There is no simple answer to the question of what is included in the rent. This is because the answer will likely vary from one apartment complex to the next. Some apartment complexes may include a variety of items within their rent while others may charge renters additional fees as needed and still others may require the renters to register directly with individual public utilities and handle these expenses on their own.
Likewise some apartment complexes may include additional features with the price of the rent while others may charge additional fees for these features. A pool, exercise room, meeting room or theater are just a few examples which may be offered by an apartment complex. In most cases the use of these amenities are included in the price of the rent but there are exceptions where the renter is charged an additional fee for the privilege of using these amenities.
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Look closely to see the mess on windows in this bedroom.
For many renters in Northern Virginia the subject of the security deposit is somewhat of a touchy subject. Many renters assume they should receive their security deposit back in its entirety as long as there is no significant damage done to the rental property. However, this is rarely true as there are number of factors which contribute to whether or not the security deposit or a portion of the deposit will be returned to the renter when they vacate the premises.
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Although many of the amenities offered by rental properties are not exactly necessary to live, there are some amenities which some renters would not consider renting a property without. An exercise room is one such example. While this is certainly not necessary, many renters prefer having this option. Without an onsite exercise facility, many renters would have to consider joining a gym for their exercise needs. This will likely increase the monthly expenses significantly and, depending on the location, may also make it inconvenient for the renter to visit the gym. An onsite exercise is significantly more convenient than traveling to a gym in another location. For this reason many renters consider the added expense associated with an onsite exercise facility to be worthwhile.
Some renters may even consider only renting an apartment in a facility that has a pool. Although this is not a necessity some renters, especially in warm climates, might only consider living in a rental property where there is access to a pool especially if the majority of rental properties include this amenity.
Poolside at Skyline Square
Some of the amenities at Watergate at Landmark
Midtown amenities
What Amenities Do You Really Want?
In addition to the amenities a renter feels he needs, there are some amenities which may be desired as opposed to necessary. A movie theater may be an example of this type of amenity. Renters may not decide against a rental property which does not have this feature but may be more inclined to select a property that has this feature as opposed to one that does not as long as the price is comparable.
A meeting space may be another example of an amenity which may not be required but that many renters are willing to pay extra to have. Renters who entertain frequently may enjoy this type of amenity because it affords them extra space for entertaining. They may be able to easily invite eight or more people over for a dinner party if there is meeting space available but this might not be possible if the renter were confined to their apartment.
Montebello and Watergate of Landmark are examples of properties that are loaded with amenities. Abingdon Row and Prince Street Club on the other hand offer very few amenities.
pool at Woodbury Heights
pool at a Clarendon condo
Montebello has pool tables and a ping pong table.
Are You Paying Too Much for Amenities?
While some amenities may be viewed as necessary and others may merely be viewed as worthwhile and still others may be viewed as superfluous, the most important decision renters will have to make is how much they are willing to pay for these amenities. Comparison shopping may be the best way to determine whether or not certain amenities are financially worthwhile.
Renters who are considering apartments of similar size in the same geographic region should consider the amenities offered as well as the price of the apartment. Apartments of similar size in the same area should be fairly close in price. However, an apartment which offers more advanced amenities might be significantly higher in price. Renters should list the available amenities and use this information in making cost comparisons. This information can be used to determine whether or not the renter is willing to pay a higher price for such amenities. Renters who conclude the additional cost is not warranted have determined that the prices of the amenities are not worthwhile to them and they are likely to choose the more affordable apartment which features fewer amenities.
Most rental agreements in the Commonwealth of Virginia have a section regarding the renter breaking the lease agreement. While there is also likely a section or several sections regarding when the leasing agent can evict the renter, the section on breaking the lease should be of particular interest to those who might be in a position to have to break the lease some day. Renters should understand these contract terms so they can make an informed decision. Additionally the renter should consider all costs associated with breaking the lease. This includes both financial costs as well as emotional costs.
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then. -Lewis Carroll
Understand the Contract Terms
Renters should review their rental agreement carefully before signing the lease. Your lease is a legally binding contract which should be given proper consideration before entering into the agreement. This is important because understanding these terms will be essential if the need to break the lease becomes a reality.
Rental agreements typically do allow the renter to break the lease but not without some form of penalty. This penalty usually comes in the form of requiring the renter to give a specified amount of notice before the contract is up and also requires the renter to pay a sum of money to break the rental agreement. A notice of 30 days and a lease break amount equal to one month’s rent are common penalties associated with breaking a lease, however, individual leasing agents may impose penalties which are either harsher or less severe.
Consider the Costs of Breaking the Lease
As previously mentioned there is typically a fee associated with breaking a lease. This fee is often set equal to one month’s rent. While paying this fee may seem excessive there are some instances in which it is an economically good decision to break the contract even though there is a financial penalty imposed.
Consider the example of a homeowner who is the process or relocating due to a job change. The homeowner may opt to rent an apartment in the new state while the house is put up for sale in the previous state. If the renter enters into a 12 month contract under the supposition that it will take this long to sell the old house and purchase a new house, he may be surprised if his other house sells quickly and he finds a home in his new state rather quickly. This may all occur within a matter of 2-3 months.
The renter has the option to stay in the apartment until the rental agreement nears expiration and then start looking for a home. However, this option runs the risk that the home he previously found will not likely be available. The renters other option is to place a bid on the new house and plan on breaking the lease if he is able to close on the new house. In this case, the renter would be saddled with both a rent and a mortgage for 9-10 months. This will likely be significantly more expensive than the price the renter would pay to break the lease.
Breaking the Lease is Not Always a Financial Decision
The decision to break a lease is not always completely a financial decision. There are sometimes emotional components which factor into the equation. For example a renter may have only 1-2 months remaining on his rental agreement when he is offered a dream job which will require him to relocate immediately. Although breaking the lease that late in the agreement is usually not financially wise, the renter may make this decision to avoid missing out on a dream job.
Home owners who can’t or don’t want to sell their homes in today’s market but must move should consider renting out the property.
What does a property manager do?
The property manager's primary role is to interface directly with applicants, tenants, and maintenance people. A good property manager saves you time, hassle, and worry by having your property producing income while maintaining the value of your investment. The property manager handles:
the marketing of your rental,
the collection of rent in a timely fashion,
the maintenance of a record of all income and expenses,
the overseeing of maintenance and repair issues,
the response to tenant complaints,
the knowledge of when to draw the line,
and even the pursuance of evictions.
Nesbitt Realty has the know-how and experience in properly managing your property in {Location_Name}, giving you the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that your investment is in good hands.
Learn more about our property management service!In Northern Virginia, there is a family-owned real estate company called Nesbitt Realty.
Obtaining a professional property manager is a good first step. Professional property managers charge 7 percent to 10 percent of the monthly rent in many areas. Nesbitt Realty is often cheaper than our competitors.
Current rents may not be high enough to cover carrying charges, including mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Nevertheless, renting out the property may still make sense if property values rise in the next few years.
Offering a 12-month lease that converts to month-to-month is a good idea, if the owners are considering selling eventually. Include language in the lease that allows a real estate professional to show the home to potential buyers with 24 hours’ notice to tenants.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
No.
But here's the question you really want to know:
Why can't a property manager refund the background fee?
Let's start with some background facts that many renters (and some agents) don't understand. Nesbitt Realty (and most property managers) don't make any money from background checks. Nesbitt Realty buys a background check. Once that money is spent. It is spent. Nesbitt Realty doesn't get anything from that background check and we simply can't afford to pay for background checks for people who aren't accepted.
Because we don't make any money from background checks, we're not interested in doing background checks, except as required. When are we required to pull a background check? We're required to pull a background check when an application is submitted. Fair Housing Laws won't allow us to pick and choose which applications to process. We process all submitted application so that we can present them to the landlord. All applications are presented to the landlord.
Some of the applications we process are submitted by our agents and some are submitted by agents from other companies. We cannot guarantee that your application will be accepted if you apply through us. But we can guarantee that your application will be properly submitted. Slow approvals and rejected applications are often caused by not properly submitting the application in the first place.
We do not give preferential treatment to applications submitted by our agents on properties that we manage. Because we will be managing the property, it's much more important to find the most qualified applicant than it is to make a few dollars from a rental commission. Here's some of what we look at when we make a recommendation to a landlord:
Criminal History
Rental History
Credit History
Income
Debt to Income Ratio's
Offer (some applicants offer more or less than the rental amount)
Pets
How to avoid wasting your background fee
Most importantly self-assess your application based upon the criteria above. If you think your application will fall short on one or more of these criteria ask us (or ask your agent to us) if you will be accepted with certain criteria. By disclosing potential problems before the application is submitted you can avoid wasting money on an application that has no chance.
If you want to offer less than the asking price, it's important to understand that is extremely unlikely that a landlord represented by Nesbitt Realty will agree to lower the rent until they know something about the tenant. Some landlords won't accept poor credit or pets under any circumstance. Some will ask for extra deposit but will consider such an application.
Lastly, remember that if you're asking for a special situation or special allowance, Nesbitt Realty (and most property managers) will not be able to go forward unless and until the landlord accepts the special circumstance. That can delay your application process. In the meantime another renter who is not asking for any special allowance (or who is offering more rent) might make an application.
Nesbitt Realty manages a lot of real estate and that means we list a many rentals. We intentionally list our properties at bargain prices because our landlords want to rent property quickly. We want to rent things as quickly as possible too, but renters (and agents) will sometimes ask us, why does it take so long to process an application?
Incomplete Application - It's not uncommon for rental applicants (or their agents) to turn in rental applications which are missing basic information. The application cannot be processed until the application is complete. In addition to filling out the entire application, the application must have supporting documentation such as proof of income.
Verification of Rental History - Nesbitt Realty can pull credit pretty quickly, but we have no control over how long a previous landlord will take to respond. Many landlords will respond quickly to our rental history requests. Some landlords respond very slowly. Some don't respond at all. This can cause a rental application to be delayed for days to a week.
Landlord Approval - Once we have an application fully processed the landlord reviews the results. Many of our landlords are out-of-state, overseas or in far away and/or secure or dangerous locations. They don't always respond instantly. We especially need landlord approval if the applicant is offering less than the asking-rent.
Holidays - Landlords, prior landlords and office workers (like the rest of us) take time off during major holidays. It is unlikely that we will get an answer about a rental application on Thanksgiving Day. Major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and 4th of July often involve some travel before or after the holiday. It's difficult to get in touch with previous landlords for verification of rent when they are traveling. It's difficult to get approval from a landlord on a rental application while the landlord is on a beach or airplane.
Weekends - Most property managers won't pull credit on the weekends or during non-business hours. They won't pull credit because they know that most likely they cannot complete a verification of rental history on a weekend.
Rush Job - From time to time, we receive applications from people who need housing immediately. Experience has shown us that people who are suddenly homeless are often the riskiest tenants for a landlord. Even when a tenant is coming out of an eviction or foreclosure, there is some notice given. We meet people who need to move by Saturday and they put in an application on Thursday. Sometimes those people are victims of improbable circumstances. Often those people are trying to rush the application process so that the landlord overlooks a problem with the application.
It's important to understand that property managers and landlords aren't standing by like fighter pilots waiting to scramble because a rental application has been turned in. If you desperately need a loan or a mortgage, a bank won't open over the weekend to make that loan. Property managers tend to be more accommodating than banks but they have limits to what they can and will do.
What can a tenant to do make the process go quickly?
Fill out the application and provide all documentation. - Write "n/a" in blanks that don't apply. Don't assume the person processing the application will understand.
Let your prior landlord know to expect a call.
If you really want a particular rental, don't offer less than the asking-price. Don't ask for unusual terms.
If you really see the value of a particular rental, offer more than the asking price. Even five bucks will get the landlord's attention.
Holidays and weekends happen. Plan ahead.
Don't wait until the last minute to start looking. When unexpected circumstances happen you still have time to make a change if you look before the need is urgent.
Beyond being the winning bidder, how do you make sure you are working with the best Realtor for you? Here are a few steps to take before choosing the right Real Estate Agent to work with
Seeking advice on finding a Realtor? Sixty-eight percent of all Realtor business comes from personal referrals, so ask friends, family, and neighbors.
Interview several Realtor to find someone you are comfortable with. “If you interview them for any length of time you’re going to figure out their sincerity and how well prepared they are,”.
How many transactions has a Realtor done? “I would certainly want them to have 8-10 transactions in the area that you’re considering. They’ll have the experience necessary.”
Ask a Realtor how often they will communicate throughout the home buying process.
Do business with a Realtor that understands how to use technology. “Listings come on the market quickly. A good Realtor will have access to see listings that come on first.”
By following some of these easy rules you can find the right Realtor for you!
Old Town Alexandria has several parks next to the water. During the summer time pick up volleyball games happen often. Along Union St. there are parks that have a dog park, trails, a basketball court, a playground, and plenty of green grass . These parks are a great resource within walking distance of several neighborhoods.
Condominiums near the volleyball courts include Alexandria House and Port Royal and Old Town Commons. Old Town is a very walkable area. Grocery stores in the area include Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.The nearest metro to the parks is King Street metro station.
The volleyball courts are near the Torpedo Factory
Kingstowne Shopping center is accessible to Franconia and the outskirts of 495, 395, and Telegraph. This is a huge shopping center with grocery stores, clothing stores, restaurants, and countless shops. There are several trails that hug the area right across for the Kingstone Shopping Center. There are several neighborhoods located close to this area.Continue reading
There is no simple answer to the question of what is included in the rent. This is because the answer will likely vary from one apartment complex to the next. Some apartment complexes may include a variety of items within their rent while others may charge renters additional fees as needed and still others may require the renters to register directly with individual public utilities and handle these expenses on their own.
Likewise some apartment complexes may include additional features with the price of the rent while others may charge additional fees for these features. A pool, exercise room, meeting room or theater are just a few examples which may be offered by an apartment complex. In most cases the use of these amenities are included in the price of the rent but there are exceptions where the renter is charged an additional fee for the privilege of using these amenities.
Continue reading
