Resident FAQs

APPLICATIONS

• Can you hold a place before I apply?

  No. In order to place a hold deposit on a property, everyone over 18 who will be living in the rental must apply.

• What is the application processing time?

  Once we have a completed application (proof of income, ID verification and all applicant information - including co-applicants and their information), we issue most decisions within 48 hours of submission. Some applications may take up to 5 business days. If we determine that we lack sufficient information to issue a full approval to rent the property, we may issue a Conditional Approval.

  A Conditional Approval may require additional documentation, require an increased security deposit and/or in some cases, require some applicants to have a co-signer or guarantor. Co-signers/Guarantors must reside in the State where the property is located and must own real property. During this time, the property is still offered for rent to other applicants until all of the information is received and reviewed.

• What are the next steps after applying for a home?

  Once your application has been processed, our application processor may contact you to request any necessary documentation needed, i.e. photo ID, proof of income, rental history verification, proof of renter’s insurance, etc.

• What is a Hold Deposit?

  Once your application is approved, you will be able to complete a Hold Deposit to hold the property while we complete the lease documents and collect the additional funds. Placing a Hold Deposit ensures that the property is held for you for up to 48 hours, as long as you complete the lease signing and pay the remainder of the amounts due. Hold Deposits are non-refundable except in rare circumstances or if you are disapproved for any reason by the Landlord.

  The Hold Deposit is not a security deposit. However, it will be credited toward the required security deposit when the Lease Contract has been signed by all parties.

  The minimum Hold Deposit is $500 and the Manager may ask for any amount up to the amount of the entire required security deposit to hold the property for 48 hours.

• What are the income requirements?

  Most of our properties require that all applicants’ combined GROSS income (before taxes) be at a minimum three times (3x) the monthly rent amount. For example, if the rent amount is $1,000 per month, the minimum combined incomes of all applicants would need to be at least $3,000.

• How important is my credit score?

  We understand that some tenants may have credit issues. We actually weigh stable employment higher in our approval process. Our credit policy states that we work with tenants to find options and solutions that work for the owner and the tenant.

• Do you accept Section 8?

  Yes. We accept all sources of income.

• Do I pay the first month’s rent and last month’s rent with my security deposit?

  No. We never collect last month’s rent. You are only required to pay your Security Deposit and First Month’s Rent prior to move in.

• How is prorated rent determined?

  If the rent term does not start on the 1st day of the month, the Rent Payment from the Start Date through the end of that month (“Initial Period”), and only that month will be prorated accordingly. Except for the Initial Period, no rent shall be prorated or refunded.
  
  Pro-rated rent is calculated by dividing the monthly rent amount by 30, which gives a per diem amount. If your move in date is not the 1st of the month, you will be required to pay a full month's rent prior to occupancy. The next rent due date you will only pay the pro-rated days, which will be due the first day of the second month.
  
  For example, if your rent is $1500 per month and you move in on the 10th of September, you would pay $1500 prior to occupancy as your first month's rent. On October 1st you would pay the pro-rated month amount of $1000 ($1500 divided by 30, which equals $50 per day multiplied by 20 days which equals $1000.). On November 1st your rent payment would be $1500 and would continue as such through the remainder of the current lease term.

• Do I need Renter’s Insurance?

  It is strongly recommended that you purchase renters insurance to cover your belongings and personal liability. We do require that all Tenants carry a liability policy to protect the Owner and Landlord. We charge you $9.50 per month for basic coverage unless you have your own renter’s insurance and have added Maxfield Property Management as an additional insured.

• Is the security deposit refundable?

  Yes, the Security Deposit is refundable per the terms of the Lease agreement.

• How soon will I get my deposit refund?

  You will recieve your deposit disposition within the statutory limits provided. Arizona Tenants will receive their disposition within 15 days. Utah Tenants will receive their disposition within 30 days. We mail the deposit disposition to the last known address or to your new address that you provide us before moving out.

• When will the Lease start?

  Leases must start within fifteen (15) days of approval unless a tenant currently occupies the property - then the lease will begin after the current lease ends and no sooner than on the date we have identified as being "Available".
  
  For more information, please contact the Property Manager.

GENERAL

• How do I obtain mailbox keys or find out which mailbox I have?

  Each property is different. Usually you will need to visit the U.S. Post Office that services that zip code to obtain keys unless they were left on the counter for you. Sometimes we will have the info on what mailbox belongs to the property, however the Post Office or carrier would also be able to provide this information.

• What if I lose my keys or I am locked out of the property?

  In some cases, we have a duplicate set of keys available in the office. We will only release keys during normal business hours to persons listed on the lease, and identification is required. If we have to bring a key out to you, there will be a $60 trip charge. If you lock yourself out after hours you will need to contact a locksmith at your expense, but the lock must not be re-keyed. The property must remain on our key system.

• I am an excellent resident and take good care of the home, can you waive the late charges?

  No. We do not waive late charges. Fair Housing laws require that we treat all our residents equally. We cannot decide if one resident is more deserving than another of paying late charges, therefore we enforce late charges across the board.
  
  For Tenants that are part of our Resident Benefit Package, Maxfield will make a One-Time Fee Reversal Voucher up to $200 for any (one) fee charged during the term of the lease. This voucher cannot be used after move out. If used for a late payment of Rent, the Rent payment must be made by the 7th of the same month to qualify.

• I have always paid my rent on time. Why did I receive a 3-day notice when rent was only 6 days late?

  The rent is due on the 1st. If the rent is not posted in our office by the date stated in your lease, we serve the 3-day notice.

• Can I pay the rent in cash?

  No. We do not accept cash payments at our office but you are able to make cash payments at any participating 7-Eleven or CVS pharmacy with a PayNearMe Cash PaySlip™ - please email us or look in your online Tenant portal for one.

• How long can my guests or visitors stay?

  Visitors and Guests may stay at the property for a short term. We define short term as any one guest not staying more than 30 days in a 12 month period. If anyone will stay longer than 30 days, they need to be added to the Lease. Please see your lease for more details.

• Can I get a roommate or add someone to the lease?

  You may be able to have a roommate, but first they have to be approved through our office. The roommate will have to pay the applicable application fee and have their application reviewed by Maxfield Property Management. Tenant must abide by the decision of Maxfield Property Management on whether another person(s) can be added to the Lease.

• What happens if my roommate moves out before the end of the lease?

  If your roommate moves out, a written notice needs to be submitted to the manager. Remember that all tenants are jointly and severally liable for the lease terms, regardless of whether they occupy the property. This means that even if someone moves out before the end of the lease - all Tenants and roommates, are still legally responsible to pay the entire rent. Security deposits are collected as “security” for the property and no portion of the security deposit will be refunded individually.

• What happens if I need to end my lease early?

  There are certain circumstances which may allow you to end your lease early such as a military deployment or relocation orders, a law enforcement officer, and victim of domestic abuse. These circumstances are outlined in your lease. For all others, your lease is a legal and binding agreement for the term and in many of our leases it spells out the early termination provision.

  Please contact the property manager about your unique situation and what options may be available to you.

• How is prorated rent determined?

  Prorated rent is calculated by dividing the total rent amount by 30 which gives a per diem amount. If your move-in date is mid month you will be required to pay the first month’s rent up front and then the prorated amount the next due date which is the 1st.

• What is your Pet Policy?

  Please go to our Pet Screening page for details.

• Can I get Pet after move-in?

  Unless authorized by your lease or an addendum, bringing ANY animal on the property for even a short time constitutes a lease violation, and you will be fined.

  *You must have a pet addendum or emotional support animal addendum signed PRIOR to bringing a pet (or letting anyone else bring one) onto the property– even for just 1 hour).

• Do You Charge a Renewal Fee?

  Yes. There is a small lease renewal fee that is charged at lease renewal.

• How do I renew my Lease?

  Most Maxfield Leases automatically renew at each renewal period with an automatic increase of rent without any requirement on your part. If you have a Termed Lease (A lease ending on a specific date) or the lease terms are changing, tenants may be offered renewal options about 60 days prior to the Lease End which will be emailed and found in the Tenant Portal.

  If you have any questions about the renewal process or need help in determining whether your Lease automatically renews, please contact us at info@MaxfieldRents.com.

• How do I give Notice not to renew my Lease?

  You may log on to your Tenant Portal and click on the Left Hand side of the portal under the Contact Us Tab and then select Request Notice to Vacate.

  We also accept a Move Out Notice mailed to our Office at:

  Maxfield Property Management
  P.O. BOX 65
  Lehi Utah 84043
  

MAINTENANCE

• How can I submit a maintenance request?

  Simply log into your tenant portal and create a maintenance request for each item.

  FOR EMERGENCIES – FIRE, MEDICAL, and GAS related emergencies immediately affecting life, health or safety you should call 911 and then call the local utility or gas company.

• What constitutes a maintenance emergency?

  We define any Category 5 maintenance request as a Maintenance Emergency – basically anything that threatens the immediate health of the occupants or destruction of the property like flood, fire, sewer back up, burst water pipes, burst water heater, etc.

  FOR EMERGENCIES – FIRE, MEDICAL, and GAS related emergencies immediately affecting life, health or safety you should call 911 and then call the local utility or gas company.

  For Category 5 Maintenance Emergency items ONLY call 801-523-6900, option 3 Maxfield Property Management monitors a 24-hour hotline for maintenance emergencies.

  Not everything is an emergency. Examples of non-emergency maintenance items would be: refrigerator not working, locking yourself out of the house, oven/dishwasher/microwave or other appliance is not working. Additionally, an air conditioner that is not cooling properly or not working when the outside temperature is below 90 degrees or there is no heat when the outside temperature is above 35 degrees. These issues may be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and aggravating, but they are NOT emergencies and should be reported via the maintenance request tab in the Tenant Portal.

  A water heater not functioning is not an emergency unless it is leaking more than a typical glass of water every hour.

• How soon should I expect maintenance items to be completed?

  We identify maintenance into 5 categories:

  CATEGORY 4: Urgent Maintenance

  Target Response Time: 48-96 Hours for service

  Examples: Broken windows (not cracked windows -those are Category 2), plumbing repairs such as no water service, leaking garbage disposal and no hot water. (Note clogged toilets are not considered Urgent Maintenance). Loose railings, wobbly decks, major electrical problems (one or two non-working fixtures or plugs also do not qualify), HVAC systems not working properly when temperatures are greater than 35 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

  Note: during peak seasonal months, target response times for heat and air may be subject to delays due to contractor overload.

  CATEGORY 3:

  Normal Maintenance

  Target Response Time: 4-10 business days for service

  We define a Category 3 maintenance as Normal Maintenance – these issues do not threaten the immediate or eminent health or safety of the occupants. It does not apply to routine maintenance items. Also remember that the Owner and/or Landlord may not choose to repair the Normal Maintenance items pursuant to the terms of the lease, especially when they are marked as-is.

  Examples: Appliance repair, garage door repairs, leaky faucets, broken sprinklers, gas fireplace service, garbage disposal (if it’s not leaking), dishwasher not operating well, burner out on a stove, bad GFCI outlet, light not working, non-functional smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector, etc.

  CATEGORY 2:

  Non-Essential Maintenance

  Target Response Time: 30 days for service

  We define a Category 2 maintenance as Non-Essential Maintenance. The owner may not approve these items for repair.

  Fence repair, low water pressure, gutter cleaning, window operation, appliance cosmetic parts such as knobs, handles, etc

  CATEGORY 1: Optional Maintenance

  Target Response Time: Point these items out during the next property visit or bring it up at lease renewal time.

  We define a Category 1 maintenance as Optional Maintenance. It may be best practice to perform this type of maintenance, but it does not immediately affect the habitability of the dwelling. The owner may not approve these items for repair.

  Window screens, broken lattice, power washing, broken window shade, broken tree limb, missing door stopper, missing door knob, all light bulbs including stove, chandelier, and refrigerator, keys, sticky locks, swollen doors, closet doors, cosmetic damages, paint, fireplace issues, etc.

• What maintenance items am I responsible for?

  Landlord Vs Resident's Responsibilities

  Item	Landlord	Resident
  Water system breakdowns
  Clogged plumbing in house
  Clogged plumbing between house & street
  Broken Garbage Disposal
  Reset Garbage Disposal
  HVAC Breakdowns
  Setting HVAC Controls
  Changing furnace filters every three months
  Electrical system failures
  Resetting GFI switches
  Replace all lightbulbs (2700k temp)
  All utilities (unless otherise stated in the lease)
  Mandatory association dues
  Initial termite treatment/rodents (upon move in)
  Household pest control (during tenancy)
  Maintain yard fencing (unless damaged by tenant)
  Lawn mowing & trimming
  Shrubbery trimming & pine/islands/ bark maintenance/replenishment
  Security System Monitoring
  Microwave turntable or handle
  Smoke detector installation
  Smoke detector batteries
  Exterior drain hose bibs (winterize)
  Replace broken sprinkler heads
  Winterize/de-winerize sprinkler system
  Replace refrigerator filter/ HVAC filters