Tenant FAQs

Tenant FAQs

When is rent due?
Due on the first and you have a 3-day grace period (no later than the 4th).

 

How do I make my monthly rent payments?
You can make payments online, in person at our office or mail it in. By check, money order or online payment on Appfolio.

 

What if I cannot pay on time?
You will receive a late fee equal to 10% of your balance owed as well as a $35 fee for being served a notice.

 

What happens if a personal check or online ACH payment is returned?
You will receive a $35 NSF fee, late fee and $35 notice fee. The re-payment will need to be made with certified funds within 48 hours or you will be subject to being served a 3 Day Notice.

 

Who can occupy my property?
Only those named on the rental lease agreement

 

What happens if my roommate does not pay their portion of the rent?
You will receive a late fee on the amount owed as well as service fee. Rent is late until it is paid in full and you will be served a 3 Day Notice. What arrangements you make between your roommates is up to you as a group.  We will expect the total rent amount to be paid monthly so you would all be delinquent if that is not accomplished. In some cases, a payment plan can be set up.

 

One of my roommates listed on the lease would like to vacate prior to the term of the lease expiring. What steps are involved in removing them from the lease?
The roommate will need to submit a 30 notice to vacate, but will still be responsible for the remainder of the lease agreement.

 

I would like to add a person to the lease?
That person must fill out an application, pay fee, have credit check, if approved will be asked to come in and sign lease.

 

How do I get a mailbox key?
Many times, we are not provided with a mail key for your unit. To obtain a key, present your rental agreement to your local post office. If you do not get a key from us then call the post office, arrange for the box to be rekeyed, get a receipt, contact bookkeeping about a credit.

 

When I moved in I did not have pets, and now I want to get one?
Send a detailed email into the leasing dept. so that the owner may be contacted. Be aware that if the property was a “no pet property” when you first rented the owner will normally not approve a pet later. Contact our office before proceeding or you can be subject to a 3 Day Notice to Perform or Quit.

 

Is renter’s insurance required?
Renters insurance is always strongly suggested to protect you and your belongings, however, there is just a limited number of owners that request it to be part of the lease.

 

How do I request maintenance?

Work orders are not monitored after normal business hours, on weekends or holidays. If this request is urgent and after normal business hours, please submit the work order and then call our office at 916-961-7368 and press 2 . Leave a detailed message and one of our maintenance staff will handle the issue promptly. PLEASE only use this line for EMERGENCY maintenance requests.


In case of an emergency such as fire, please call 911. 


For non-emergency requests, please submit a maintenance request via your portal, if you have not activated your portal here is a link for the instructions: 


https://www.appfolio.com/help/online-portal


Please submit your maintenance requests via your Tenant Portal.
 
You may also submit your requests via email to TeamPurple@horizonproperties.com or call (916) 961-7368 .

 

Can I be charged for a maintenance issue?
As stated in your lease, any repairs needed due to tenant misuse or neglect may be billed back to the tenant. Examples may include any of these types of repairs: slow draining drains due to hair or debris going down the drain, garbage disposals jammed with food that shouldn’t go down the garbage disposal, broken glass (windows, slider doors, mirrored closet doors), clogged toilets. You can also be charged for damages caused by a guest.

 

Who is responsible for maintaining the yard?
Your lease will indicate if a gardener is provided or if you are responsible for yard care. Please make sure you plan accordingly.

 

What happens if I can’t take care of my yard?
You will need to hire someone to take care of the yard. You can contact our Maintenance department for names and phone numbers of gardeners that do work at some of the properties we manage. If you fail to take care of the yard you may receive a drive-by notice, incur fines and if we need to hire a gardener you will be responsible for the bill.

 

Can I install a satellite dish or cable?
Inquire with leasing or maintenance dept. FIRST for approval. Be aware that HOA’s have special rules to be followed.

 

Can I withhold rent until a repair is made?
If you have notified our office of a repair needed and no action has been taken within a reasonable amount of time you need to contact our Office Manager. The “repair and deduct” remedy allows a tenant to deduct money from the rent, up to the amount of one month’s rent, to pay for repair of defects in the rental unit.156 This remedy covers substandard conditions that affect the tenant’s health and safety, and that substantially breach the implied warranty of habitability.157 (See discussion of the implied warranty of habitability.) Examples might include a leak in the roof during the rainy season, no hot running water, or a gas leak.


As a practical matter, the repair and deduct remedy allows a tenant to make needed repairs of serious conditions without filing a lawsuit against the landlord. Because this remedy involves legal technicalities, it’s a good idea for the tenant to talk to a lawyer, legal aid organization, or tenants’ association before proceeding.

 

  1.  The defects must be serious and directly related to the tenant’s health and safety.
  2.  The repairs cannot cost more than one month’s rent.
  3. The tenant cannot use the repair and deduct remedy more than twice in any 12-month period.
  4.  The tenant or the tenant’s family, guests, or pets must not have caused the defects that require repair.
  5.  The tenant must inform the landlord, either orally or in writing, of the repairs that are needed. (See “Giving the landlord notice”.)
  6.  The tenant must give the landlord a reasonable period of time to make the needed repairs.

 

  • What is a reasonable period of time? This depends on the defects and the types of repairs that are needed. The law usually considers 30 days to be reasonable, but a shorter period may be considered reasonable, depending on the situation. For example, if the furnace is broken and it’s very cold outdoors, two days may be considered reasonable (assuming that a qualified repair person is available within that time period).

 

Visit http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml for more information

 

Can I make alterations to the property, such as painting?
Any alterations made to the property must have owner approval prior to completion. The maintenance department is available to assist in obtaining permission.

 

Will I be earning interest on my security deposit?
No. Your security deposit is held in a non-interest yielding account, separate from your monthly rental payments.

 

What happens to the security deposit if one person moves out?
It stays with the property. It stays until everyone from that agreement has moved out.

 

When do you show the property?
Our Showing Agent will make an appointment with you to show the house. Per your signed lease you have agreed to cooperate with showing during your 30-day notice period. We show our properties 7 days a week to prequalified people or approved applicants.

 

How often do you inspect my house?
6 months after you move in and on an annual basis after that.

 

When is the move out inspection done and can I be present?
Within 48 hours after you turn your keys in. If you want to be present, make that request at the time you turn your keys in. Include the best phone number to reach you and we will call you when we’re on our way. FYI – Security deposit issues are not dealt with at this inspection – we’re just noting the current condition.

 

What happens if I need to vacate the property prior to the lease expiring?
The normal 30-day notice is needed even if you are breaking your lease. You will be responsible for the rent and advertising until the home is rented and the re rent fee that is normally half a month rent in addition to any repairs and cleaning that are tenant responsibility.

 

If I want to vacate the property at the end of the lease what steps need to be taken?
A written/email notice is needed at least 30 days before you intend to turn in keys.

 

How do I get all of my security deposit back once I move out?
Review the move-in inspection sent to you in your 30-day acknowledgement packet. The property must be left in the same condition in which you received it, cleaned and carpets professionally cleaned. When you submit a 30 day notice to move you will receive a confirmation that includes guidelines on how you should leave the property.

 

When do I get my security deposit back?
When we have received all invoices from the vendors that worked on the property. The initial security deposit settlement must be mailed to you within 21 days of receiving possession of the property. Be sure to include a forwarding address when you return the keys. If we do not have a forwarding address the settlement will be mailed to the old address which can delay you receiving the paperwork.

 

If there was an estimate at the time of mailing, there will be a secondary form with all of the invoices for work completed. If there was a check mailed out, there could be a secondary check when the final is completed.

 

Why didn’t I get all of my deposit returned?
You will be responsible for anything that is above normal wear and tear. The return of the deposit is based on the condition the property is left in when you vacate. Tenants are responsible for cleaning, having the carpets professionally cleaned, leaving no debris inside or outside the property and no damage. We consult with the owner before making deductions as the owner makes the decision on what is withheld.

 

I gave my 30-day notice but need to move out later. What do I do?
Contact leasing right away as this changes availability in the case of it not being re rented

 

I gave my 30-day notice but need to move out earlier. What do I do?
Let leasing know, however, you will be responsible for rent for the entire 30 days.

 

How do I return possession of the property after I move out?
Keys and remotes must be returned to our office. We are open Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00. You can also place them in our after-hours drop box. If you are using the drop box be sure the property address is included. You should also include your carpet cleaning receipt with the keys/remotes.

 

What if I disagree with what was charged out of my deposit?
We require all security deposit disputes to be in writing within 30 days to our office. You can email your dispute to officemanager@horizonproperties.com. The owners make the final decision about what is charged to the deposit.

 

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