Frequently Asked Questions - Prospective TenantsThe following are questions frequently asked by prospective tenants. Click here to view Current Resident FAQ's. Where can I get information on your available properties? Information on our properties can be found on our website www.OffCampusHousing.com or www.HarrisonburgHousing.com 24 hours a day. How do I take a look at an available property? We allow prospective residents to view our properties by setting up an appointment with one of our Leasing Agents. Please visit our office at 202 North Libert Street Suite 101 or give us a call at 540.434.5150 during normal business hours (M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM). An appointment may be scheduled to view our occupied properties by contacting our office as well. Please note that every attempt will be made to work with your schedule, but the current residents must be notified and given sufficient notice, typically 24 hours, that their home will be shown. You will need to show a valid Photo ID prior to leaving the office with one of our Leasing Agents. View the current listing of available properties. What do I do if I am interested in leasing a property through OffCampusHousing.com? All adults must fill out an application, be approved or obtain a Guarantor, or agree to be a party to a Joint Lease. View our Guarantor Form. Who must fill out an application? Each adult (person over 18 years of age) planning to occupy the property must fill out an application. Why must all adults fill out an application? Every adult who resides in the property must be listed on the lease to have a legal right to occupy the property. We must verify the suitability of everyone on the lease. What is your application fee? Our application fee is $25 (Non-refundable) per applicant. How do I qualify to lease a property? Each Prospect will qualify by meeting 1 of 3 standards below:
Click here to view the rental application. What is the difference between a Joint Account and an Individual Account? In a Joint Account all people listed as Tenant are equally and severally liable for performance of the lease and will be held liable for all payments due or damage done to a property. In an Individual Account the individual is only liable for performance of their share of the lease and will only be held liable for their share of the payments and their share of damage done to a property. I am a student or do not have enough income to qualify for a property, can I still lease one of your properties? Yes, however we will require you to secure a suitable person to guarantee the lease or agree to be a party to a Joint Lease. View a sample of our Guarantor Form. Why does my guarantor have to fill out an application? Just like our residents that do not need a guarantor, we must evaluate the creditworthiness of all involved in our leasing process. The guarantor’s credit must be satisfactory and income must be approximately five times the monthly Rent. What do I need to submit with my application? What factors do you use in determining if my application is approved? First and foremost, we operate in strict compliance with all Fair Housing Guidelines. After receiving an application we investigate rental / ownership history, credit report, criminal report and income verification. How much can I qualify for? Typically, we require monthly household income of applicants to be three times the lease payments. In other terms, your lease payments can be approximately 33% of the gross monthly income of the Tenants on the Lease. How long does it take to process my application? Typically, once we have all pertinent info required (including Application Fee) we can fully process your application within 2 business days. After my application is approved, what do I do? We will contact you as soon as possible to let you know that you have been approved. You should then immediately schedule a Lease Signing appointment with one of our leasing agents to secure your new housing. How long are your leases? Most of our leases are for a minimum of 12 months; however, we do lease some properties for shorter or longer terms as determined by our owners. At the end of the initial term, the lease will revert to a year to year tenancy unless otherwise agreed to or proper Termination Notice given. What does your lease say? Click here to view a Sample Lease. Do you accept pets? We accept pets on a case by case basis as determined by the owner of the property (many of our communities do NOT accept pets). If pets are allowed, all pets must be listed in the Pet Addendum. There is a onetime non-refundable pet fee per pet and an additional pet deposit. Any damage done by the pet is the responsibility of the resident. All pets must be registered and immunized in accordance with local ordinances. No pets can be tied on the property. Several breeds of dogs will not be accepted under any circumstances. Each tenant in the dwelling unit must agree that the pet may be on the premises before pet addendum is signed. Do I need Renters Insurance? Yes, our residents are solely responsible for insuring their own personal property that is located or stored upon the property leased. Any loss from the risks of damage, destruction or loss resulting from theft, fire, storm and other hazards and casualties are your sole responsibility. How do I turn on utilities? The resident is responsible for placing all utilities in their name and pay all utility bills due for services to the premises for which resident is responsible (unless otherwise agreed to in the lease). At the termination of the lease the resident is responsible for having all utilities services disconnected and must submit proof of the Final Bill being paid to Management. What am I responsible for as a resident? Typically, all residents are responsible for :
What do I have to pay prior to moving in? You are responsible for paying the Security Deposit, Routine Systems Maintenance Fee, Key Fee, and First Month’s Rent prior to being issued your keys. How can I pay rent after I move in? Once your account is created you can login to your account and make an electronic payment online. You may also make payment by check or money order at the location(s) designated in your lease. What happens if I bring in an application for a property that already has one or more applications submitted? All applications are accepted and processed on a first come-first served basis. Due to our fiduciary relationship to the owner, if more than one application is submitted before approval of an application we are required to select the highest rated application. How much security deposit is required? We require a security deposit on EVERY property leased. Usually the security deposit is the same as one month's rent but may be more or less but in no case shall exceed two month’s rent (the security deposit required but will be detailed in your lease). What do you do with my security deposit? All security deposits are held in strict accordance with the VRLTA in an Escrow Account. When is rent due? Rent is due on the 1st of the month and considered late after 5pm on the 5th of the month. Rent must be in our office by 5pm on the 5th of the month. If you pay rent after 5pm on the 5th of the month there is a late fee that is assessed per your Lease. When are new properties posted? Our website is updated continually to reflect our current inventory of properties. What if my application is denied? In the event your application is denied, we make every effort to contact you promptly regarding the denial. We encourage those who are denied to find a suitable guarantor so they can lease the housing of their choice from us. How does the application process work?
Please contact Matchbox at 540–434–5150 with any questions that you may have about the application or leasing process. Once you have completed your application, please drop it off with the application fee(s) and a form of identification to our office located 202 North Liberty Street Suite 101, Harrisonburg, VA 22802. |