WELCOME RESIDENTS
TENANT RESOURCES
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New Tenant Welcome
Welcome to your new home! My name is Randy Huntley, Managing Partner of Property Management Advisors LLC (PMA). My PMA staff will assist in your new home transition, ensuring that you receive a successful and fulfilling experience. PMA and I will strive to accomplish this outcome, and we look forward to working with you in the coming months on behalf of your landlord.
Please allow me to inform you of the next steps. Within ten (10) days of lease ratification you will hear from the PMA team as you transition from the lease process to actual occupancy. Each team member specializes in particular aspects of the leasing experience and these are the stages to your occupying the new home.
Once again, welcome to your new home and thank you for your cooperation thus far. On behalf of your landlord and the PMA staff, cheers to the beginning of a great working relationship!
Pre-Occupancy
Once all initial funds, evidence of renters insurance, utility responsibility (if applicable) and condo or HOA orientation (if applicable) have been provided to PMA, we will email you information on obtaining the keys and access.
Property Condition Report
Before your move-in, PMA created walk-thru videos showing the condition of the home. Once you occupy the home, you will be provided a PCR fillable form for you to make our own observations. Per your Lease obligation, please record the condition of the property through your own eyes and assessment so it may be referenced at time of vacancy. It is important to return this form to PMA to service@pma-dc.com within five (5) days of your occupancy for lease compliance.
Tenant PMA Account
Rita Oliva, Accounts Specialist, is responsible for entering your completed Lease into PMA's Appfolio software. You will receive an email and text asking you to activate your Portal where you pay rent and will submit maintenance requests. If you feel there's any conflict on your Tenant Ledger accounting, please contact Rita at bookkeeping@pma-dc.com.
Service & Maintenance Requests
Glennette Strother, Service Manager, will share pertinent information via email to your expected process or actions for reporting maintenance issues and service contact information either via your Portal. Please know the best email to contact PMA is service@pma-dc.com The preferred method for all service requests or questions is via your Online Tenant Portal; it's monitored 24/7.
After Occupancy Walk-Through
PMA staff will contact you for a quick introduction to this new rental home within ten (10) days of occupancy. PMA will show you how to change the furnace filter, winterize the home, identify the main water shut-off valve, garbage disposal operation, and other important aspects that will be helpful to know during your occupancy.
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Initial Lease Details
I (Randy) am not only Managing Partner of PMA but also an Associate Broker at KW Metro Center. I interpret the Lease according to federal, state, and local law, and will answer your questions or offer additional clarification of terms. I handle many of our initial narrated walk-thru videos. This video system of accountability records the general condition and cleanliness of the property before occupancy so that vacancies become less controversial. PMA will upload these unlisted videos to YouTube and provide you, Landlord and PMA with a link for reference
During Occupancy
Tracy Christiansen, Operations Director is responsible for keeping our staff focused on protecting the landlord's interests, and yet, advocating for tenants. Tracy handles the details of onboarding and is available to answer questions or coordinate general activities throughout your lease term. She may be reached via email tracy@pma-dc.com or call at 703.564.4202
SPRING - SUMMER
Seasonal Maintenance Reminders
KITCHEN / BATHROOM DRAINS
Tenants are responsible for keeping plumbing lines clear. Be careful with grease and hair accumulation; buy strainers if necessary. Also baby wipes or similar products cannot be flushed in plumbing systems. Drano or related products do not work; they just add to the problem and damages older pipes. Only qualified plumbers can unstop drains so submit work orders please.
DISPOSALS
Disposals are only to catch food particles and substances you miss while pre-rinsing. Don't shove food or other refuse into the disposal because it will clog - it is not meant for this task. Throw all skins, egg shells, leafy things, man-made objects, and meat products, etc. in the trash. Purchase a sink strainer, if necessary. Garbage repairs are carefully evaluated for cause so please work with us.
PEST CONTROL
Prior to occupancy, your home was inspected for pests. Each spring and winter you may find ants, roaches, mice or birds seeking shelter. This can be the result of excessive heat or local construction. The DC-Metro area annually endures ants, stinkbugs and ladybugs. Please see frequent Internet postings for more information on these pests. For minimizing mosquitoes, empty collected water vessels or planters. Place fill dirt in sunken areas of the landscape. Accumulated water is a perfect breeding ground for insects. These actions are more for your enjoyment and health rather than compliance of your lease. Enjoy the season! And please cooperate with pest control service agreements for treatments.
DRYER VENTS
It is recommend all tenants with dryers to arrange for vent cleaning to ensure there are no fumes and/or to hinder the performance of the appliance. Many condominiums require annual dryer vent cleaning; if it is a landlord requirement, PMA will schedule the service call with you.
CARPET CLEANING
Spring is a perfect time to take advantage of carpet cleaning promotions in order to remove accumulated winter dirt and dust. When your lease expires, carpet cleaning is a major factor when vacating the home and returning security deposits; it's a good idea to be proactive in the maintenance of existing carpets. Keep receipts to show cleanings throughout occupancy.
LEASES
For any questions regarding Tenant Responsibilities, please refer to your Lease and Addendum for Managed Property. If unavailable, contact leases@pma-dc.com. During Seasonal Inspections and Lease Extensions you will be reminded of these same tenant responsibilities. Tenants are obligated to inquire about policies, procedures or practices if unsure or unfamiliar with certain items like changing air filters, winterizing, etc. rather than be surprised at time of vacancy thereby jeopardizing security deposits.
MOVING
At vacancy, as much as your landlord and PMA wish to cooperate with moving plans, please know that Spring/Summer is the busiest time for real estate. If change is possible for either an early or late vacancy, it will be approved in writing only. There will be an administrative fee of $200 plus any pro-rated rent with this approval. It is rare that dates can be changed because of new tenants but we will try. If you vacate earlier than the end of the month, with exception to military-clause vacancies, you are still responsible for utilities and the condition of the home until the actual final day of your lease. Ending utilities early will result in fees being charged against the security deposit. PMA does not like fees however in managing multiple properties we have to schedule accordingly to lease dates, so we appreciate your cooperation.
CARPET CLEANING
Spring is a perfect time to take advantage of carpet cleaning promotions in order to remove accumulated winter dirt and dust. When your lease expires, carpet cleaning is a major factor when vacating the home and returning security deposits; it's a good idea to be proactive in the maintenance of existing carpets. Keep receipts to show cleanings throughout occupancy.
Autumn-Winter
Seasonal Maintenance Reminders
KITCHEN / BATHROOM DRAINS
Tenants are responsible for keeping drains clear. Be careful with grease and hair accumulation. Buy strainers if necessary. Also baby wipes cannot be flushed in most systems. Cooked oatmeal, rice & pasta are enemies to your pipes; please place in trash not the disposal. Please know Drano or related products do not work. They just add to the problem and damages older pipes. Only qualified plumbers can unstop drains.
PEST CONTROL
Prior to occupancy, your home was inspected for pests however each spring and winter you may find ants, roaches, mice or birds seeking shelter. This can be the result of excessive heat/cold or local construction. Seasonal inspections will include checking for any unwanted visitors and we can discuss solutions. The lease outlines responsibilities by tenants.
DISPOSALS
Disposals are there only to catch food particles and substances you miss while rinsing. Don't shove food or other refuse into the disposal because it will clog - it is not meant for this task. Throw all skins, egg shells, leafy things, man-made objects, and meat products, etc. in the trash. Purchase a sink strainer, if necessary.
APPLIANCES
It is tenant responsibility to contact property management should any appliance that conveyed with the lease not be working properly. Please do not hesitate to email service@pma-dc.com or use your Tenant Portal to report any household problems. Cooperation by the tenants for repairs is expected. General maintenance is tenant responsibility and will be inspected seasonally.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
Please note that vendors take holidays and are not readily available so please check your appliances prior to holiday expectations, i.e. turkey on Thanksgiving or New Year's entertaining. There are emergency service calls but know that dishwashers and some other appliances are not under the heading of "emergency" so do not get caught off guard.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
The Metro-DC region is well-known for coming to a complete standstill with as little as 1" of snow. So please take note of community notices for changes in parking rules or snow removal. Also understand that vendors will have travel conflicts as well so please be proactive in checking appliances and systems. Report issues through your Tenant Portal or to service@pma-dc.com
Handling Service Calls
As managing agent on behalf of your landlord, and to support you during occupancy, please note PMA's contact information of 703.457.6533 ext 1 for emergencies or use your Tenant Portal to communicate any issues.
PMA generally responds within two (2) hours to any requests. PMA does set priority to each request PMA attempts to answer every phone call so we have invested in a phone tree. If one property manager is not available, your call will roll to the next. Should you leave a voice mail message, please know it is because all PMA representatives are busy with other clients. Please do not call multiple numbers or multiple times. PMA staff will receive a text with your message so the first available or most applicable manager will contact you as soon as possible.
Cheers to the Autumn and Winter season. May it be enjoyed by all.
About Warranties & Service Plans
Many landlords in this region use home warranties for their rental properties. Especially those with appliances over 5 years of age or after the manufacturer warranty has expired. Deductibles for this type of home coverage range between $75 to $200 per home visit; typically $100. Some of the most used programs are HMS Home Sure, First American, Home Warranty of America (HWA), Old Republic and American Home Shield (AHS).
All warranty programs have limitations specifically plumbing and appliance features like icemakers. However, in larger systems, i.e. the furnace, air conditioning and/or appliances the warranty investment proves valuable and helps sustain the income being earned from your rental home. However, do know that PMA does endorse any particular program. If you have warranties or service agreements, PMA must be the point of contact once we manage the home so we can ensure that the technicians from the assigned service providers are coordinated with your tenant, and we verify whether the work is performed to satisfaction via tenant communications or during our inspections. PMA does not care for warranties as the vendors are typically unknown entities, the time it takes to place and follow -up on claims, and worst case scenario, before a warranty replaces any appliance, system or covered item, they insist on at least three (3) vendor's diagnosis. Tenants are not comfortable waiting extended periods of time especially with systems and appliances. If the warranty decisions or repairs require extensive communications and PMA staff time, there may be a fee assessed.
Service Plans that strictly maintain heating & air conditioning (HV AC), especially performing Spring & Fall Check-Ups of the HVAC system do benefit properties. PMA seasonal inspections check air filters so tenants are in lease compliance, but HV AC service agreements take proactive measures for the landlord so there are less service calls. Typically the agreements also make you a preferred customer so service calls are usually scheduled faster, and sometimes offer 10 to 20% off any repairs. Cost of these plans ranges between $139 to $299 annually. PMA can refer you to known quality vendors.
If you have a lawn or landscaping service, then we ask you share that information so we can add to our calendar and make sure Spring/Fall clean-ups are performed, or regular mowing schedules. Tenants value their new home but at times need guidance or resources for your expectations.
When you set up your account with Property Management Advisors, we ask that you share all warranty information currently in place as well as any history on appliances or systems. It helps us protect your interests as well as be prepared for service calls by your tenants. Please know that if we pay for these warranties, the renewals will be automatic unless given thirty (30) day notice from the homeowner.
Our commitment to you, the landlord, is protect your property and keep the Lease in compliance. We look forward to working with you.
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