renters

welcome renters! you’ve probably reached this because you are either considering renting one of our available units or you are one of our current tenants. in all cases, we here at dwell management wish to thank you! we are here to serve you, so this page is for you. the information below will explain some of our most basic policies that often go unsaid. we want to keep our renters from being confused as to how dwell management works or what will be expected from you as our tenant. this is not an exhaustive list and some policies may be changed before they are updated here. so, if you have any questions or if you feel we’ve cut short a subject that would be helpful to you on this page, please contact us…and remember, don’t just live…dwell.

INDEX: click a subject to see more info.

 

application process

when you apply for a rental with dwell management you can expect the following:

  1. we work on a first-come-first-serve basis which means that the first application we receive (including all documentation and processing fee paid) will be given first consideration until a decision is made to either approve or deny the application.  if you are interested in a property that already has an application pending, you will be allowed to submit a back-up application. make sure to ask us if we have any other back-up applications so you know where you will be in the queue. if you are one of our back-up applications, we will not begin processing your application until the application in front of you has been denied. if you change your mind and wish to withdraw your application, please call us immediately because once your application is next in line, we will automatically begin processing your application. in any case, you can expect a courtesy call from us to either let you know another application has been approved or to let you know we have begun processing your application.
  2. processing an application can take as little as a couple of hours to a couple of days to approve. why the time difference? we are dependant on your references to return our calls and sometimes we don’t hear back from them for a day or more. We will pull your credit/criminal/eviction histories and then we will begin calling your references. in most cases it’s very helpful for you to call your references to let them know we will be calling and to ask them to respond quickly. also, please be aware that most rental companies, including dwell management, require you to submit a 30-day notice before they will release a reference. this policy is often in an effort to protect your file and rental information from random requests. so please make sure you’ve discussed your desire to move with your current landlord before submitting an application.
  3. as it says on our application form, once your application is approved, we require payment of the reservation deposit (in the amount of the full security deposit and in certified funds) and sign our form called “intent to execute” (or sign the lease if the property is ready for move-in) to be signed within 24-hours after we’ve notified you that your application has been approved. the intent to execute form is a form that will detail out the terms we’ve agreed upon for your lease. it will give a move in date and a move in total due so you can prepare your funds appropriately. if we do not receive this form and your deposit within 24-hours, we will consider your application withdrawn and move on to our next applicant.
  4. we will sign your full lease agreement with you no later than one day before your new lease begins. this is also when the remaining balance of your move in costs are due in full. in some cases, we are able to offer payment plans for move-in costs. if you are interested in this option, please ask us if it is available on the unit you wish to apply for.

move-in

congratulations…your application has been approved and your lease has been signed for your new unit, welcome to your new home. here’s a few notes about what we expect:

  1. please make sure to keep your copy of your lease close at hand as most questions can be answered there.
  2. change all necessary utilities in to your name as of the date of your lease (see your lease, form 1, page 2 for a list). this is really important because in the event that we receive a bill for your unit past your move-in date, we will pay the bill on your behalf and you will be notified to reimburse us. if we receive a subsequent bill, we will notify the utility company to begin shut off procedures. this is not fun for any of us as no one wants to be caught with shampoo running down their face when the water gets turned off.
  3. be respectful of your new neighborhood. we know that moving can be hard and stressful but you’ll want to make a good impression with your new neighbors. see the sidebar for some do’s and don’ts:
  4. leave the lockbox on your door but make sure to take the key out. in most cases, we will be by your unit within a few days to take the lockbox off of your door.

 

during tenancy

we believe in pro-active and positive management of your unit. we desire to work with you to provide a positive rental experience. we have many tenants that have been with us for years; transitioning to different units as their life circumstances necessitated. we hope that we will have the opportunity to serve you for years to come. below is some information for you about how we operate.

  1. WHERE AND HOW TO PAY RENT.  you are welcome to visit our office to pay rent in person during business hours only. we work out of our home and in order to be in compliance with zoning regulations, you’ll need to call ahead of time to let us know you are on the way. if you are mailing payment please send it to p.o. box 11626, portland oregon 97211. if you choose to pay your rent via mail, just remember that it must be received by the fourth day of the month so please postmark your rent in plenty of time to be received by us on time. our accepted forms of payment are personal or cashier’s check, money order or cash.
  2. WHEN IS RENT CONSIDERED LATE? rent is due on the first of each month and the state gives a waiver period of four days. therefore, your rent is to be received by the fourth day of the month, no later than 11:59pm.
  3. HOW DO WE GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU IN AN EMERGENCY? in a true emergency (life threatening), please call 911. if you are experiencing an after hours maintenance emergency (which we define as a situation which cannot wait until the next business day) such as fire, flood, loss of heat in freezing temperatures or break-in which leaves your home unsecured, please call our office and transfer your call to our mobile (an option given when you call after hours) and leave a message including your phone number (very important in case we aren’t at home as we don’t have remote access to your phone number and it won’t come through on caller ID). then call again. why? because we don’t live by our phone. we are people and when we aren’t working, we do fun things with family and friends just like anyone else. but, we also understand that in our line of work, emergencies happen and we want to help in any way we can. so when we hear our phone ring a couple times in a row, we’ll go check it and see what’s up. be aware that if you call us at 9pm on a sunday night, we will hear your concern and do as much as we possibly are able, but we often won’t be able to send anyone your way until the next day. why? because plumbers don’t live by their phones either and even if we reach them, they aren’t likely to leave their homes and families at a late hour when the water can be shut off (and please do!) and a repair addressed the next day. so, do call us and do call more than once and do leave a message with your phone number but also try to understand that sometimes life happens and while it’s very scary to be in a flood situation (we’ve been there – ask rebecca to tell you the story as it’s a wild one), we are human and sometimes we aren’t perfect.
  4. DOES DWELL MANAGEMENT PERFORM REGULAR INSPECTIONS? this will vary depending on the owner of your unit. in most cases, you can expect us to do an inspection during the first six months after move-in to make sure you are doing ok and answer any questions you may have about your new home. then you can expect us about every six to twelve months. we will give you advance notice for these types of inspections. if you have any special requests regarding inspections, please contact us. occasionally, we will do additional inspections when we have reason to be concerned. these reasons may include: a utility bill being taken out of your name, returned mail, evidence of additional occupants or unauthorized pets, report from our maintenance personnel of issues in your home, etc.
  5. WHAT TO DO WITH NOISY NEIGHBORS. if you have a neighbor that is not adhering to the quiet hours in our lease agreement (10pm-8am) or is unreasonably loud any time of the day, then you may contact us to have us address the issue from a management stand point. however, it is our experience that addressing this issue directly is often the best way. simply knock on your neighbor’s door and ask them to decrease their volume level. if you don’t feel safe or there are other circumstances, please contact us.
  6. WHAT TO DO ABOUT A CHIRPING SMOKE ALARM. usually a chirping smoke alarm is an indication that the battery needs to be changed. as it states in your lease, you are responsible for changing the batteries in your smoke alarms. pick up a 10-year lithium battery from your local home supply or electronics store and replace the battery. if the chirping continues, please contact us to put in a maintenance request. if your smoke alarm is high and you don’t have a ladder, please borrow one from a friend or make other arrangements to replace the battery. if you aren’t able to make any other arrangements, you may contact us and we will send a maintenance contractor to replace your battery and will charge his time to your account.
  7. GOOD PET OWNERSHIP. most of our properties are pet friendly.  we expect good pet ownership in order to be able to continue to offer the allowance of pets. please remember that not everyone likes animals and many are afraid of them. be respectful of those around you by making sure your animal is never out of your control, including cats. if you choose to allow your cat to be outside and uncontrolled there is always the possibility that your cat will be hit by a car or attacked by another animal. if you live in a complex without fenced yards, make sure to pick up after your pet each and every time. if you do have a fenced area to let your pet out, please clean up after your pet regularly as during hot weather, the smell from a yard filled with pet waste is offensive and makes it impossible for your neighbors to enjoy their back yard.
  8. SO YOU WANT TO GET ANOTHER ANIMAL? please contact us right away. most of our units accept pets; however there are some that don’t accept pets at all. pet policies will then vary slightly depending on the owner of your unit and we wouldn’t want you to fall in love with a new animal only to find out it would not be allowed in your unit.
  9. WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PET PASSES AWAY. please send us something in writing (email, letter, note with your rent)  to let us know your animal has passed away. we will remove the animal from the lease immediately and reduce your monthly due appropriately. we are sorry for your loss.
  10. I WANT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER UNIT WITH DWELL MANAGEMENT BUT MY CURRENT LEASE ISN’T UP, IS THAT POSSIBLE? we work with transfers on a case-by-case basis. this will depend on where you would like to move. if you wish to move to another unit in your complex or one owned by the same owner, in most cases this will be allowed. however, not all owners allow tenants to move to smaller units as readily as moving to larger units. please call us for your specific request and we will walk you through the process once it has been approved by the owner of your current unit.
  11. WHO CLEANS UP THE COMMON AREAS OF MY COMPLEX? in most cases, if there are common areas at your complex, we have hired sub-contractors to maintain those areas. if you are unsure if there are common areas at your complex or if the common areas aren’t looking their best, please contact us.
  12. HOW LONG CAN I HAVE A FRIEND STAY BEFORE I HAVE TO PUT THEM ON THE LEASE? we all love to have company come to stay with us. your lease states that you may have the same visitor stay with you for up to 14 days in a calendar year before needing to discuss the situation and possibly updating your lease.
  13. HOW DO TENANTS DEAL WITH PARKING DISPUTES? if you have a dispute in your complex regarding parking, please notify us. at most of our complexes, we do not have assigned parking. we don’t assign parking because we have run in to far more problems with assigned parking due to entitlement of a parking space and the unfortunate actions of those who decide to make an entire complex suffer when someone parks in their assigned spot. unassigned parking means tenants have to work together. when there is a situation where tenants aren’t working together, we are more than happy to step in. please contact us if this is the case at your complex.
  14. I WANT A SATELITE DISH, WHAT’S THE POLICY? satellite dishes are allowed but may not be attached to any part of the building. acceptable attachment points would be a fence, deck or on a tripod. dwell management is not responsible for any stolen or damaged items. if a tenant does not adhere to this policy and chooses to attach a satellite dish to the building, unfortunate consequences may ensue such as the signing over of your first born child. ok, we’re kidding. actual consequences may include being required to remove your dish and pay for any and all damages done to the building because of the attachment such as patching holes, replacing roof shingles, etc. so in other words…please follow the policy.
  15. IS IT LEGAL FOR ME TO WORK FROM MY HOME? RUN A BUSINESS IN MY HOME? you are allowed to work from home but are not allowed to run a business out of your home without prior written consent from us. consent will only be given if first approved by the owner of your unit and doesn’t violate any city zoning codes. this policy includes child care,  senior care or pet care. be prepared to show proof of a home occupation permit for the county you reside in as well as liability insurance in the event of a client injuring themselves on the property.
  16. CAN I HAVE A SECURITY SYSTEM INSTALLED? please call us for written consent. not all of our owners allow security systems to be installed so we must address this issue on a case-by-case basis.
  17. SO YOU WANT TO HAVE A PARTY? we know that everyone likes to have an occasional party and have some friends over. see the tips on the sidebar to having one successfully (meaning your guests had a great time, your neighbors aren’t mad at you and you haven’t heard from us)
  18. CAN I MAKE MY UNIT HANDICAPED ACCESSABLE? please call us if you have a necessary change due to disability. in almost all cases, provided that the request is reasonable, a tenant can install ramps, hand rails and other assistance devices that will aid in the enjoyment of their home.
  19. CAN I PAINT THE WALLS OF MY UNIT? yes. please feel free to make your home enjoyable for yourself with a few exceptions. before you paint, you must contact us to submit paint chip samples for our written approval. if you do not obtain written approval, then you will need to return the walls to white prior to moving out. also, please be advised that if you do choose to paint and the paint job is poor (streaky, uneven cut lines at ceilings or adjacent walls, etc.) or if damage is done to any other surface (paint on woodwork, carpet, vinyl, etc.) that you will be charged for returning the walls to the original color and repairing any damage done to the unit.
  20. MY PET BROKE SOME SLATS ON MY BLINDS, WHAT DO I DO? in most cases, we suggest that you leave the blinds as they are until you decide to vacate your unit. this way, if your animals continue to do damage to the blinds it will not cost you any extra. when you get ready to move to a new place, give us a call to put in a maintenance request to repair the blinds and we will charge the labor and materials to your account which you will need to pay prior to moving out of your unit.
  21. WHAT DO I DO WHEN I’M GOING OUT OF TOWN? it’s always a good idea to let us know that you are going out of town. if you are leaving town during inclement weather, please have a friend look in after your unit and leave your faucets running and your cupboards open so heated air can get to the plumbing. also, do not to turn down your thermostat below 55 degrees. Lack of heat is a major source of damage to unattended units. if rent will be due while you are gone, make sure to pre-pay or leave your rent with a trusted friend.

 

move-out

once you submit your 30-day notice to us you can expect the following:

  1. we will begin marketing your unit right away and post you a 24-hour notice when we have prospective tenants. we aim not to show your unit more than twice a week in an effort to minimize your inconvenience. if there are any special requests you have for us when showing your unit, please make sure to contact us.
  2. please review the part of your lease that discusses move out procedures. most of these items relate to the cleaning of your unit so if you have misplaced your copy of this document, please either log on to your account with our management software or contact us so we can send a copy to you.
  3. we do not perform walk-through inspections at the end of tenancy. as you may recall, when you moved in we did not do a walk-through but instead gave you 45-days to fill out and return your move-in inspection form.  we believe in giving you ample time to inspect and live in your unit to fully appreciate its condition. It is simply not possible to be thorough in a 30 or 60 minute walk-through so we don’t do them. once you receive your security deposit settlement if you have questions or disputes, please contact us. we are very reasonable and welcome any concerns you have as we strive to make your experience with us a positive one, even after you have moved out.
  4. once your move-out date has arrived. please return all door keys (including copies), as well as any garage door openers, mailbox keys, storage keys, etc. to our office. failure to return all of the items from your unit on or before your move-out date may result in extra charges to replace such items.
  5. if you need to extend your 30-day notice for any reason, please contact as soon as you know you will need the extension because in most cases, once we have signed documents with an applicant for your unit, we are no longer able to extend your move out date.
  6. please make sure to submit a forwarding address to us for the return of your security deposit settlement. also, please make sure to have your mail forwarded so that we don’t have to return any mail to the sender.

 

relocating to the portland area as a dwell management renter

welcome to the portland metro area. we are big fans of our beautiful city and its surroundings. we look forward to having you as a dwell management renter.  we have a full set of policies that will help make your move easier:

  1. when you are just starting your search. feel free to contact us to chat through the specifics of what you are looking for in a rental. we know the neighborhoods that would best suit your set of desires for new housing. some wish to be close to a new job, others are looking for a certain demographic in which to reside, or maybe you are looking to be close to family or friends. we can help you. if you are looking to be in a particular school district, we ask that you check with that district for the housing lines as they change often and we would hate for you end up in the wrong school district because we don’t have updated information.
  2. it is not required that you see your rental prior to signing your lease with us. we know that not everyone has the time or funds to make a special trip to find new housing. we have comprehensive photos of the interiors of our units and in some cases, we are able to send over floor plan drawings.
  3. you may send funds for your processing fee and all other move-in costs via mail and we will make reasonable exceptions to our timeline policies to allow you the time to make these payments. we are working on a system that would take electronic payments from your bank account and will post that information when it is available.
  4. once your lease has been signed and all move-in costs have been paid, we will request a four digit code from you. we will use this as the code to the lockbox on your door once all turnover has been done on your unit and your locks have been changed. this will be a code that only you and our office and it’s agents have so that you can access the house when you arrive. this allows you to come in any time of the day or night and still have a place to stay.