WILMINGTON’S BEST RENTALS

TENANT HANDBOOK

PLEASE RETAIN THIS COPY THROUGHOUT YOUR TENANCY!

1113-C Military Cutoff Road

@ The Forum

WILMINGTON, NC 28405

OFFICE: 910-344-0467

FAX: 910-256-8969

AFTER HOURS EMERGENCIES……….910-262-2560

MAINTENANCE POLICY & PROCEEDURE

EMERGENCY REPAIR REQUESTS:

Wilmington’s Best Rentals normal business hours are Monday – Friday (except holidays) 9:00 – 5:00. If any emergency occurs after business hours or over the weekend please call number on the front page. Please leave your name, phone number and address with a detailed description of the problem.

Please remember this is only for emergencies, which are defined below.

AN EMERGENCY IS DEFINED BY:

  • Fire, explosions
  • Flooding
  • Loss of heat
  • Stopped up toilet (if you have only one bathroom)
  • Backed up sewer system or septic system
  • A severe plumbing leak.
  • Any conditions which endanger the property or the occupants

Please remember the service person’s response time is affected by the number of calls in front of you.

REPORTING NON-EMERGENCY REPAIRS:

Our business hours are Monday – Friday 9:00 – 5:00. You may fax us at 910-256-8969, submit and online request, or email

Repair requests should be made by the Lessees only; we cannot take repair requests from friends and relatives not on the lease. We will attempt to make the requested repairs as soon as possible. However, the cost and nature of some repairs will require approval from the owner of your property. This can increase our response time. If you miss an appointment made with a repairperson you will be billed for the service call.

TYPICAL TENANT RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Broken glass and torn screens
  • Lost keys, keys broken off in your lock
  • Jammed disposals (with spoons, bottle caps or food)
  • Stopped up drains, and stopped up toilets that needed plunging
  • Tripped breakers, overloaded circuits & blown fuses
  • Non-functioning heat or air conditioning due to clogged filters or no fuel
  • Damages which are not normal wear and tear
  • No problem detected when a maintenance person attempted to repair.

LESSEES WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS/ADDITIONS UNLESS GIVEN PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL BY THE PROPERTY MANAGER

BEFORE YOU REPORT A PROBLEM READ THIS:

Before you call the office to report an emergency or a problem, there are several things you can try first that may correct the problem and prevent a visit to your home.

NO HOT WATER

  • Try your breaker switch (especially if there have been storms and power surges)
  • Try the reset button on your hot water heater and wait 15 minutes
  • Call the office and leave a message for repair

OUTLETS IN THE BATHROOM

  • Try the test button if there is one
  • Try the GFI switch in the breaker box or located in its proximity
  • Call the office and leave a message for repair

OTHER OUTLETS WITH NO POWER

  • Check breaker box for tripped breaker
  • If only one plug out of two in the outlet does not work it is probably controlled by the light switch
  • If this fails, Call the office and leave a message for repair

GARBAGE DISPOSALS

  • Turn off power to disposal and check for any obstructions (bottle caps, silverware)
  • Check breaker and reset button on the disposal (usually on the bottom of disposal)
  • Fill out repair request form
  • Remember if this is something that you let get jammed in there, you will be billed for the service call.

GLASS AND SCREENS

Please report the condition of all glass and screens on your move-in inspection. Thereafter, the repair to glass or screens becomes the tenants responsibility (unless caused by storm damage) Typically cracked glass is not replaced unless the crack is such that it may fall out of the frame or otherwise injure the resident.

PLUMBING PROBLEMS:

After the first week of your lease, stopped up plumbing drains are your responsibility unless it is found to be a defect in the pipe, tree roots or a problem with the plumbing system.

  • Try a plunger or liquid Drano for drains
  • For a toilet, try a plunger
  • Remove screen and try to remove debris from sink and tub drains
  • If this does not work call office during normal business hours

IF IT IS FOUND TO BE IMPROPER USE YOU WILL BILLED FOR SERVICE CALL

HEATING AND AIR

You are responsible for changing your filter every month. This will enable your system to operate more efficiently and economically. With a heat pump, a desire temperature should be arrived at and the thermostat should be left at this temperature. Typically, in the winter 68-72 degrees / summer 75-78 degrees.

**The heat pump is not a hot air system – the air from the registers may only feel room temperature or slightly warmer. The heat pump is equipped with auxiliary heat strips to provide heat when the outside temperature is excessively cold. Wilmington does not usually have many days where the temperature is below freezing. If your heat system is gas/oil make sure you have fuel before reporting a problem.

  • Please try breaker box, plus separate breaker near inside / outside unit itself.
  • Make sure you do not have the heat and cool lever operating side by side on thermostat
  • If outside unit has ice on it and it’s frozen up; turn off system for awhile because they are unable to work on it in this condition.
  • Call the office and let us know if you have any air blowing out or nothing at all

DISHWASHERS

If your dishwasher fails to come on, first check the door latch to make sure it is engaged. Check the power switch, if there is one that will be located above the counter top in the vicinity of the dishwasher. This will look like a light switch. If this does not work, then check breaker box. Use only approved automatic dishwashing detergent in the machine. If the dishwasher leaks during the cycle let us know where it is leaking. A small amount of water in the bottom of the dishwasher is not unusual. If you notice dried foods or sandy particles on the dishes, make sure your disposal is completely empty before running the dishwasher-they drain into the same line. Food left in the disposal will back up in the dishwasher and may also cause the dishwasher drain line to clog.

LOCKS

If you are locked out of your unit after hours,call a lock smith. If it is during normal business hours you may sign out a key from our office to make a copy at your expense.

If your locks need to be changed you should contact the office. You will not be reimbursed for the new locks unless you obtained prior written approval from a property manager.

THANK YOU FOR TRYING THESE SUGGESTIONS FIRST. REMEMBER WE ARE ABLE TO GET SERVICE PERSONNEL OUT TO YOU FASTER DURING THE WEEKDAYS – SO DO NOT WAIT FOR A PROBLEM TO BECOME AN EMERGENCY OVER THE WEEKEND. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.