases: Why does my rent go up every year?
Increases in rent, like increases in everything else, are inevitable. However, increases are necessary for two main reasons: (1) to help us pay the higher costs that we face every year in managing apartment communities, and (2) to allow us to continue to pay for major improvements and repairs to the buildings and the apartments, now and in the future.
Higher costs -- The biggest increases lately have been for heat and hot water, property taxes, water/sewer services, and maintenance and supply costs. We are continually working to keep our costs down wherever possible without cutting back on our service to our residents.
Improvements -- See the next FAQ
Rent increases - improvements: I know rent increases help to pay for improvements. What kinds of improvements are being made, and why?
Our company's mission has always been to keep improving the properties we manage, so we can keep our residents happy and make our properties more desirable places to live.
You've probably seen some of the recent improvements at your property, whether it be new windows or doors, roofs, gutters, paving, landscaping, or other work. We also make major improvements every year that you do not see -- in our heaters and water heaters, electrical, plumbing and sewer systems, office technologies, and other facilities inside our buildings. In addition to what we have done, we also have several major improvements planned for the future, which we must start saving for now.
Every year we are also faced with new regulations from our city, state and Federal governments. We realize that many of these regulations are necessary, like the testing for environmental hazards such as lead paint and asbestos. Unfortunately, it is usually true that complying with these new regulations also requires us to spend a lot of money on new items, systems, or contracted work.
Forms of payment: Do you accept cash, personal checks, or other forms of payment?
No cash can be accepted at any time. We do accept personal checks, but only under the following conditions:
- The check must be for the current month's rent, and all previous rent must be paid up.
- The check must be received on or before the close of business on the 5th of the month; and
- There must not be any current court action against you for non-payment of rent.
Checks returned by your bank for any reason (bad checks) must be replaced within three days from when you are notified, or a court action will be filed. A $20 "returned check fee", in addition to your late fee, will be added to your account for each bad check. One bad check will not stop your check payment privileges, but two or more will result in suspension of your check privileges for 6 months or more, depending on several factors.
If you have given us more than one bad check, if your rent is being paid late, or if a court action is pending against you, only certified checks or money orders will be accepted.
We now offer an Automatic Rent Deduction Program, where your rent is automatically deducted from your bank account each month at no charge. To promote this, we are currently offering a $10 discount for the first six months for new signups. One-time bank account deductions can also be done at any time for a $10 fee.
Move out requirements: What do I have to do before I can move out?
If you have signed a lease or lease renewal agreement with a fixed term (6 months, 1 year, etc.), you must stay until the end of your term, and give written notice to us, at least sixty(60) days before the end of your lease, that you will be moving out.
If you are staying on a month-to-month basis, you must give written notice to us, at least sixty(60) days in advance, that you will be moving out. Your notice must include the date you are planning to move out, and must be the last day of the month.
Improper notice penalties: What happens if I don't give you proper notice that I'm moving out?
If you have signed a lease or lease renewal agreement with a fixed term (6-months, 1 year, etc.), and you are moving out before it ends, you will be responsible for all of the rent to the ending date of your term, or sixty(60) days (two full months) from when you give us written notice, whichever is later.
If you are staying on a month-to-month basis, you will be responsible for the rent for sixty(60) days (two full months) from when you give us written notice.
In either case, however, if the apartment is re-rented, you will only be responsible until the date a new tenant moves in. We always try to re-rent apartments as soon as possible, but we cannot usually predict when an apartment will be re-rented. However, leaving the apartment in good condition will help us re-rent it sooner.
Getting back a security deposit: How do I get my security deposit back when I move out?
When you move out, please do each of the following to make sure you get as much of your security deposit back as possible:
- Make sure that proper written notice has been given and all rent is paid in full.
- Leave your apartment clean, especially the appliances, kitchen, bathroom and floors.
- Remove all belongings and trash. Do not leave behind furniture or other items.
- Return all sets of keys to the Rental Office. Do not give them to anyone else.
- Write down your forwarding address and leave it with the Rental Office.
Your apartment will be carefully inspected after everything is out and all keys are returned. We will send you a full report of your security deposit, interest, and final charges, along with any money due you, within 30 days from the day you return all keys. This report will be mailed to you, or you can request to pick it up from your Rental Office.
Note: If our Move-Out Report shows that you owe us a balance, this balance must be paid within 10 days or your account will be referred to a collection agency. This would end up as a negative mark on your credit report if left unpaid.
Apply security to rent?: Why can't I use my security deposit as rent?
Although we are allowed to deduct unpaid rents from your security deposit when you leave, security deposits are intended to protect us from the cost of damages found when someone moves out. Security deposits are often not enough to cover the combined cost of unpaid rent and damages.
If you do not pay your rent in full through your final month, we are required to file a court action for non-payment. This is done to protect us in case someone decides not to move out when expected.
Leaving behind a roommate: I want to move out, but my roommate wants to stay. How can I remove myself from the lease?
If you are listed as a Tenant on the lease, by yourself or with a roommate, you cannot be removed until you have finished the first full year of your lease.
If you and your roommate are both listed on your Lease as Tenants, you are both responsible for fulfilling all of the terms of your lease. Even if you move out, you could be financially responsible if your roommate later causes damages or fails to pay the rent.
You must notify your Rental Office as soon as you decide you want to move out, and you can request to be removed from the lease by completing (and notarizing) a form that certifies that you are giving up all claims to the apartment and security deposit. If the roommate agrees to take over the lease, and can afford the apartment on his/her own or with an approved new roommate, your request will usually be granted. However, you will not be removed from your obligations under the lease until the request is approved by Management.
Replacing a roommate: My roommate wants to move out. Can I get someone to take his place?
Your roommate cannot be removed from the lease until you have finished the first full year of your lease. Once that occurs:
- The new person is required to fill out an application and pay an application fee.
- The application will be processed and reviewed, and we will let you know our decision as soon as possible.
- If that person is accepted, a new lease (and related forms) will need to be signed. When these are done, your current roommate can then be removed from the lease by completing (and notarizing) a form that is available at your Rental Office.
- If the new person is not accepted, your current roommate cannot be removed from the lease unless you find another acceptable roommate, or unless we determine that you can afford the apartment on your own.
Emergency response: What do I do in case of an emergency?
If your emergency is not related to maintenance, call 911 BEFORE contacting us. If it is not a police, fire or ambulance matter, call the Rental Office or locate the Resident Manager. Speak to your Rental Manager today if you are not sure of your apartment community's emergency procedures and phone number(s).
Feeling cold in winter: What do I do if my apartment feels cold in the winter?
We want to provide everyone with 70 degrees in their apartments at all times. If you feel there is a problem with heat in your apartment, we must know the temperature before we can do anything. If you have a thermometer and it reads 70 degrees or more, we will not be able to do anything for you. If it reads below 70 degrees, our staff will check the heating system and will determine what needs to be done. If you do not have a thermometer, we will provide you with one at no charge, but it must be mounted on an inside wall, away from doors and windows.
Before you call, be sure all doors, windows, and storm doors are properly closed, that all radiator valves and hot air vents are open, and that there is nothing blocking your radiators or cold air return ducts. We will not address any heat complaint if these guidelines are not followed completely.
Using your stove, your oven, or a kerosene heater to heat your apartment is a serious fire code violation, and could result in serious illness or possibly even death. This also prevents us from determining if there is a heat-related problem in your apartment. We will not address any heat complaint if any of these appliances are being used for this purpose, and anyone found doing this could have their lease terminated.
Service requests: What do I do when something needs fixing in my apartment?
You must notify us immediately of any conditions in the apartment that may need repair. Requests for non-emergency repairs are to be made in writing to the Rental Office, or we will not be responsible if the repair is not made.
If a repair is needed inside your apartment, you will need to make sure that our staff can get into the apartment to complete it. Please make such arrangements with the Rental Office if needed.
We want you to be satisfied with the quality of our service at all times. If you are not satisfied with the response time to your request, or the quality of your repair, you can contact our central office. (See the "Contact Us" link above.)
Please respect our on-site employees and their families, by not disturbing them outside of business hours for routine maintenance requests.
Adding a new person: How can I add a new person to my lease?
If the new person is 18 or older, he/she is required to fill out an application and pay an application fee. The application will be processed and reviewed, and we will let you know our decision as soon as possible. If that person is accepted, a new lease may be needed and other forms may need to be signed.
Moving someone in without our approval is a serious lease violation and will not be allowed. Only the persons listed on your lease are allowed to stay in your apartment.
Disputes between neighbors: What do I do if I have a dispute with my neighboring tenant?
We can help, but we are sometimes limited in what we can do.
If the dispute is clearly the fault of your neighbor, we can eventually stop their behavior by contacting them verbally, in writing, by legal notices, or even by eviction if necessary. This process, however, takes time to resolve, so we will monitor the situation and we will ask you to keep us posted on any additional problems that may occur after we become involved. Specific dates and times, and police reports if available, can help us win eviction of a problem tenant.
If we cannot tell conclusively who is at fault, you can ask our Rental Manager to meet with you and the neighbor together to try to resolve the matter. However, if the dispute continues unresolved, or if other neighbors are disturbed in any way, it is possible that both you and your neighbor will be asked to move out.
Noise and disturbances: What do I do if someone is making too much noise or causing a disturbance?
First, ask the person calmly and politely to stop the noise or disturbance. If they do not, contact the Rental Office. If the person gives you any trouble, or if the Rental Office is closed, call the police. If the office is closed, please let the Rental Manager know about the problem the next morning.
If a neighbor repeatedly causes excessive noise or other disturbances, we will take action through verbal and/or written warnings, and eviction action if necessary.
However, because of the way apartments in general are laid out, it must be expected that some noise will be present and should be accepted.
Please let us know whenever this happens, as documentation of all disturbances is needed for us to be able to evict someone.
No parties: Why can't we have BBQ/outside parties?
Our insurance policies (and most municipalities) say we cannot allow barbecue grills in most apartment communities for safety reasons. Outdoor gatherings are not allowed because the noise level is usually disturbing to neighbors and there is usually trash (and sometimes damage) left behind when it is over. Indoor gatherings must be quiet enough to not disturb your neighbors in any way, and should not be conducted after 10:00 at night.
Keeping noise down is very important to us and to most of our residents. Any failure to respect the rights of "quiet enjoyment" of your neighbors is a serious violation of the lease.
Satellite dishes: Can I have a satellite dish installed?
You are allowed to have a satellite dish, but the strict restrictions don't make it very practical in most locations. Some of these restrictions are as follows:
- Satellite dishes with a diameter of 1 meter or less are permitted, but only in spaces that you are renting yourself, like inside your apartment or on your patio/balcony.
- A dish may not be placed on the grounds or on any window, outside wall, roof, entranceway, or common area.
- You may not drill holes, or damage the apartment or the building exterior, to install it.
- You must have Renter's Insurance to cover any possible damage or liability.
- You must sign our "Satellite Dish and Antenna Addendum to Lease Contract" before the installation can be done.
Don't expect that your installer will know these restrictions, or you could be financially responsible for his installation. You and your installer should speak with our Maintenance Manager before performing any installation.
Moving to another Corsa Management property: Can I move to another Corsa Management property in another location?
In most cases, yes! If you are relocating, we can make it easy for you to move to any of our other apartment communities! We can help expedite the paperwork and make sure your move goes smoothly. The best news? You won't have to come up with a new security deposit -- we'll transfer your deposit to the new property!
You will be required to fill out a new Rental Application, and acceptance at the new property is not guaranteed. Some additional security deposit monies and other fees may be required, and all rental balances must be paid in full before the move can take place. Ask your Rental Manager for more information.