Tenant FAQ | Own It Detroit

rentals@themutualteam.com | 313-462-2434

Applying for a property sight unseen is possible. However, when you want to rent a property, it’s mandatory that you view it beforehand.

Photos merely represent the property’s interior space and size. However, we ensure that they are updated and current. We always recommend the person applying to rent the property should view the property in person. This ensures that what they are applying for actually meets their expectations.

If you are unable to view the property yourself, you could ask a family member or a friend to do it for you. If they do it for you, they will be required to sign a "sight unseen" addendum.

When executing a year-long lease, the security deposit amount is equal to a month’s rent. Upon lease signing, this amount must be paid in full. The first month’s rent and security deposit funds must be certified.

You will, at all times, be required to pay the rent at the beginning of every month. Specifically, on the first day.

If rent is paid past midnight on the first day, your rent will be considered late. However, we do give you a grace period of five days.

If you still fail to make the rent payment by the fifth day, we will charge you a five percent late fee. This late fee will be charged on top of the outstanding balance.

We offer three payment options. You can:

Pay in person at our office. A receipt will be given to you by our front desk’s receptionist. Due to security reasons, we do not accept payments by cash.
Pay online by signing into your resident account. If you set up “E-Check," online payments are free of charge. To set up an “E-Check," you will need two things: an account number and a bank routing number.
Mail a money order or check to our office. On the memo, make sure you write your unit number and complete address.

Please call our office and notify your property manager immediately if you think you may be unable to pay rent. Nonpayment of rent is a serious issue and a simple communication can help clarify things. Usually, before we consider working with the delinquency, we will need to set up an action plan to help you meet your responsibility.

Prior to moving out, you are required to give your property manager one month’s notice that you will vacate 30 days before the lease is up. The notice must be written and received by our office before the end of that month.

It’s a lease violation to make changes to the locks without getting approval from the property manager. When you need to replace, install, re-key or change any security devices, you must send a written request to the office.

If approved, you’ll be held responsible for all expenses incurred in the process. Additionally, the changes can only be made through management-approved contractors.

Requests regarding color changes must be submitted to the office in writing. They may or may not be approved. When writing the request, please state the color which you want to paint as well as the paint brand.

If the color change request is approved, the office may or may not require you to deposit extra funds to your security deposit. Please ensure that you follow all laid out procedures when painting. You may face penalties if you don’t.

If you want to keep a pet, you must notify the property manager. This request may or may not be approved depending on various things. For example, the type and number of pets.

Keeping undocumented pets is a violation of the lease agreement. It could result in penalties or even lease termination.

Notify the property manager as soon as possible in the event a roommate moves out before the expiration of the lease agreement. This notice must be in writing.

Keep in mind that tenants are separately and jointly responsible for the rent payment. If you wish to find a replacement roommate, you must obtain written authorization from the property manager.

According to the lease, only tenants who’ve signed the lease are required to occupy the rental unit. Therefore, if you decide to have a roommate, they must first be qualified. That is, they must pass our tenant screening process.

The tenant screening process involves filling out the rental application, paying the application fees, and having their criminal and credit history checked. If you fail to notify us of your roommate, you run the risk of being fined and having your tenancy terminated.

You must not smoke inside the property. We will hold you fully liable for damage caused by cigarette smoke. This includes, but not limited to, getting rid of the smoke aroma. You should also ensure that cigarette butts are properly disposed of. If you don’t, we’ll consider it a violation of the lease.

Please refer to your lease. The tenant, in most single-family homes, is the one charged with the responsibility of taking care of lawns. Taking care of the lawn means making sure it’s free from weeds and it’s mowed and watered regularly.

You should also keep gutters clean and trim bushes twice every year. According to the lease agreement, you should always keep the property in its initial condition until your lease expires. As such, we expect you to maintain the lawns as you found them.

If you need any assistance to maintain the yard, we can provide a gardener for you. It’s your duty to clean up leaves during fall and remove snow from driveways and sidewalks in winter. If you cause the grass to die, you will incur additional costs to re-sod the yard.

Yes, we require you to get a renters insurance policy. The insurance should cover liabilities amounting to $100,000.

Furthermore, it is stated in the lease agreement that the owner’s insurance will not cover any loss or damage to tenant belongings during their tenancy.

Before we hand the keys to you, we require proof of renters insurance.

Not paying rent is a serious violation of the lease agreement. In the event that you are unable to make timely rent payments, we’ll follow the terms of lease agreement.

According to the lease term, the first thing we’ll do is send you a late notice. If you fail to adhere to the late notice, the next step would be to start legal eviction proceedings against you.

Notify the property manager as quickly as possible. If the lockout happens during regular business hours, the manager may ask you to collect a key at the office or meet you at the property.

We will provide you with another key if you have misplaced yours. We charge a small fee for this.

If the lockout happens after regular business hours, you will have to hire a locksmith. If you do this, you will then have to provide management with a copy of the new keys.

Keep in mind that lockouts are not an emergency.

If the smoke detectors start beeping, check the batteries. They might need replacing. You can get new ones at your local market or at your local hardware store. Changing batteries is the responsibility of the tenant.

In case there are vaulted ceilings and you can’t reach the smoke detector, you must file a maintenance request form. Please keep in mind that disconnecting your smoke detector is illegal.

If the repair is not an emergency, report it to our online portal. If the repair constitutes an emergency, we’ll always do our best to service the issue as quickly as possible.

An emergency, as per your lease agreement’s terms, is a state where the safety or physical health of a tenant is endangered. An example is if the heating system fails in cold weather conditions below 32 degrees. Another example is when there are plumbing issues in the rental unit.

In such a case, we advise tenants to first switch off the main water supply pending our maintenance visit. The tenant should then call our office and describe the issue in detail.

Yes, there is. You can give us a call to report any emergency issues. For non-emergency calls, please leave us a message on the online portal. Making the right call helps improve efficiency.

If the repair request is not an emergency, please leave a message on the online tenant portal. A written document helps avoid a mishap in communication. Once we receive the request, we’ll send it to our independent contractors as quickly as possible.

You will only be liable for maintenance issues that result from your negligence or carelessness. Also, if you miss an appointment with the contractors contracted for the maintenance job, charges for the service call will also accrue.

Subletting is against the terms of the lease. Please consult with the office if you want to re-let your property.

Requirements may be different depending on each property. To get your specific answers addressed, kindly contact your property manager.

Detroit Tenant FAQs

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