What Renters Need to Know

TENANT REQUIREMENTS

Potential tenants typically have many questions about the renting process, so we’ve prepared this list of answers for your use. These are requirements that we have and that are binding on you as a tenant. Please note: This information is not a substitute for the application form or the lease, and does not supersede or modify anything in either document. You should read all provisions of the application and the lease carefully and ask any questions you may have prior to submitting the application or signing the lease. Additionally, the information herein is not legal advice. Please consult an attorney if you have legal questions.

APPLICATION

All persons aged 18 years or older who wish to rent a property from Steinborn must submit an application. The fee is $30.00 for each application. Additionally, each person must provide proof of income, such as a couple of recent pay stubs. We also will need a copy of a driver’s license or similar government-issued identification. We look at income, credit history (not credit score), and rental history to make a decision on whether to approve each application. In some instances, based on income and/or credit, we may ask for a co-signer to be able to approve an application. We will hold a property for a maximum of 14 days with a completed application and a deposit. The deposit is equal to 1 month’s rent. Please note: As long as we continue to advertise the property, the deposit is refundable. However, once you state that you want the property and we have quit advertising the property, the deposit is not refundable for any reason.

RENT

Rent is due on the 1st of the month and is considered late after the 5th of the month. If rent is late, there will be a late fee equal to 10 percent of the total rent. Failure to pay rent in a timely manner will result in eviction from the property. If you have roommates, each of you is responsible for the total amount of the rent, not just what you consider your portion. We will accept personal check, money order, or a check issued by a bank. You may also pay online. Please note: If you pay by personal check or online, and the check/on line payment is not honored by your bank for any reason, thereafter you will have to pay by money order or a check issued by a bank (certified funds).

MOVE IN

Prior to you moving in, we will have cleaned the entire property, the carpet, and the yard. We will also have had the property sprayed for insects. You will have received a walk-through form; You will have 7 days from the start of the agreement to complete and return the walk-through form to Steinborn. We recommend that you also take a digital picture of any item that you include on the walk-through and copy those pictures onto CDs, flash drive or other media. You should keep a copy and give us a copy with your walk-through form. You must sign and date the initial walk-through and return it no later than 7 days after you move in.

WHO LIVES IN THE PROPERTY

Only those people who are on the lease may live in the property. Any adult (a person 18 years old or older) who lives in the property must have signed the lease, and minor children living there must be listed on the lease. There are occasions when there are changes in living arrangements, and we will work with you to accommodate any changes. Do not have other people live in the property without changes to the lease, since this is a violation of your lease agreement and may result in eviction from the property.

ROOMMATES

All adults (18 years old and older) living in the property have the same responsibilities. Each adult is responsible for making sure the full rent is paid, and for any damage or other issue that may occur.

If you have roommates and one or more want to move out, they will need to follow the same general process for move out. To add a new roommate, they must submit an application and be approved by the same process as you were approved to initially rent the property. To change roommates, we must do a written amendment to your lease. If a roommate moves out early, any issue related to the deposit will have to be resolved between all roommates. Steinborn will not release any part of the deposit until all tenants have moved out as noted in the “Move Out” section.

PETS

Some of the properties we manage allow pets. We do not charge a pet deposit, but there is additional rent, usually $25.00 per month. The type, size, and number of pets accepted will vary for each property. If you have pets, that must be specified on the lease. If you do not have a pet, but decide to get one after you move in, that will require an amendment to your lease and the additional rent from that date forward. If you live within the city of Las Cruces, you must have a pet license from the city for each pet. You are not permitted to add additional pets without a written amendment to the lease. If you have more than 2 pets and you live within the city of Las Cruces, you must have a Residential Kennel Permit from the city’s Animal Control Office.

BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES

As the tenant, you are responsible for a number of items. This includes, but is not limited to

1. Paying your rent on time and in full.
2. Putting the utilities in your name and paying the bills.
3. Keeping the inside and outside of the property clean and free of trash.
4. Maintaining the yard and outside plants.
5. Not smoking anywhere inside the house or garage.
6. Reporting any maintenance problems or issues in a timely manner.
7. Ensuring that the property is kept in good condition.
8. Not violating any federal, state, or local law.

COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

As a tenant, you are required to be in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Failure to comply with any of these may result in termination of your lease and eviction from the property.

MAINTENANCE

As a tenant, you are not to do any repairs or maintenance on the property. Steinborn Property Management will take care of maintenance. You need to email us at workorders@steinborn.com if it is not urgent and call us at 575-532-2288 if it is urgent. Please listen to the entire message. It will state who is on call after hours and will include their cell phone number.

YARD UPKEEP

As a tenant, you are responsible for all maintenance and upkeep on the yard. That includes removing any weeds, keeping all vegetation watered (and healthy), and mowing the lawn if there is grass. If you do not water the vegetation and it dies, you will be responsible for the replacement costs. If you do not keep the yard in good condition and the Code Enforcement Department issues a citation for weeds, you will be responsible for any costs as a result of that action.

UTILITIES

When your lease begins, the utilities must be under your name. You can check your lease to determine which utilities you are responsible for paying. These must be transferred into your name. When you move out, make sure to have the utilities disconnected or turned off. We will transfer utilities into Steinborn’s name when you move out.

KEYS

When you move in, you will receive one key for each adult who lives in the property. You may make additional copies of the keys during the term of your lease. Please note: You cannot change the locks on the property without written authorization from Steinborn. If you want the locks changed, we will make the arrangements with a locksmith to change the locks; however, it will be at your cost, and we must have a key to the new lock.

If, during the course of your tenancy, you lock yourself out of the property, we do have a key available that you may borrow to open the door. However, you need to make arrangements to come to the office to pick up the key during normal business hours, and return it to our office within 1 hour of borrowing it. If it is after business hours, you will need to contact a locksmith to open the door at your expense.

CLEANING

You are responsible for keeping the property clean during your occupancy. There are a couple issues that can be of concern. Do not use harsh cleaners on the any appliances or the glass-top stoves. We can suggest types of cleaning materials that work well for these and will not damage the surfaces. If you damage the surfaces, you will be liable for costs to repair the damage. If you want to have the carpets cleaned while you are living in the property, that is your responsibility. We will have them cleaned after you move out.

INSURANCE

You need to have renter’s Insurance to protect your belongings. If any of your personal property is stolen, or is damaged by a fire, water line break, or any other type of occurrence, you are not covered by any insurance from the property owner or Steinborn.

VIOLATIONS OF THE LEASE

If we determine that you are in violation of any provision of your lease, we will send you a 7-Day Notice. This will specify the violation that needs to be corrected. Please make sure that you follow up on this issue. If you receive a second 7-Day Notice within 6 months of the first for any violation, you could be evicted.

MOVE OUT

Regardless of when you move out, you must give 30 days’ written notice. Failure to do so will result in additional rent charged to you. This notice can be by email or delivered in person. It must be signed by everyone who has signed the lease. When you move out, you must clean the inside of the property and the yard, and you must not leave trash or any of your personal belongings. If you do not clean the property prior to move out, we will have a contractor clean the inside of the property and the yard, and the cost will be charged against your deposit. Do not clean the carpets. We will have a carpet cleaning service clean the carpets after you move out and charge your deposit. We will do a walk-through only after you have completely moved out and turned in the keys. Please note: We do not do a walk-through with you, and you cannot go back and clean anything after we have done the walk-through.

BREAKING THE LEASE

The lease you signed is a contract, and it is binding on you and any roommates. However, we realize that conditions change and you might need to move out before the end of your lease. We will work with you if this happens; however, there are several issues you need to be aware of.

• You are responsible for paying rent, keeping utilities on in your name and paying utility bills, and keeping the yard clean until we find a new tenant to move in. Once that new tenant moves in and begins paying rent, you will no longer be responsible for rent, utilities, or yard maintenance.
• You will be required to reimburse Steinborn for two items paid by the owner: the lease fee and the initial spraying for insects. Generally, these total about $375, but we can give you an exact amount.
• You must give the required 30 days’ written notice.
• You cannot sub lease the property under any circumstances. If you know someone who may be interested in renting the property, he or she will need to complete an application and meet the same basic qualifications that you met when you moved into the property.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please keep us informed of your contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing address if it is not the property address (for example, a post office box). We need to have current information in case we need to contact you.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions about the property or your lease, you may contact us by email at rentals@steinborn.com or by telephone at 575-521-7368. You may contact any of the people who answer the telephone at this number. You do not have a specific property manager. There are 3 property managers, and any of them can assist you with any question or issue related to the lease or rental property.