Rental Application

The decision to rent to you will depend in great part on your credit history and rental history. ONLY CLEAN, RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE WHO PAY RENT ON TIME NEED APPLY.

The Rahter Group uses the services of TVS, Tenant Verification Services, Inc., to screen prospective tenants who do not submit their own credit report.  (To avoid the $40 application fee, you must submit a recent credit report.  You may either scan it and email the complete document to us at RRahter@hotmail.com or you may fax it to 407-294-6765.)   

For a summary of your rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act if we run your credit, please ask.

Ten Tips For Tenants

Know your rights when you rent a house or apartment.

 1. Bring your paperwork.
The best way to win over a prospective landlord is to be prepared. To get a competitive edge over other applicants, bring the following when you meet the landlord: a completed rental application; written references from landlords, employers, and colleagues; and a current copy of your credit report.

2. Review the lease.
Carefully review all of the conditions of the tenancy before you sign on the dotted line. Your lease or rental agreement may contain a provision that you find unacceptable -- for example, restrictions on guests, pets, design alterations, or running a home business. For help reviewing your lease or rental agreement, see Signing a Lease or Rental Agreement FAQ.

3. Get everything in writing.
To avoid disputes or misunderstandings with your landlord, get everything in writing. Keep copies of any correspondence and follow up an oral agreement with a letter, setting out your understandings. For example, if you ask your landlord to make repairs, put your request in writing and keep a copy for yourself. If the landlord agrees orally, send a letter confirming this.

4. Protect your privacy rights.
Next to disputes over rent or security deposits, one of the most common and emotion-filled misunderstandings arises over the tension between a landlord's right to enter a rental unit and a tenant's right to be left alone. If you understand your privacy rights (for example, the amount of notice your landlord must provide before entering), it will be easier to protect them. For more information, see Renters' Rights to Privacy and Repairs FAQ.

5. Demand repairs.
Know your rights to live in a habitable rental unit -- and don't give them up. The vast majority of landlords are required to offer their tenants livable premises, including adequate weatherproofing; heat, water, and electricity; and clean, sanitary, and structurally safe premises. If your rental unit is not kept in good repair, you have a number of options, ranging from withholding a portion of the rent, to paying for repairs and deducting the cost from your rent, to calling the building inspector (who may order the landlord to make repairs), to moving out without liability for your future rent. For more information, see Getting Your Fix: Renters' Rights to Minor Repairs.

6. Talk to your landlord.
Keep communication open with your landlord. If there's a problem -- for example, if the landlord is slow to make repairs -- talk it over to see if the issue can be resolved short of a nasty legal battle. Landlord-Tenant Dispute Resolution FAQ provides some advice.

7. Purchase renters' insurance.
Your landlord's insurance policy will not cover your losses due to theft or damage. Renters' insurance also covers you if you're sued by someone who claims to have been injured in your rental due to your carelessness. Renters' insurance typically costs $350 a year for a $50,000 policy that covers loss due to theft or damage caused by other people or natural disasters; if you don't need that much coverage, there are cheaper policies. For more information about renters' insurance, see Renters: Protect Yourself From Crime.

8. Protect your security deposit.
To protect yourself and avoid any misunderstandings, make sure your lease or rental agreement is clear on the use and refund of security deposits, including allowable deductions. When you move in, do a walk-through with the landlord to record existing damage to the premises on a move-in statement or checklist. For more information, see Take Steps to Protect Your Security Deposit When You Move In.

9. Protect your safety.
Learn whether your building and neighborhood are safe, and what you can expect your landlord to do about it if they aren't. Get copies of any state or local laws that require safety devices such as deadbolts and window locks, check out the property's vulnerability to intrusion by a criminal, and learn whether criminal incidents have already occurred on the property or nearby. If a crime is highly likely, your landlord may be obligated to take some steps to protect you. For more information on this subject, see Renters: Protect Yourself From Crime.

10. Deal with an eviction properly.
Know when to fight an eviction notice -- and when to move. If you feel the landlord is clearly is the wrong (for example, you haven't received proper notice, the premises are uninhabitable), you may want to fight the eviction. But unless you have the law and provable facts on your side, fighting an eviction notice can be short-sighted. If you lose an eviction lawsuit, you may end up hundreds (even thousands) of dollars in debt, which will damage your credit rating and your ability to easily rent from future landlords. For more information on eviction, see Moving Out or Getting Evicted.

Top Budget Busters for Renters

Security deposit use and abuse leads the list of litigation between landlords and tenants. So how can one avoid dispute and slide out of home safely? First, understand what monies can be deducted from deposits. Basics include unpaid rent, cleaning and returning the premises to the condition as when first rented.

 Top deposit busters include:

 1. Rent

Prior to taking off, most states require a tenant to give written notice to the landlord. State notice requirements vary from 10 to 30 days, with written notice usually required to prevent misunderstandings about rent owed or date of departure. Some tenants assume that if their lease is up, they can simply leave. Not so fast, unless you want to leave some money behind. Unpaid rent is a common deposit deduction when forgetting to give notice—30 days' worth in some states—and may be kept by the landlord if no written notice was provided before exiting. It doesn't cost a thing to give written notice—and saves misunderstandings later.

 2. Extra rent

Slipping out early or breaking a lease altogether can cause the deposit to be forfeited for the amount equal to the rent due—and then some. Until a suitable replacement tenant is found, you may be on the financial hook. Fish around for suggestions from the manager or landlord for catching up with a replacement tenant. Not getting along with your roommate? You'll need to pitch in your share of the rent until another person replaces your spot.

 3. Cleaning

Often a tidy sum is kept by landlords for cleaning. "But it wasn't clean when I moved in," some tenants lament at move-out, according to Jim Silton of Silton Management in Westwood, Calif. "If it isn't clean, be sure to complain at move-in. At move-out, it's too late," Jim notes. Units have to be returned at the same level of clean as when first rented, or the deposit may be used to mop up the mess.

What type of cleaning? Here it gets tricky. Some landlords consider "clean" just removing your worldly possessions, while others expect the carpet shampooed and the grout scrubbed using a toothbrush and bleach. To help define the level at move-in, before and after photos are ideal. If not, ask for a cleaning checklist from the landlord if you wish to tackle the task yourself at move-out.

4. Restoring to original condition

Hotly contested by both landlord and tenant, "condition as when first rented" is a term often used in leases, but often not documented. Allowable as a deposit deduction, protect yourself with lots of photographs or video of the move-in condition. Some states, such as Arizona and Washington, require that a move-in inspection checklist be given to new tenants. Others, such as California, only have a move-out inspection requirement at the present time. Check state code for details. No matter what the law, document now or defend later.

5. Damage

Think of damage as injury to the premises. Often a spontaneous event, damage can range from a broken window to a torn rug. The longer you leased a place, the more wear and tear is expected, especially for carpets and paint.

6. Excessive wear tear and changes:

If you rented a car and dented the fender… that would be damage. But what if you rented a car for a year? Common sense would expect the tires to be worn, but not be ruined by a spike strip. Visualize the same for a rental. How does one avoid being charged? Once again, an inventory walk-through with photographic backup should set the pace.

7. Missing items

For example, if the place was rented with towel racks, return it with the same towel racks. Any fixture, which means anything attached, cannot be removed unless permission was granted (in writing) by the landlord.

8. Deduction warning

Being warned of deposit deductions is now part of state law in such places as California, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, to name a few. Other states may have laws pending or newly in effect (check for details with your local or state source). The warning includes a mandatory notice to tenants by the landlord of the option of doing a pre-move-out inspection. Not sure where to get a basic form?