Lease Terms & Qualifications

The following terms and conditions are not all-inclusive and are provided to answer basic questions a regarding my lease agreements.  Tenants should carefully read any lease agreement before signing.  All tenants are provided with my cell phone numbers as well as my home address.  I ask tenants to call me anytime to discuss any issue regarding their apartment..  My view is that my tenants are my customer, and I want my customers to be happy customers.  As such, I respond in a friendly and timely manner to all issues. 

Safety Issues.  The safely of my tenants is very important to me.  All apartments are equipped with the requisite safety features, such as deadbolts, smoke detectors, and a kitchen fire extinguisher.  Tenants are asked to contact me regarding any issue which may compromise the your safety, or the safety of your family or guests.  I will make every effort to resolve the issue in a timely manner.  Safety issues include items such as broken deadbolts, dying, diseased or dead trees, and malfunction of smoke detectors.

Lease Agreements.  

• I use standard apartment lease agreements provided by the Texas Apartment Association.
• Leases are written for one year.
• Utilities, such as electric power, water, and phone are not included in the lease and are the tenant's responsibility.
• Tenants are strongly encouraged to purchase rental insurance in order to insure and protect their personal property located on premises.
• Sub-leasing is not allowed.

Lease Qualifications. Please read carefully!

• A complete credit and criminal history is reviewed for each applicant and all occupants 18 years or older. 
• Monthly gross income must be 3 times the monthly rent.  For example, if the rent is $800, an applicant must have at least $2400 in monthly gross income.
• With respect to criminal histories..... Leases are not written to anyone with felony convictions, any convictions for violence, any drug convictions since age 21 or older, and not more than one DWI/DUI.  We do not rent to registered sex offenders.

• Small pets are accepted on a case by case basis.
• Two pets per apartment.
• All damage caused by a pet is the tenant's responsibility.
• When accepted, a $300 non-refundable pet fee (per pet) is required.

Security Deposits.

• Deposits are used to secure (a) the performance of the lease, and (b) the property after the conclusion of the lease.
• Deposits are not applied to the final month's rent.
• Tenants are expected to vacate the apartment in the same condition as when they moved-in, so that the next tenant may immediately move-in.
• As required by law, deposits are returned within 30-days of move-out, minus the cost of any repairs and cleaning the apartment.
• The amount of security deposit is dependent upon the applicant's TransUnion FICO credit score.  We average the credit scores for all applicants.

Deposit is based upon your TransUnion FICO Credit Score.

• Between 700 and 850 – Very good or excellent credit score. Deposit of $350.
• Between 680 and 699 – Good credit score.  Deposit of $400.
• Between 620 and 679 – Average or OK score.  Deposit of $450.
• Between 580 and 619 – Low credit score.  Deposit equal to one month's rent.
• Between 500 and 579 – Poor credit score.  Deposit equal to two month's rent.
• Between 300 and 499 – Bad credit score.  Deposit equal to three month's rent.
• Regardless of FICO credit score, anyone that has been previously evicted or has financial judgments against them from previous landlords immediately qualify for a triple-deposit and first and last months rent paid up-front at lease inception.

Repairs.

When unexpected situations arise, I ask tenants to promptly contact me in order to discuss and develop an action plan to correct the issue.

On-going Maintenance.

Tenants are asked to respect the property and care for the apartment as if it were theirs.  As such, tenants should regularly address the typical issues that come with living in a home, such as the following items.  When in doubt, tenants should call me to discuss the issue.  I'm here to help.

• replace light bulbs
• spray for pests as needed - I provide a 1-gallon jug of home pest control to each tenant
• maintain batteries in smoke detectors

Tenants do not replace the HVAC filters.  This is handled quarterly by Budde Gardens maintenance staff.

Other.

• The US Postal Service provides mailbox keys.  Here is the USPS mover's guide.
• Satellite antennas are accepted but I ask tenants to contact me before contacting the satellite company.
• Activation of an alarm requires a permit from Montgomery County.  Click here for details.

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