What do I do if there is an emergency? A major water leak, furnace failure or electrical outage, please contact the Emergency Maintenance phone (269)-568-6010. Situations will be dealt on a case by case basis, and as soon as it is possible. Call the police or fire dept. if you feel there is substantial need to do so.

How do I set up my utilities? Utility Companies for account transfers and Turn-on:

Gas and Electric – Consumers Energy – 1-(800)477-5050

Water/Sewer – City of Kalamazoo – (269)337-8149

Garbage – Best Way Disposal – 1-(800)950-5519

If the landlord pays certain utilities, tenants must respect the costs associated, and not abuse such utilities. This includes running space heaters instead of the furnace. Also, windows open in the winter, when landlord supplies gas. Air conditioning will be monitored in the summer. Please see your lease for details. Some tips on saving on energy costs- Keep the thermostat down during the night. If you have a programmable thermostat, set it to go down when you are not home or at night. The shrink-plastic for windows can save a bundle on heat in the winter- Available at any hardware store, you can fit them on the inside of the window frame and use a hair dryer to shrink the plastic, forming an air-tight seal. Also, it may be common sense, but dress warmer, keeping the thermostat at a reasonable level.

Something broke or isn't working properly: Often, in older homes, things will begin to function poorly, or break altogether due to age or frequent use. If there is a need for repair to a dwelling, please call to make us aware of the problem. We will address the priority on a case-by-case basis. We can usually accommodate most requests quickly and within 2-3 business days.

Something is broken or damaged before I moved in. How do I make sure I'm not held responsible? We provide inventory checklists for you to go over each room thoroughly once you move-in. Please return these to us within 7 days of your move-in. We will make any necessary repairs as quickly as possible.

How do I pay rent? We accept rent payment via personal check, money order or cashier’s check. Rent may also be paid online through the online tenant portal via ACH. You can sign up for auto-payments monthly to avoid the $5 convenience fee. The convenience fee is charged for one-time payments.

What if my rent is late? Your rent is discounted $45.00 if it is paid on time each month by the 5th. After the fifth, the monthly rental amount increases by $45.00. This is due with your rent. If it goes unpaid, it will be withheld from your security deposit.

One of my roommates wants to move out, what do we do? Each tenant has a responsibility to uphold the lease. In some cases, it cannot be avoided to lose a member of the group renting. In these cases, it is up to the group to replace the tenant, have a new tenant sublease from the tenant moving out, or simply pay the portion that was covered by the original roommate. The rental amount of the home/unit stays the same for the full term of the lease. If a sublet is found, the sublet must pass our application process and the tenant/sublet must pay a $50 sublet fee.

I blew a fuse, how do I reset it? Make sure you can locate the circuit breaker panel, or fuse box for your dwelling. These are located in gray boxes, mounted on the wall, in the basement. Usually, in old buildings, fuses will blow, or circuits will "break", when they are overloaded by such things as computer equipment, kitchen appliances, air conditioners, hair dryers or space heaters. Too many plugs in an outlet will cause this as well. For older panels with screw in fuses: Fuses should be replaced with the same color fuse that was blown (blue with blue, orange with orange etc.). If the panel has breaker switches, find the one that is not lined up with the others, and reset to "ON".

There is water leaking from somewhere, what do I do? Call Emergency Maintenance right away if you notice water leaking from anywhere– All properties have a water main shut-off located in the basement. This is located near the floor, and has glass gauge and lever, that can be turned to shut the entire water supply off to the property. If there is a major water leak, please locate and turn this lever to stop the flow of water into the property. Call immediately if you need assistance or someone to do it right away.

My toilet/tub/sink is clogged, who do I call? In the event that a sink or tub is clogged; do not pour DRANO or other liquid acids into the drains- This may cause damage to old pipes. Call Emergency Maintenance (269)568-6010 and we will have our maintenance personnel handle it. TOILET CLOGGING- Please keep a plunger near the toilet in case of a clogged toilet. Never throw diapers or feminine products into the toilet, as they will surely cause a problem. If the toilet will not stop running over, reach behind the toilet and TURN OFF THE WATER VALVE. Turn to the right until the knob stops. This will keep the toilet from running over and spilling onto the floor. Call if the problem cannot be resolved.

My stove/oven isn't working, what do I do? If you have a GAS range/oven, there is likely a PILOT LIGHT. This is a small blue flame that stays lit, in order to light the burners or oven. If a burner isn't lighting or the oven not working, try lighting the pilot light. For stoves -they are located under the stove top. Lift the front of the stove top up for access. The pilot is located in the middle of the two burners on the left (1) and right (2). The oven pilot light is near the rear of the roof of the oven. If you are uncomfortable lighting these, please call for assistance.

Who handles my garbage service? If you live in a single family home, you must set up your own garbage service. For most of our properties, garbage containers should be placed on the curb, in front of your home on Sunday evening, for pick-up on Monday. Be sure to put the container back on Monday to avoid a ticket by the city. Keep garbage INSIDE the garbage containers even on garbage day. Garbage companies won't pick anything up that's not INSIDE the container and the city will ticket for garbage on the lawn.

What about garbage that won't fit in my garbage container? Bulk Garbage Pick-Up- The City will pick up large items you wish to dispose of once a month. For the Vine Neighborhood, it is the 3rd Monday of each month. You can check online for your street's specific pick up date or call Kalamazoo Public Services at 337-8215. Keep the last day in mind before move out.

Can I put a couch on the porch? The City of Kalamazoo is strict with certain ordinances and will patrol/ticket for certain violations. NO INDOOR FURNITURE is allowed on front porches. That includes sofas, barstools, recliners, or any upholstered furniture. Also, do not park/block sidewalks with vehicles. Keep the sidewalk shoveled in the winter as well.

Can I Paint my room? Please DO NOT paint or change color of any interior room without the written consent of the LANDLORD. Tenants will be responsible for the costs to repaint the walls and/or rooms.

Can I use a window unit Air Conditioner? Use of a window A/C unit is allowed under the provision that if the LANDORD provides electric for the building, a fee of $30.00 per month must be included to the rental amount for each A/C unit. This helps defer the cost of electricity used ($1.00 per day avg.) This is strictly enforced and may cause a termination of tenancy if not observed. Please see your lease for details.

Can I get a pet? At most of our properties, we accept pets. Our pet policy is a $200 non-refundable fee with a $25 pet rent per month. If a pet is found on the property without having a pet policy in place, it is a $200 plus the fees to keep the pet on the property. Please don't buy/adopt or "babysit" any pet without consulting us first.

Something happened to my personal property while I am renting. Who's responsible for replacing it? We are not responsible for any personal property. This is covered by tenant’s renter's insurance which is highly recommended. In case of fire, flooding or burglary, it is our recommendation that you carry renter's insurance. It is very affordable (around $10-$20 per month) and will cover all of your property within the building.

How do I get my security deposit back? We return deposits within 30 days of your last day of tenancy. Please leave a written forwarding address for us so that we can send it to you – this must be provided within 4 days of moving out. Please be sure to have the home/apt clean and free of ANY furniture or personal property. This includes garbage, clothing, kitchen supplies, boxes etc. We perform a move-out evaluation and send the security deposit back with a notice of damages as long as we have a forwarding address.