Frequently Asked Questions:
Applying For An Apartment
- 1. Visit our "For Rent" page.
- 2. Find an apartment listed and click the "Please Contact Me With More Information About This Apartment" link.
- 3. We will contact you and set up an appointment with you to show you the apartment.
- 4. If you decide you'd like to rent the apartment, we require a Security Deposit equal to one month's rent. This takes the apartment off of our list of available apartments. Each prospective tenant will need to fill out an application form and give us a $35.00 NON-REFUNDABLE Application Fee. The Application Form authorizes us to run a credit check, and we will check your credit. We take your privacy extremely seriously, and will not share your social security number or the results of your credit check with anyone.
- 5. We require proof of income such as bank statements or pay stubs, or proof of sufficient funds to pay the rent. Your monthly income should be 3 to 4 times your rent. We also require landlord references.
- 6. Once your application is accepted, two copies of a lease must be signed by all tenants, co-signers (if any), and the landlord.
- 7. We also require a Last Month's Rent and First Month's Rent before you can have the keys to the apartment.
Some Application Process Do's and Dont's:
DO:
Fill out the Application Form honestly. If we discover ANYTHING that shows you've misrepresented information on the form, we will not consider you as a possible tenant.
Expect to need a co-signer if you are a student. The co-signer will need to fill out the Application Form., pay the $35.00 NON-REFUNDABLE Application Fee, have their credit checked, and provide proof of income or ability to pay the rent.
Please understand that having no credit is not necessarily a problem, but bad credit will effect your chances of renting from us.
DON'T:
Forget to fill in ALL areas of the Application Form requested, including the apartment address you're applying for, your social security number (required for a credit check), and your signature.
Our Very Firm NO PETS Policy:
We're sorry, but WE DO NOT TAKE PETS of any kind in any of our apartments at any time, no exceptions. We have had bad experiences in the past with pets. We do understand that your pet is part of your family.
Moving In To Your Apartment
We clean all apartments before you move in, given enough time to do so.
We will repaint or touch-up paint as we determine is required.
We want you to be happy living in your apartment, so if you find a problem, please let us know.
Please respect your neighbors when moving in. Please consider your neighbors with regards to your move in times.
Our leases begin at 12 o'clock noon on the lease's Starting Date. Please don't expect to move in before the listed date and time.
While Living In Your Apartment
**Very Important** DO NOT PAINT YOUR APARTMENT. You will be charged to repaint your apartment.
**Very Important** DO NOT ADD, ALTER, OR REMOVE ANY LOCKS IN YOUR APARTMENT. You will be charged to remove, repair or replace any locks.
You are wise to have Renter's Insurance for your and your belongings. It's generally not expensive and worth having to protect yourself and your belongings. We do not carry insurance that covers you or your property. Our insurance only covers our own property.
We need to be able to access your apartment when necessary to effect repairs. We will make every effort to give you advance notice that we need access for any reason, but in emergency situations, that may not be possible.
Please contact us if you have anything broken in your apartment. Do not try to fix anything in your apartment yourself without contacting us first.
If there is more than one tenant in your apartment (you have a roommate), your monthly rent is to be paid in a single check every month.
Moving Out Of Your Apartment
Our leases end at 12 o'clock noon on the lease's Ending Date. Please be sure to have completed your move out by that time.
Once notified that you are planning to move out, we will apply your pre-paid Last Month's Rent to your rent for your last month. If your rent has increased during your tenancy, you will owe the difference between the amount you pre-paid for your Last Month's Rent and the amount of your current monthly rent.
You will need to leave your apartment empty of all personal belongings and broom cleaned.
Most of our tenants receive a full refund of their Security Deposit.
We send a single check for any refunded Security Deposit with an itemized list of any deductions within 30 days of the end of your lease. Please be sure to provide us with your new mailing address so we know where to send any refund due to you.
Be sure to notify the utility companies that you are moving out and that they should take the utilities out of your name.
Be sure to contact the United States Postal Service to let them know that you're moving and provide them with your new address.
Be sure to plan ahead for your move out. Start putting trash out in the weeks leading up to your move out. Don't put all of your trash out on the last day during your move out. We have had to deduct money from Security Deposits in the past for removing excessive amounts of trash.
Don't leave your belongings behind. We have also had to deduct money from Security Deposits in the past for removing and discarding abandoned personal property.
Utilities:
Philadelphia Gas Works PGW 215.235.1000
Philadelphia Electric Company PECO 800.494.4000
Comcast Comcast 800.934.6489
Verizon Verizon 800.837.4966
Others:
University Of Pennsylvania Health System Penn Hospitals 215.789.7366
Childrens' Hospital of Philadelphia CHOP 215.590.1000
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority SEPTA 215.580.7800
Amtrak AMTRAK 800.872.7245
University City District (a great resource for everything in the area) UCD 215-243-0555
Philadelphia's Newspapers Philly.com
University City Review (local newspaper) UC Review
West Philly Local (great site with local info) WP Local
The Daily Pennsylvanian (UPenn's newspaper) DP
Spruce Hill Community Association SHCA
Friends Of Clark Park FoCP
Free Library of Philadelphia Library
