TENANT FAQS
You’ve Got Questions–We’ve Got Answers
Berry & Blair make it easy for tenants to get the answers they need about the rental process. View the following tenant application requirements and tenant questions below for more information
IMPORTANT: All application fees are non-refundable
WHAT ARE YOUR APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS?
CREDIT SCORE VERIFICATION: All applicants must have a TransUnion Vantage score (individual or group average) of 650 or above to qualify for a property. Landlords can require an additional deposit and a risk administration fee if necessary
INCOME VERIFICATION: All applicants must earn a combined gross income equal to a minimum of 3 times the monthly rent. If the rent is $2,000 per month, applicants must make a minimum combined total of $6,000 per month. We require current paystubs and verify employment with current employers
BACKGROUND CHECK: We will perform a Criminal, Sex Offense, and Terrorist database check for all occupants over the age of 18. We do not rent to any person required to register as a sex offender. Criminal backgrounds involving violent crimes, prostitution, domestic violence, arson and/or involving the possession of weapons or illegal substances are all grounds for denial of an application
BANKRUPTCY: Bankruptcy may be grounds for denial if under 7 years
LANDLORD VERIFICATION: We contact current and previous Landlords to verify prospects have a clean rental history free of evictions, issues, and outstanding balances
MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS: In the case that we receive multiple applications, we do not operate on a first come - first serve basis. We run credit on all fully submitted applications and the final decision is based upon on Credit Score and Rental History. In the event that there was a more qualified applicant, Berry & Blair will hold their application for 90 days should the applicant decide to move the application to another listing or the application falls through
ARE ALL PROPERTIES FOR RENT ON YOUR WEBSITE?
If there is an ‘Apply Now’ button on the property you’re interested in, it’s available. Our website is current, and as properties lease, they are removed from our search results
When searching for availability within certain time periods, please use the search options available to narrow your search
Please pay close attention to the dates listed beside the property for which you would like to apply
HOW DO I APPLY FOR A PROPERTY?
Each applicant over the age of 18 who plans to live at the property must fill out an individual application and pay a non-refundable application fee of $50 each. Application fees must be received in full before the application can be processed
ARE UTILITIES INCLUDED IN THE RENT?
This depends on the property. Each property page will have information regarding utilities and what the future tenant will be responsible for
WHAT AMENITIES ARE INCLUDED?
This depends on the property as each rental is unique and different. Each rental listing will include information regarding the amenities that are included in your lease
WILL I SIGN A LEASE?
Yes, you will sign a 12 month lease that goes over our responsibilities to each other throughout our tenancy. Lease signings are done electronically. After your application is approved, your lease is signed, your deposit is received, and you have provided us with proof of Tenants insurance, we’ll hand you the keys to your home
WILL I NEED TO PICK UP KEYS THE DAY OF MY SCHEDULED MOVE IN?
No, a lockbox will be placed at the property. The day your lease begins you will receive the lockbox code at 12:00 PM so long as your lease has been signed, deposits and first month's rent has been paid, and proof of Tenant insurance has been collected. You are able to pay your deposits, rent, and upload documents via your tenant portal
HOW DO I TOUR THE PROPERTY?
If you would like to schedule a showing, please contact us directly. At this time due to covid, we are only able to show vacant units. Once you have an appointment confirmed, a property manager will meet you at the property for a showing at your scheduled day and time. Ask our leasing team if your property has a 3d video tour
ARE ALL PROPERTIES PET-FRIENDLY?
Some of our properties do allow pets, this depends on the Owner of that specific property. Please refer to the pet policy for the property you are interested in to confirm if pets are allowed and the requirements
ARE THERE BREED RESTRICTIONS?
Yes, “Restricted Breed Of Dog” shall mean any American Pit bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Wolf dog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog (Old Country Bulldog), Dogo Argentino, Canary Dog (Canary Island Dog, Presa Canario, Perro De Presa Canario), Presa Mallorquin (Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Ca De Bou), Timber Shepherd, Chow-Chow, Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, Akita, Tosa Inu (Tosa Fighting Dog, Japanese Fighting Dog, Japanese Mastiff), Cane Corso (Cane Di Macellaio, Sicilian Branchiero), Fila Brasileiro or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of the above breeds. This list is subject to change
IF I AM A STUDENT WILL I NEED A CO-SIGNER?
All students are required to have a co-signer to satisfy the lease requirement. The co-signer can be a parent or relative who will guarantee the financial obligations of the lease. Your co-signer will sign a separate lease guarantee agreement in addition to the lease. All documents will be sent out for electronic signature via DocuSign
HOW DO I ADD A ROOMMATE OR CO-SIGNER TO MY APPLICATION?
You can add a roommate or co-signer to your application under Step 4: “Additional Applicants”. On Step 4: Select the ‘Add Applicant’ box and the first additional applicant fields will appear. Fill in the required info, specify relationship from the drop down menu, select the action to add, and then you will have the option to ‘Send Invitation’
WHEN IS THE SECURITY AND PET DEPOSITS DUE?
Your security deposit and any pet deposits are due in full within 48 hrs after signing your lease before move-in. We do not accept cash payments or personal checks. The security deposit is not applied towards your first or last month of rent
Acceptable forms of payment are:
Money orders
Cashier’s checks
Bill Pay checks issued directly from your Financial Institution
Electronic payments through your Tenant Portal:
Credit Cards
ACH/Electronic Check
Please verify the appropriate Routing and Account number with your Financial Institution before submission
WHEN WILL MY SECURITY DEPOSIT BE RETURNED?
Your security deposit will be returned to the forwarding address you provide after you move out within the allowed time frame set forth by your states law. Your check-in sheet and pictures you turned in at the beginning of your lease term will be referenced and compared to the condition of the property at move-out
HOW DO I COMPLETE THE CHECK-IN SHEET?
In your first week of residency, you will receive the check-in sheet via DocuSign. This checklist will be reviewed by our staff when you move-out of your unit. If you find any items that may need attention after move-in, please submit a maintenance request through your tenant portal
HOW DO I PAY RENT?
You can pay your rent online with a checking account or credit card, or with a cashier’s check or money order.
Online payments can be set up to withdraw monthly by selecting the ‘Automatic Recurring Payment’ option. You can also select to pay your rent manually each month by selecting the ‘One-Time Payment’ option. The payment screen in your resident portal provides more details about online payments
NOTE: Before submitting your payment, you will be shown a confirmation amount (including all fees) before final submission. Please verify this number is accurate before submitting
WHEN IS RENT CONSIDERED LATE?
Rent is due and payable on the 1st of each month and considered late if not received by the 4th of the month, which means you have a 3 day grace period
The initial late fee is $80. After that, it’s a per-day late fee specified in your lease. If we recently took over management of your building and you are not yet on a Berry & Blair lease, please refer to your current lease for details
HOW LONG DOES MY TENANT PORTAL TAKE TO PROCESS PAYMENTS?
It takes 2-3 business days after your payment is submitted for you to see the money withdrawn from your account. If you have automatic payments set up, the date that you selected for the payment to pull is the day that the payment process begins, not the day it is withdrawn from your bank account
HOW DO I SUBMIT A MAINTENANCE REQUEST?
All non-emergency maintenance requests are required to be put in writing via your online Tenant Portal. The Landlord is not obligated to complete a repair on a day other than a business day but we do attempt to assign work orders to our independent vendors as quickly as possible
DO YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE LINE?
Yes, we provide a 24/7 on-call emergency maintenance phone service. We rotate on-call at our office and a Property Manager is always available to assist you. An emergency is considered something that will cause IMMEDIATE HARM to you or the property including but not limited to fire, flood, gas leak, no power, water leaks, no heat, no hot water, and a clogged toilet in a single-bathroom unit that cannot be plunged. No AC is not an emergency. If you are locked out of your unit, please contact a locksmith at your expense
CAN I BE CHARGED FOR MAINTENANCE?
Yes, if resident damage or neglect causes the maintenance, you will be charged for it. Also, you can be billed for a service call if you miss a coordinated appointment with one of our maintenance contractors
CAN STAFF OR VENDORS ENTER MY HOME AT ANY TIME?
There are a number of reasons why property managers or maintenance staff may need to enter your home, but we will always alert you at least 24 hours in advance before entering. According to your lease anyone authorized will attempt to first contact the Tenant, but may enter the Property at reasonable times with notice to make repairs or to show the Property to prospective tenants or buyers, inspectors, fire marshals, lenders, appraisers, or insurance agents. We may enter the property without notice only in the case of an emergency. We do not provide access keys to vendors for routine repairs, tenants must schedule all work directly and be available to allow vendors to complete the required work
DO I NEED RENTERS INSURANCE?
Yes. All tenants are required to obtain renters insurance prior to moving into the property. You will need to provide proof of Tenant insurance before we will give you the keys to the property
Renters insurance typically provides the tenant with:
Personal Property Contents Coverage – In case of fire, theft, and other occurrences covered by your policy, this coverage protects your personal property
Personal Liability – This covers you from claims made against you by someone else
Additional Living Expense – If your current living arrangement becomes unlivable due to fire, theft, or other damages, this grants you money for living expenses
Premises Medical Coverage – This pays the medical expenses of visitors or other individuals who are accidentally injured on the property you are renting
CAN I ADD A ROOMMATE LATER?
Yes, please contact your Property Manager. A new roommate must fill out an application, pass screening, and be added to your lease
CAN I REMOVE A ROOMMATE FROM THE LEASE?
Please contact your Property Manager so they can create an addendum to your lease to remove a tenant. 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
CAN I TRANSFER MY LEASE TO SOMEONE ELSE?
Please contact your Property Manager to discuss your situation. In order to be considered for a lease transfer, the prospective replacement tenant must go through the application process & qualify based on the same criteria
AM I ALLOWED TO SUBLEASE?
No. Berry & Blair does not allow subletting. You may not sublease your apartment
CAN I BREAK MY LEASE?
Please contact your Property Manager to discuss possible options
CAN I LIST MY PROPERTY ON AIRBNB OR OTHER SHORT TERM RENTAL SITES?
No, if you list your property on Airbnb or any similar website you are in violation of your lease
CAN I GET A PET AFTER I MOVE IN?
You will need to contact our office to discuss adding a pet to your lease agreement. This may or may not be possible depending on the Owner of the property
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF MY LEASE?
A new fixed term lease will be offered at the Owner’s sole discretion. New leases will be sent out 60-90 days prior to your current lease expiring outlining any new lease terms including rent increases. It is not customary for any Owner to agree on a month-to-month term; most leases will be offered as fixed, with a minimum lease of 1 year
IF I PLAN TO MOVE OUT AT THE END OF MY LEASE, DO I NEED TO GIVE NOTICE?
Yes. Berry & Blair lease agreements stipulate a written notice to vacate, which must be received in writing at least 60 days prior to the end of the lease term
ITS MOVE OUT DAY, WHAT TIME DO I NEED TO BE OUT BY?
Your property must be vacated by 10 AM on your lease termination date. If you are unsure of your move out date, please review your lease or log into your tenant portal and navigate to your online documents on the top right-hand corner of the page
Failure to vacate by 10 AM will result in a $200-300/per day late move out charge as stipulated in your lease. Please plan ahead. As long as you returned all the necessary items on your move out checklist, nothing else is required from you to move-out
HOW DO I RETURN MY KEYS?
Before your move out day approaches, your property manager will place a lockbox at your property. Please place your property key inside the lockbox when you leave. Any additional keys such as mail keys, fobs, etc. can be left on the kitchen counter
WHAT MAINTENANCE IS PERFORMED AT MOVE OUT?
You have the right to fix any minor items that may have broken throughout the year due to unordinary use. A best practice is to walk your unit and compare the check-in sheet you completed at move-in versus the current condition to understand the scope of damage. That is what our office does when evaluating invoices and assessing responsibility between the property owner versus the resident. Replacing non functional light bulbs, air filters, smoke detector batteries, window screens, and blinds are items that could be done in the month before you vacate
However, understand your skills when completing repairs. It's often more expensive for a professional vendor to un-do your work if the repair was not done correctly. A common example of this would be do-it-yourself-drywall patches or buying the wrong materials to make a repair. Plan ahead and if you have something in your house that's broken right now, submit a maintenance request so that we can fix it ahead of your move-out
CAN I PAINT THE WALLS AT MY PROPERTY?
Requests to paint the walls a different color than what is currently there must be in writing and requires the owner’s consent. Please let us know which wall or rooms you are interested in changing, submit the color for approval, and we will submit your request to the owner
CAN I CHANGE THE LOCKS?
No, you cannot change the locks at your property yourself. Re-keying the property without our permission is a serious lease violation. We must have copies of all keys for emergency purposes
All notices or requests submitted by the Tenant for rekeying, changing, installing, repairing, or replacing security devices must be submitted in writing. Installation of additional security devices or additional rekeying or replacement of security devices desired by the Tenant will be paid by the Tenant in advance and must be installed only by vendors authorized by our office
CAN I LEAVE TRASH AND FURNITURE AT THE PROPERTY FOR CLEANERS TO REMOVE AND DISPOSE?
Do not leave any furniture or trash inside of the property or outside on the driveway or street. Do not illegally dump, stack, or place trash or furniture around your trash containers. Do not overfill or place items next to your trash cans. You will be charged for any of these scenarios above as we have to pay for a vendor to haul these items to the dump. If items are left, it can become incredibly expensive and is avoidable, so plan ahead and properly dispose of your furniture or let us know ahead of time if you plan to leave particular items behind
WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE A NOISE COMPLAINT OR ISSUE WITH A NEIGHBOR?
Please contact your Property Manager during normal business hours. If the issue occurs after business hours, please call the non-emergency police line. If the police come to the building, please ask the officer to write an official report in case an eviction has to be filed against the offender
WHAT IF I DO NOT SEE THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION HERE?
Please submit your question to us in writing at info@berryandblair.com