FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
(current as of March 26, 2016)
1. Who are we? Renthouseoklahomacity.com LLC is a local, family-owned business in the Oklahoma City metro area, which strives to assist in providing affordable housing to qualified tenants. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we happily comply with the Fair Housing Act and all other federal, state, and local laws regarding discrimination. Renthouseoklahomacity.com LLC is the property manager, not the owner of the properties themselves.
2. How can I view one of your properties for rent? Send us a text message! 405-748-0259. We will do a very quick background check, and we will need to verify employment by one of two methods: 1, if you give us your employer’s name and phone number, we will call to verify your employment; or 2, if you text or email us a copy of your most recent pay stub (within 1 month), showing your name, the dates of the pay period, and the amount of $ you made during that period. Employment verification might not be necessary for Section 8 tenants. It’s easy, free, and only takes a few minutes (assuming your employer answers the phone promptly).
3. Do you take Section 8 vouchers? Yes, for properties in the city limits of Oklahoma City, we accept ONLY OCHA/4th Street vouchers. For properties outside OKC (e.g. Midwest City & Del City) we accept ONLY OHFA/63rd Street vouchers. If you want to rent a property, please contact us as soon as possible, so we can help you schedule the Section 8 inspection of the home. That way you can move in without a long wait. Currently, Section 8 agencies are backlogged, so it often takes a whole month before they are able to send one of their hardworking inspectors to view a property.
4. Why do you prefer text messages instead of phone calls? 1. Text messaging encourages a quicker response time to communications from tenants and prospective tenants. An employee can conduct only one phone conversation at a time, but that employee can conduct several text message conversations at the same time. It makes our employees more efficient, and therefore quicker in responding to you. 2. Text messaging saves tenants money. For the same reasons of efficiency outline above, we don’t have to charge extra rent to cover the additional labor costs associated with operating by phone. So our tenants save money on rent! 3. Text messaging avoids misunderstandings. Everyone has noticed that phone conversations can be forgotten soon after the call is over, and that misunderstandings are common over the phone. By putting conversations in writing, misunderstandings and lost messages are minimized. We will try to return phone calls promptly, but for faster service, a text message is best.
5. How do I apply to rent a house? No application fee! Just provide us your full name, the full name of all other adults who will be living at the property, and income verification info (either a recent pay stub; or your employer’s name and phone number; or your Section 8 eligibility document). You pay NOTHING until you have seen a property and want to rent it, and then meet our leasing agent in person. It costs you NOTHING to look, and NOTHING for us to perform our background check on you. Compare our system to that of many other property management companies, which charge a non-refundable “application fee” up front, and then tell you that you are not qualified to rent, or that there are no properties available. We have the most fair, convenient, and affordable property management system in town!
6. Why do I have to give my employer information before viewing a property? Out of fairness to all our tenants, we only do business with prospective tenants who demonstrate they can afford the rent, by verifying either sufficient employment income or Section 8 eligibility. If we spend time showing properties to people who cannot afford the rent, we would have higher labor costs, and we would have to charge our tenants more rent to cover those increased costs. We don’t ask for your Social Security number or other information which could be abused. We do not share your employment information with anyone else. The only thing we do with your employment information is contact your employer to verify that you work there, and that you earn enough to afford the rent on the property or properties in which you are interested. And that will result in saving you money on rent! You are always welcome to see a video of a property on our website without providing employment information first.
7. What do I do once I have seen a property and want to lease it? Just text us to schedule an appointment with one of our leasing agents. We operate on a “first-come, first-served” basis in determining which qualified tenant will be allowed to lease a property, so don’t delay. At that appointment with the leasing agent, you must pay the full first month’s rent and full deposit in cash or money order (Section 8 tenants must provide the appropriate forms and $45 of the deposit at that time). We will verify the appointment by text message to you 2 hours in advance, so if you are not ready to pay, please let us know. Our leasing agent is not authorized to accept less than the full amount of rent and deposit (except for Section 8 as noted above), unless other arrangements have been made BEFORE the time for lease signing. Out of fairness to our employees and tenants, we do have to assess a fee for appointments not cancelled by you in advance or where you do not pay the full amount. If you are Section 8 qualified, we will help you schedule that appointment also with the Section 8 inspector, and your only requirement is to show up for that appointment on time.
8. Where is your office? Our field office is at 3320 Neighbors Lane, Del City. Our agents are usually in the field, so it is best to schedule an appointment by texting 405-748-0259.
9. Where can I find out information about your business? Renthouseoklahomacity.com LLC is officially registered with the State of Oklahoma as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). You can verify our official status by going to the Oklahoma Secretary of State website, https://www.sos.ok.gov/business/corp/records.aspx, typing in our name, renthouseoklahomacity.com LLC, and pressing the Search button (the icon of the magnifying glass).
10. I don’t have all the money for the deposit right now: can I pay the deposit later? To be fair to everyone, we have instituted a “first-come, first-served” policy. We cannot allow a tenant to move in without either paying first month’s rent and deposit, or else being approved for this property for Section 8. Occasionally we allow a person to pay half of the deposit up front, and the rest at a specific deadline later.
11. Why no pets? We accept pets ONLY with an additional $1000 pet deposit. We love animals, and our policy doesn’t apply to small, clean, CONTAINED pets like a fish in a fishtank. But dogs, cats, ferrets, and other animals that can walk, crawl, fly, or slither in the house cause a lot of damage to the house, from animal waste, fur, and chewing and scratching on trim, doors, etc. Too many times, we have had to spend hundreds of dollars replacing carpet and other items after a pet damaged them. And we have had bad experiences even when a tenant swore that “it is only an outside dog.”
12. What utilities do you pay? The tenant pays all utilities unless the lease says otherwise (rare).
13. What appliances come with the house? Most houses are all-electric, with baseboard heaters unless otherwise noted. We will provide one window unit air conditioner at move-in; additional or replacement air conditioning units are at tenant expense. Almost all properties have a washer and dryer hookup (but NOT the washer and dryer themselves) unless stated otherwise in the listing. We can provide other appliances at the price it costs us. If a property already has a refrigerator, dishwasher, and/or window units when the tenant moves in, the tenant may use them, but we are not obligated to repair or replace them without the additional deposit. All appliances must stay in the property. Tenants are also welcome to obtain their own appliances at the tenants’ own expense.
14. Do you spray for bugs? The house is professionally sprayed just before the tenant moves in. If bugs appear after move-in, it is tenant-caused. We often will split the cost of sprayings with tenants.
15. Why do you not accept tenants who have had evictions in the past? We understand that many people have had credit or legal problems in the past, and we are willing to give people a second chance. But to be evicted shows a disdain for paying rent, and our business depends on people paying rent. If rent is not paid on time, we might have to lay off our employees, and charge our other tenants more. So out of fairness to our tenants and employees, we do not accept tenants who have an eviction within the last 7 years.
16. Can I paint after I move in? You must ask permission, and we usually grant such permission.
17. Can I smoke in the house? We have a strict NO SMOKING INSIDE policy. You are free to smoke outside, even on the back porch. Please keep an ashtray for cigarette butts to avoid litter.