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Availability
Rent
Late Fees
Security Deposits
Pets
Returned Checks
General
Maintenance
Back to Top What does "No" mean? When a property's individual web page lists "Available: No" that means that the home is currently occupied and not available for a new lease. We try to keep the website as up-to-date as possible. A few months before a resident's lease is due to expire, we contact them to find out their plans, whether they wish to renew the lease or if they will be moving. Once we know when the home will become available, we will change the website accordingly. The "Available" line will then indicate the approximate date that the home will be available for a new lease. Back to Top What should I do if I really want to live at this location? The best advice is to keep checking our website - as soon as we know, we'll make the change to the website and list the approximate date that the property will be available for a new lease. Note that while many leases mirror the college semester periods (this being a 'college town' with a great many students renting property), individual leases may very well have different ending dates. Back to Top What does the DATE mean next to 'Available' ? If a specific date is listed under the Availability section, that means that the current resident will be moving out and after a short "turn over" period, a new resident could occupy the property on the date listed. If the property is currently available for immediate move-in, it will be listed as "Available: Now" Back to Top What does "Now" mean? If the Availability section lists "Now" then there is no resident currently occupying the location and a new lease could be signed for immediate move-in. Back to Top The website says that this property is available, but when I call, I am told it is already leased! We strive to keep the website as up-to-date as possible, but for the most current information, please call our office and speak to a property manager. Back to Top I moved in after the 1st of the month; when is my rent due? Rent is generally pro-rated based on your move-in date. For example, if you move in on the 15th (the middle of the month), you might only pay half the rent for that month. Following full months would of course be at the normal full monthly rate. Note that there may be "move-in specials" or other considerations that could result in lower than normal rates - these will be explained on the lease in detail. Back to Top Your office was closed - how can I pay my rent? Rent can be mailed to our post-office box address at: First Property Services P.O. Box 3607 Tallahassee, FL 32315 Rent can also be dropped off at our office (265 Pinewood Drive) through the mail slot in the door even if the office is closed - there is a basket below the mail slot to catch checks/envelopes. Remember: Make sure to include your rental address on your payment and make sure it's signed! Back to Top Can I pay my rent by credit / debit card? There is a credit-card / debit-card machine at a few of the properties we manage but such payments are ONLY accepted at those locations. Note that while we do not accept "direct deposit" from banks, most banks can set up bill payment arrangements whereby they will mail us your rent check every month. Contact your bank for details and make sure they include your name and rental address on their payments. Back to Top Can someone ELSE pay my rent FOR me? Only people listed on the lease (and their guarantors) can pay with a personal check, but we will accept money orders or cashiers checks from others. Back to Top Can I break my rent payments up into multiple payments? In general, no. Under special circumstances, you may contact your property manager to discuss such matters on a case by case basis. Back to Top Can you hold my check for a few days before depositing it in the bank? No - we process several hundred checks and money orders every month and it's impractical to filter out those checks that are not "good" for a few days. If the funds are not available when you give us the personal check, do not give us the check. Back to Top Can I date my check for a few days in the future? No - we do not accept post-dated checks. If the funds are not available when you give us the personal check, do not give us the check. Back to Top Why wasn't my check deposited on the day I dropped it off at your office? We process several hundred checks each month on behalf of dozens of different property owners. Our process can sometimes take a day or so from the time we receive your check until the time it is deposited in the bank. We try to be as prompt as we can but if, for example, a payment is dropped off on a busy Thursday afternoon, it's possible that we'll be too busy to include it in the Friday morning deposits and it may not be deposited until the following Monday. Back to Top I accidentally overpaid my rent - can I get the extra money back? No - once you've given us the payment, we'll process the money as rent. Many residents pay their rent in advance (sometimes even months in advance) and as a result, it's hard for us to know whether you intend to pay toward future rent or not. Back to Top Can I pay my rent in cash? No - it is our standing policy that we do not deal in cash funds at any time. This is for our protection and yours. Rent payments may be made by money order, cashiers check, or personal check (from someone on the lease or a guarantor). All funds must be drawn on U.S. banks. NOTE: After the 5th of the month, personal checks for that month will not be accepted; payments must be by money order or cashiers checks. Back to Top When is rent due? Rent is due on the first of every month. Your first month's rent is usually due on the date you move in, which may not be the first of the month. However, every subsequent month, rent will be due on the first of the month. Although many leases allow a five day "grace period" before late fees are applied, the rent should be paid by the first. Back to Top My check was dated on the 1st - why was I charged late fees? Late fees are assessed based on when the funds are made available to us. For example, a check that is dated on the 1st but is delivered to our office on the 6th is late (and would be returned to the resident since after the 5th only money orders are cashiers checks are accepted). Back to Top I mailed my check on the 5th - why was I charged late fees? Payments that are mailed to our post-office box must be post-marked by the 5th to be considered on-time. Federal holidays or other things that may delay the post-marking of your payment should be taken into consideration in advance. Rent is always due on the FIRST of the month. Back to Top Can my last month's rent be taken from my security deposit? No - the security deposit is intended to provide a form of guarantee that you will return the residence to the condition in which you found it. Back to Top I have moved out - when will I get my security deposit? State law gives us thirty days to inform you if we are taking any amount away from your security deposit. In general, however, we try to process your move-out as soon after you move out as possible. In most cases, it would be prudent to allot one to two weeks for processing. Back to Top My roommate and I have moved out, but my roommate got the entire security deposit! Generally speaking, the entire security deposit is sent to the first name on the lease; your property manager can discuss the issue in more detail. Any changes that would need to be made to this standard practice should be discussed well in advance of move-out. Back to Top I didn't have a pet when I moved in, but I want to get one now - what do I have to do? First, check with your property manager to make sure that pets are allowed - some owners strictly forbid pets in their properties, or there may be other reasons that pets are not allowed (i.e. new carpet). If pets are allowed, the property manager will make sure that the pet conforms to our pet policy (see here). In short, no very young animals (puppies, kittens) and no animals over approximately 25 lbs are allowed. If a pet is approved, then a non-refundable pet fee must be paid. Typically this is $100 for a cat or $200 for a dog. A pet agreement must be signed as well. Back to Top I had a pet when I moved in, and paid a pet fee, but I no longer have a pet - can I get my money back? No - the pet fee is a non-refundable fee. Back to Top I had one pet, but now I have a different pet; do I have to make another pet fee payment? As long as the pets all conform to our pet policies, and as long as the total number of pets is the same, you should not need to pay another pet fee. Please inform the property manager of any such changes, however. Back to Top I'm just watching a friend's pet for a few days; is that okay? If you were not granted permission to have a pet, then no pets will be allowed, no matter how temporary their stay. Back to Top I have an exotic pet (not a cat or dog) - is that okay? It depends on the property in question whether pets of any kind are allowed. Exotic pets will be handled by the property manager on a case-by-case basis. Back to Top My rent check is going to "bounce" - what should I do? First, contact your property manager. In most cases, we prefer to wait until we are notified by our bank that the check has been returned. At that point, you will be advised to bring in the amount of the returned check (in the form of a money order or cashiers check only) as well as the returned check charge detailed on your lease. This Returned Check Charge will usually vary based on the amount of the check that was returned. Although the rent is not considered "paid" until the returned check is replaced, if you notify us that your check will be returned before our bank notifies us, any additional late fees may be waived. Back to Top Why did First Property Services return my check to me? We generally return personal checks if we cannot accept them for some reason. For example, sometimes residents forget to sign their checks, or they forget to fill in the script / legal line, or the check is from someone who is not on the lease (and not a guarantor). Your property manager will contact you to explain why the check was returned and what needs to be done to make it acceptable. Note: After the fifth of the month, we no longer accept personal checks for that month's rent, so make sure your personal checks are delivered to our office or post-marked by the 5th. Back to Top What is the Square Footage of this property? We do not keep records of the square footage of the properties we manage. Prospective residents are welcome to measure the rooms during a walk-through with the property manager, who may be able to provide a general estimate of the sizes of the rooms. Back to Top Are you open on weekends? Our main office is not open on weekends, but it may be possible to arrange a weekend showing of property - call the office well before the weekend to schedule! Back to Top Can I sign a lease for less than a year? Some properties have flexible lease terms - please call the office for more information. Note that in no case is it possible to have a lease period of less than six months (except perhaps in the rare case of a sub-lease with less than six months remaining on the original lease). Back to Top What do I do if I have a maintenance problem? During regular office hours you can call our main office at (850) 521 - 0306 and submit a work order request. If there is a resident manager for the property, you may contact them. Additionally, if the matter is not pressing, you can e-mail maintenance@FirstPropertyServices.com and submit a work order request. Please be sure to include your name, the rental address, the nature of the problem, and a means of contacting you should we have any questions. Back to Top What if I have a maintenance problem after-hours? We have an emergency pager that can be used for problems that arise after working hours or on weekends, etc. NOTE: This emergency pager should only be used for true emergencies. Routine maintenance requests can be left on the office voicemail system or can be sent by email as usual. The property manager will discuss what constitues an "emergency' and provide the pager number upon move-in. Back to Top When will my maintenance issue be resolved? Matters that require immediate attention will receive it. For routine issues, maintenance personnel are generally assigned tasks in the morning for the entire day. To optimize and streamline our processes, certain properties are generally visited on certain days, although special circumstances may warrant a visit outside the normal schedule. |
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First Property Services of Tallahassee, Inc
P.O. Box 3607, Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 521 - 0306
FAX: (850) 222 - 2073
Email:fps@firstpropertyservices.com
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First Property Services of Tallahassee, Inc
P.O. Box 3607, Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 521 - 0306
FAX: (850) 222 - 2073
Email:fps@firstpropertyservices.com
* ~ * ~ *