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| Documents and Applications | |
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Consumer Notice for Tenants (Download) Pet policy (Download) Rental Application Approval Standards (Download) |
FAQ for Owners (Download)
FAQ for Tenants (Download) For your convenience, all downloadable documents are in PDF form. This means they are both mac and PC friendly. |
| Frequently Asked Questions By Owners | |
Q. Do you have a specific person at your company responsible for my properties and, if so, who would he or she be reporting to at your company? A. We do not have an employee assigned to a specific property or Owner, rather we have departments as follows: management, bookkeeping and maintenance, Ultimately, Ada Winter, as Broker of Record for Landmark Management Services, Inc. is the responsible party for all properties managed.
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| Q. Would it be your responsibility to look for new tenants once any of the apartments gets vacant, and, if so, would you check their creditworthiness, prepare the lease agreement and have it signed? A. Yes, our standard management agreement covers advertising, showing, screening of tenant/ap plicants, and (with the owner's approval of the proposed tenant) lease preparation and signing, collec tion and disbursement of rent and security deposit. Our tenant/applicant screening process includes the following: credit report, criminal background check, sex offender registration, eviction report (landlord/tenant court filings), copy of social security card, state-issued driver's license or ID, copies of 3 most recent pay-stubs or other acceptable proof of income, previous landlord (2) information, and personal references, plus the names, ages and social security numbers of all occupants of the apartment/unit being rented.
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Q. Who would be responsible for any disbursements in connection with the search for new tenants (newspapers adds, etc.), and if it's going to be your responsibility, to what extent? A. It is part of Management's (our) financial responsibility to prospect for new tenants. As an active management and rental office, we have an active list of prospects currently looking for apartments.
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Q. What is your practice of dealing with tenants in case of their failure to pay rent, how much time do you give them to cure the default? A. The lease is the governing document in our dealings with tenants: rent is due on the 1st of each month, paid in full. A monthly statement is sent out from our office to every tenant approximately 5 to 7 days before due date, along with a pre-addressed return envelope. We also accept Visa and Master Card, have on-line banking available, or rent can be dropped off at our Scranton office (24/7 with our mail drop). If rent is not received or postmarked by the 5Th of the month, there is a late fee, typically $50.00. If it is not received by the 10Th of the month, another fee is charged. If not received by the 15Th of the month, the tenant is legally served a 3-day notice to pay or quit. After that 3 days, if rent is still not received, we file with the appropriate Magisterial Justice's office (court).
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Q. In the event a court proceeding is necessary in order to collect the rent, are you going to initiate and prosecute such proceeding on my behalf? Would I have to sign a power of attorney in your favor? A. The signed management agreement has enough legal weight to start the process and file for the hearing. Before the hearing date, we would technically need a Court- generated document signed by the Owner that would be additional proof when appearing before the Magisterial Justice. I say "tech nically" because we have never been asked for that document by the Justice during the hearing process or court date, but we are always prepared. |
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Q. What would be the cost of necessary cleaning and renovation after the tenants move out and before an apartment gets leased to new tenants? Do you maintain any checklists as to things to be done at an apartment before a new lease? A. The answer is, it depends on the individual situation. Some tenants are better housekeepers than others, and the unfortunate truth is that some tenants are destructive. Digital photos are always taken of the unit before a tenant moves in, and immediately after a tenant vacates. The owner will receive these digital photos by email, along with a detailed list of work necessary to bring the unit up to proper rent-able condition.
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| Q. How much do you charge for response to the emergency calls from my tenants in case any repairs are needed? Do you use specific suppliers/contractors and what are their basic charges?
A. Taking emergency calls is part of the standard management service agreement. That agreement will limit the amount of money we can expend for repairs/maintenance to a unit depending on the instruc tions of the Owner. For example, if the owner sets a $150.00 cap on service calls, we are obligated The Owner is NOT required to use our service personnel, contractors or suppliers. The owner may choose any vendor at any time, for any repair issue. Further, our rules are simple for the tenant to follow: if the toilet backs up, we call our sewer tech.
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Q. Are you going to be responsible for the paperwork in connection with payment of bills (mortgage, insurance, taxes, sewer, garbage removal, etc.)? A. We do have a bookkeeping department but we normally do not cover payment of the bills men tioned above. However, we will consider, on a case-by-case basis, making regular payments for bills for the Owner. If we do reach an agreement with the Owner of a property, we pay those bills on-line, electronically, with a bank account set up specifically for that property. We will not be responsible for any bank errors.
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Q. Are you going to monitor the general condition of the properties and make necessary repairs regardless of the tenant's complaints? If so, what are your procedures in that respect? A. Depending on the type of property, IE; single family, duplex, multi-family building, common areas must be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, usually every other week. We will give notice and written recommendations to the Owner about items that need attention. Further, our website has an area where an Owner may log in to view their building's maintenance requests from tenants, and the status and disposition of those requests.
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Q. According to my agreement with my tenants, they take care of mowing the loans using the equipment provided by me. Would it change if you take over the management responsibilities? A. Only if you wanted it to change. Lawn maintenance and snow removal can be arranged for with Management or through outside contractors/vendors at the Owner's choice. However, Owners should be cautioned that there have been cases where a tenant has sued and won be cause the tenant was injured using on Owner's equipment. (An indemnity clause regarding this should be signed by the tenant and kept on file, but that is no guarantee against possible legal action.)
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Q. In one of my houses, both apartments have rent overdue exceeding the tenants' security deposits. They keep making their rent payments, but not enough to reduce the arrears. How do you usually deal with such cases? A. Unless instructed otherwise by the Owner, Management has a responsibility to serve notice on any delinquent tenant. Management of the Owner's property is a business; while it often happens that a tenant can get a self-managed building Owner's sympathy that is not the case with Management.
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Q. Do you charge tenants with late payment fees? A. Yes, see above. |
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Q. Do you provide any sort of monthly reports as to the rent collected, charges incurred, etc.? A. Owners receive regular monthly statements as to each unit/building being managed, and the fees /money collected/disbursed. Our password-protected website gives the Owner the option of checking the status of their account on a 24/7 basis.
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Q. Can I see a form of your standard agreement? Most importantly, I'd like to know how much you charge for your services, what is the term of your standard agreement and how it can be terminated. A. We'll be happy to show you a standard agreement when we meet. Our management fee structure is simple: 10% of collected rent, including late fees or other tenant fees. One month's rent as Management fee for filling a vacancy (under the parameters discussed above). A separate fee schedule will be attached to the agreement for the following items: serving notice-to-pay-or-quit, court filings, court appearance on behalf of Owner, and if necessary, Constable-enforced eviction attendance and lock-changing.
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| Frequently Asked Questions By Tenants | |
Q. When I find a home or apartment I want to rent, what's the next step? A. The next step is to fill out an application. This is available on our website, under 'documents' to download, complete, and fax to us, or drop off to the office. If you do not have a computer, you can stop by our office at 1814 Linden Street, Scranton, PA18510 to fill out an application in person. After an application is filed, you will then need to answer an email regarding a credit check. There is a fee for the credit check that is about $12.00 per person that must be paid either by credit, debit, or money order.
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Q. What documents are needed for my application to be processed? A. A copy of IDs, three most reent paystubs, a copy of utility bills, a copy of rent recipts, and a copy of birth certificates for any minors. These can be faxed, or brought by the office where we can make a copy for you.
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Q. How long does it take to approve my application? A. Once we have received all necessary paperwork, an application can be processed within 24 hours, excluding weekends.
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Q. My credit is not great. Will this hurt my chances of being approved for the rental? A. We run credit reports in order to verify your identity, as well as make sure that any problems that you may have had with your credit in your past are behind you. As long as your identity is verified, and you have not been evicted in the past, your credit will not particularly effect your chances of approval The final decision of approval is the property owner's.
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Q. Why so much paperwork? A. It is part of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Rules and Regulations. By policy, and legal obligation, this information is required. We live in a post-911 world. For the safety of all our residents, we need to know who we are dealing with.
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Q. How much money must I put down to move in? A. In most cases, a security deposit (equal to the montly rent), and first months rent are requred in order to move in.
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Q. Do you require a lease, and how long is it? A. Yes, and the standard lease is 12 months. |
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Q. What about pets?
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Q. What happens if I have to move before the end of the lease? A. If you need to move before the end of your lease, you must notify us within 60 days of your planned move- out date with a written statement by mail or email. No phone calls.
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Q. Where do I send my rent? Do you take checks? A. Rent can be sent to PO BOX 321 Scranton PA 18501
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Q. What happens if I'm late with my rent? If rent is not received or postmarked by the 5Th of the month, there is a late fee, typically $50.00. If it is not received by the 10Th of the month, another fee is charged. If not received by the 15Th of the month, the tenant is legally served a 3-day notice to pay or quit. After that 3 days, if rent is still not received, we file with the appropriate Magisterial Justice's office (court).
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Q. Are there any 'house rules'? A. No business may be run out of the house.
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Q. What about smoking? A. No smoking permitted inside the units. Outside only. Smoking materials must be properly disposed of.
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Q. If there is a maintenance issue, how do you handle it? A. For issues that need immdiate attention, like water leak or electrical issue, call our maintenence department. For all other issues, a written request can be made trhough email to marc.landmarkmgmt@gmail.com In case of a life and death emergency, call 911
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Q. If I have a friend or relative that wants to move in with me, what happens? A. You have to call in to let us know,and it will be an additional $100 per person. They must also go through the same application process to move in.
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Q. At the end of the lease term, what if I want to stay longer, can I get a renewal? A. Yes. Your lease is automatically renewed. A lease renewal package is sent a month before your lease ends. |
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| Rental Application Approval Standards | |
Note: In the absence of an applicant who meets all of the standards set forth below, the owner may accept an applicant that does not meet or exceed some or all of the items listed below. Credit Report: Criminal Background: Income: Rental History: Identification: Other Documentation: |
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