For Tenants
Tools to Help Tenants
Maintenance Requests
* Before submitting a maintenance request please first see if any of the following information is helpful in resolving the issue.
We want to resolve each and every maintenance item as quickly and efficiently as possible and your help to do so is a necessary part of that. If it is difficult to get a hold of you, you don’t return calls, your contact information is wrong, or you don’t keep appointments then your maintenance items will naturally become less of a priority and eventually canceled noting the reason why.
Thank you for helping us help you.
Here are some common issues people submitted maintenance requests for. If one of them is the issue you are having please click on it to see a possible simple fix that you need to check first:
Frequently Asked Questions (Current Tenants)
We automatically enroll you into a group liability insurance policy. It’s required of all our tenants and it will cost you only $9.50 per month. It provides you with extra protection incase you accidentally cause damage to the property, for example fire or flood. It is NOT a replacement for your own renters insurance. You are strongly encouraged to still get your own renters insurance to protect your own personal belongings, being displaced from the property and other common things covered by renters insurance (talk to your own insurance agent for exact coverage and details of your own policy). This additional liability coverage that we require is automatic and protects you from incidents that renters insurance does not cover. See details about it here: http://www.appfolio.com/notice-of-insurance
To request approval for an ESA or Service Animal there are some forms you and your doctor need to fill out and turn in. Please understand that the rental industry has been over run with fraud when it comes to these requests. Many people think that calling their pet an emotional support animal is simply a way to get around the rules. The fact is, it is fraud and it is illegal. Because so many people do this it makes things much more difficult for those that have true medical needs. As defined by the law, these people must have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life functions and they need their animal to help them perform those major life functions. Because so many people have been committing fraud by illegally saying they need an ESA, when in reality it’s just a pet, I have to do my due diligence before I can approve your request.
To get an animal approved you need to fit the definition of handicapped as defined by the law: “Handicap” means, with respect to a person –
(1) having a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities
(2) having a record of having such an impairment, or
(3) being regarded as having such an impairment, but such term does not include current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance.
If you fit that definition you and your doctor need to fill out some forms that can be provided to you, signing your names that you fit the definition. Your doctor will then be contacted by our office to verify the information and then you will be informed if your request has been approved. The animal is not allowed at the property until this process is completed and approval has been granted.
If your lease is expiring, or you are month to month, you need to email the office, or submit a notice of move out from your online portal, giving at least a 30 day notice and informing us of the exact date that will be your last day. If you do not know an exact date for your move out, then you are not able to give a proper notice to move. Please also review the Checkout Form in the tenants section of this website.
You first need to email the office and let us know of the situation so we can give you the paperwork and instructions of how to proceed and what to expect. It is not a problem, but it will be your responsibility to find someone to take over your lease. Their application will need to be approved by our office and they will need to sign a new lease once they are approved. When you are preparing to move out please review the Checkout Form in the tenants section of this website.
What is written in your individual lease takes precident over anything written here, but in general, rent is late after the 1st. On our standard lease, you have a grace period through 5:00pm on the 5th. After the grace period there is always a late fee. The best thing you can do if you need to pay after the 5th, is send an email to our office, BEFORE THE 5TH, letting us know what date it will be paid and then follow through with your promise. Communication is key. You will still be charged a late fee but as long as you communicate beforehand, follow through with your promises – paying in a reasonable time, and pay your late fee, then it’s usually not a big deal. Without communication, or if you don’t follow through with your promises, then we can only assume the worst and we will proceed on those assumptions. If you are going to pay by 5pm on the 5th then there is no need to notify the office.
Frequently Asked Questions (New Tenants)
No. For legal and liability reasons we can not have you move halfway in. Either you are moving in or you are not. If you want to move in earlier than originally planned, we can see if the property will be available, and if it is, we will need to charge you rent for those extra days that you want to start moving in.
We do not issue keys for most of our rental homes. They have a keypad lock on the front door that you will be able to program and change the code on anytime you want. The evening before your move in date, if your rent has been paid, you will receive an email with your move in codes and information. To get this email at the scheduled time, you will need to make sure your rent is paid before the end of the day (5pm) the business day before your move in date. (For example, if you are moving in Monday morning you need to have your account balance paid by 5pm on Friday.)
The fastest and best way to get a regular, non-emergency, maintenance issue resolved is to log into your portal and follow the prompts there to report it. You can do this on our phone app or on a computer. You can also upload pictures with it if needed. Pictures are always extra helpful. If you call, email, or text in your maintenance issue you will be asked to go to your portal and submit the issue there. Please do not submit duplicate maintenance requests for the same issue or submit a maintenance request for non-maintenance issues.
If it is an urgent maintenance emergency where there is an immediate threat to life or property, then call the office. If it’s after hours or we are out of the office, the voicemail greeting will give you an emergency number to call. After making that call, if you can, it’s best to also report it in your portal, as you would with any other maintenance issue, to date and time stamp your description of what happened and to report that you called the emergency crew.
Yes. We have a great system for doing that. Email the office and ask for instructions for paying with cash. You will then get an email with a barcode that you can use at any 7-11 store to pay your rent with cash. They’ll give you a receipt and, if you then log into your portal, you’ll be able to instantly see your account has been updated, showing your rent is paid. Save the barcode and use it anytime in the future.
We don’t usually know. Kasteel Property Management does not own or manage community mailboxes. They are owned and opertated by the post office. If you ask we will direct you to find out from the post office. You might want to try testing which mailbox your key works on but asking the post office might be a more sure way to find out.
If you live in a community where a key is needed for your mailbox and the previous tenant did not leave it (usually in a kitchen drawer or on the counter), you will need to contact the post office to get a new one. Those mailboxes are owned and operated by the post office so we can not help you with it. Usually there is not a fee for getting a new key if you tell them you just moved in. If there is still a fee we can charge the previous tenants security deposit for loosing it and then give you a credit towards your rent, but only if you send us a receipt within one week of your move in date. Emailing the receipt is the best way to turn it in. Just make sure your name and address is on it with a description of what it is for.
Frequently Asked Questions (Prospective Tenants)
We review credit, criminal background, verify employment and income, and check with previous landlords.
We aren’t looking for a particular credit score as much as we are looking to see that you pay your bills, that you’re not currently having financial difficulties, and that there are not people trying to collect money from you that aren’t getting paid.
Yes, if you do not qualify on your own, we might still consider your application with a co-signer. The co-signer would need to apply too and, if approved, be willing to sign the lease with you and will be responsible for all terms of the lease with you.
No. If this is something you need we will determine that the cost of living there is too high for you to afford.
You need to be prepared to pay the deposit when you apply. Once you fill out an application you will get an answer within 24 hours (usually the same day). If approved, you will be given a link to sign the lease and pay the deposit electronically. This needs to be done right away so we can take the home off the market and to prevent someone else from signing up for it. The rent can be paid any time before your move-in date but the deposit needs to be paid right away. If you are not ready to sign the lease and pay the deposit then please do not apply until you are.
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Our Commitment
- Fast response time: We will always respond to your needs and we jump right in to resolve problems.
- Easy moving procedure: We strive to provide you with accurate move in and move out information before you even know you need it. By providing you with the information you need, before your move, you can better plan your moving day.
- Easy to use portal: To stay organized and quickly take care of the things you need, your online portal will allow you to pay rent, submit maintenance requests and review payment history.
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