You work hard and every dollar you make is valuable. It is said that 50% of your income should go to essentials like rent. When you live in an apartment building, you should have a property management company. There are certain simple essentials that the property management should provide for you in exchange for the rent that you pay. If your property management does not provide these things, then you can go to a renters advocate and help your property management provide what they are supposed to. The last thing you want is your property management taking your rent and buying themselves $50 dollar bottles of wine instead of taking care of that bed bug problem your building has.
Location specific temperature control
Depending on where you live, it is required that your property management provide what it takes to keep your apartment at the proper temperature for safety. Examples of this are air conditioning in places where it gets very hot and heaters where it gets very cold. In Denver, Colorado the apartments are provided with a heating system. Places like Cincinnati Ohio property managers Denver’s or say Florida’s.
Provide an apartment free of pests
Right now there is a very high existence of bed bugs in apartment buildings. Roaches are another problem. It is the duty of every property management to do all the necessary pest control to rid your apartment of roaches. This includes going into other people’s apartment who do not want management in their apartment. These are the people who can possibly have uncleanliness that is attracting roaches. Even if your apartment is rid of pests when you move in, if other people have roaches the roaches will be attracted to your apartment once you put food in your cabinets. Management should also rid the place of mice or rats as well.
Reasonable control of their tenants
You have a right to peace in your apartment. The property management needs to address all reasonable complaints about other tenants. This involves complaints of unreasonable noise. Garbage being left outside of apartments. Storage of items on balconies or outside of apartments.
Maintenance in a timely manner
If something breaks in your apartment, there should be a system in place for you to report the issue. The issue should be addressed in a timely manner. Things like showers, toilets, and sinks are all necessary for clean and good living. Hot water and running water should be available always. Any amenities like washers and dryers, pools, etc. should all be kept in good working order.
Proper payment availability
Most apartments have online payment systems that make paying rent easy. This also is a great way to show proof of payment. All property management should have a system in place to take your money for rent when it is due. There should be an efficient recording system to show immediately that you paid your rent. This can be a form of a receipt or online confirmation. This is to ensure that there is no discrepancy about whether your property management has received your rent payment or not.
The Basics
Your property management is responsible to provide you with a clean apartment to start, you are responsible to keep the apartment clean after you move in, a clean apartment building, reasonable peace and quiet, a pest-free apartment, running water, a bathroom, a kitchen, and living space. The apartment should be ample warm in the winter and cool during the summer unless otherwise arranged. They should care about the safety of the tenants and make you aware if they need to enter your apartment for any reason. They also should not give anyone else access to your apartment without your permission.
Honesty in Delivery
When you look at an apartment, it is necessary for your property management to be honest with you. What you look at and expect to get when you sign a lease is what they need to deliver. Ask many questions before signing a lease. Read reviews to make sure your potential property management seem to deliver on what they say.
Decent Upkeep
It is the property management’s responsibility to keep the grounds of the apartment clean and free from mess. This includes dealing with people who have dogs in the apartment. The dog owner should be responsible for cleaning up after their dog. The management is responsible for having proper garbage pick-up every week or even twice a week to prevent overflowing dumpsters. The exterior of an apartment along with windows should all be decent and any damages should be fixed in a timely manner.
Communication
You should always feel that property management is there to help you. You should be able to contact them through email or go in person to an office to work out anything you need. There should always be a response from your management company to whatever it is you are concerned about. This is what you are paying them for. It is good to find out about the management before you decide to move into a place. You can also google Cincinnati Ohio property managers or wherever you plan to move to find out the reviews and rating of the best property management in the area. They are not obligated to take care of everything right away, but they need to answer you with a response to let you know when your issue will be resolved. This is the only type of management to deal with. Anything less is not a management company you want to deal with.
It is always exciting to move, but you do not want the excitement to cause you to overlook bad management. Sometimes it is better to do away with fancier apartments in favor of better management. Sometimes large apartment complexes are overwhelmed with issues that they can not get everything done in a timely manner. It is very important to do your due diligence when moving into a new apartment. Once you are locked into a lease, it costs a lot of money to get out of a lease. You want to love the place you live in and it makes a big difference to have confidence in your property management.