Owner's FAQs:

How do I get my house ready to rent?

Your home must be left in professionally cleaned condition, because the tenants will be paying a non-refundable cleaning fee. Your property manager prefers to arrange this cleaning to ensure that the cleaning guidelines are strictly followed. The carpets must be freshly cleaned and all debris and personal belonging removed from the house.

You should consider painting any room that has dirty or marred walls. A neutral color is best. Your property manager will be happy to discuss any necessary repairs or painting with you. Neutral window coverings such as blinds should be left, but not curtains that match a particular bedspread or couch.

Whether or not the washer, dryer, or refrigerator should be left depends on the property. You should discuss these questions with your Property Manager.

The tenants are requested to maintain the yard in the condition it is provided to them. Therefore, the yard should be freshly mowed, weeded, trimmed and the leaves and debris removed.

How will Aria find tenants for my house? How long will it take?

Your home will immediately be put on our list of available properties utilizing all avenues of advertising: Aria web site, external signs, internet, open houses, newspapers, etc.

We are in frequent contact with many real estate agents in the Portland metro area, relocation offices of major companies, and a large pool of tenants-in-need.

It normally takes two to four weeks to rent a home. It sometimes takes longer in the winter. A home goes on the list of available properties as soon as we receive notice from the existing tenant and permission from the owner to re-rent.

What are the initial rental fees and how are they collected?

It is generally preferred to collect first month's rent plus a security deposit. We normally take a non-refundable cleaning fee sufficient to have the property cleaned after it is vacanted, plus a refundable security deposit totaling slightly more than one month's rent. The property is automatically professionally cleaned between each tenant.

The security deposit is held in a Clients Trust Account, as mandated by the state of Oregon's Real Estate Agency.

What if I don't want pets or smokers in the house?

The decision to allow pets or smokers is up to the owner. Additional deposits for pets are generally $500.00. The deposit is deemed refundable only after the property has been inspected to confirm that the house is in its original condition.

What does Aria do if the tenant does not pay rent on time?

The rent is due on the first of each month and considered late after the fifth. If payment is not received by this date a "72-Hour Notice" to pay the rent or vacate will be delivered to the tenant. If they have not paid by the end of the notice period, we will notify the owner and file at the courthouse for a FED (eviction) hearing, which will be within ten to fourteen days. You would pay for filing fees, but there is no additional charge for our time - it is part of normal management. If an attorney is necessary in a contested FED, you will be responsible for any legal fees.

When do I get my money each month?

The rental funds must clear their banks before we can begin disbursing funds. It usually takes two weeks for such clearance. We begin the payment of bills on the fifteenth. Statements to owners, along with their checks, go out between the 20th and 30th. The statement will have all activity on the account for that month.

How is the property protected if the tenant cause damage?

In most cases, the security deposit collected upon move-in is more than adequate to repair the minor damages caused by tenants. Tenants with excellent credit and references seldom cause much damage and almost never in excess of the security deposit. Our screening company checks criminal, credit and eviction records as well as job history and landlords.

Should the tenants leave the property owing more than is covered by the security deposit, they will be billed. If they do not pay, it will be turned over to a collection agency.

What happens if the tenant leaves before the end of the lease?

The tenant is responsible for the rent for the term of the lease. If they are forced to or choose to leave prior to the termination date, they will be charged for the rent until the property is re-rented to acceptable persons under the same terms and conditions of the original lease. The owner is responsible for attempting to re-rent the property as soon as possible in order to minimize the tenant's costs.

Will I get called in the middle of the night with emergencies?

Our property managers get the emergency calls. You will never be called in the middle of the night!

All non-emergency repairs come to us as a work order request submitted by the tenant. If it is a repair essential to the maintenance of the property and less than $200, the repair will be ordered and you will see an entry for the payment of that bill in your next statement. If the cost is more than $200, or if there is a question of what should be done, the property manager will call you for direction.