FAQs
TUSCALOOSA RENTAL PROPERTIES
What are your office hours?
Where is your office located?
How can I tour a property?
What are the steps I should take to lease a property?
What must be done to "complete a lease"?
How much is a security deposit?
Will I get my security deposit back?...When?
Can my security deposit cover my last month's rent?
What can I do to ensure I get all of my deposit back?
When is my rent due?
How do I need to pay rent?
Are utilities included?
Utility info/contact sheet
Is it furnished?
Do you provide pest control services?
Do you allow pets?
Can I have the outgoing tenants leave furniture or other stuff for us?
- What are your office hours?
We are typically open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday. We do occasionally have to lock the door during the day to meet tenants, let contractors in to perform repairs, show houses available for rent, etc. You should contact us to let us know before you plan to stop by our office in order to be sure that someone will be here.
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- Where is your office located?
Our address is 1601 Hackberry Ln, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
We are located behind the Checkers drive-thru that is on 15th St near the intersection with the bowling alley, bread factory, and Monnish Park.
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- How can I tour a property?
All of our available properties are listed on our website. To schedule an appointment to see them, you may contact us via our website, or call our office at (205) 764-0135. We must notify our current tenants at least 24 hours in advance before showing a property, so please keep that in mind when scheduling. It is best if all of your roommates are available to see the property at the same time, and if you only ask for appointments to see properties that are the correct size you need & fit the price range that you and your roommates have decided on.
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- What are the steps I should take to lease a property?
Once you have seen the property and decided that you would like to rent it, you should place a "Hold Deposit" on it.
We don't technically consider a property to be "off the market" until we have a completed lease (with ALL paperwork turned in and deposits paid); however, we will hold a property for one week upon completion of a Hold Agreement. The hold agreement must be signed, and a deposit (amount of Hold Deposit varies by property) must be paid. We will then hold the property for one week (or until the date written on the hold agreement) while you complete the lease. The hold deposit will be applied to your security deposit as long as you complete the lease. If the lease is not completed within the time agreed upon, you will lose the hold deposit.
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- What must be done to "complete a lease"?
There are multiple owners of the properties that we manage, therefore the requirements vary somewhat and you should ultimately check with your property manager or landlord to be sure. There are a few basic things that are required by all property owners; these are listed below.
In order to consider a lease complete, we must have:- the lease signed by all tenants (tenants must be at least 19; parents can sign for tenants >19 y/o at the time of the signing of the lease)
- a copy of each tenant's driver's license
- a guaranty form for each tenant on the lease
- a copy of the guarantor's driver's license
- a security deposit, equal to one month's rent
- *one month prepaid rent
- any additional paperwork and/or payments required by your landlord
*This depends on the landlord and the property. Some landlords require first month's rent in advance; others require last month's rent. Certain properties also have more lease requirements than others due to the higher demand for them.
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- How much is a security deposit?
A security deposit is the same amount as one month's rent.
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- Will I get my security deposit back?...When?
You will receive the remainder of your security deposit once the property has been inspected and deductions for any damages/unpaid charges have been made. In order to receive any remaining deposit, you must provide us with a mailing address.
The statements and checks/invoices will be mailed out within the time-frame required by Alabama law. Currently, the law gives us up to 60 days from the end of the lease.
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- Can my security deposit cover my last month's rent?
No. The security deposit is used to cover repairs and cleaning costs AFTER the lease has ended. The last month's rent is due on the 1st day of the last month.
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- What can I do to ensure I get all of my deposit back?
There isn't an exact list or perfect answer for this. A good place to start, is by making sure that the rental property is in good shape--even better than when you moved in! (Yep, you read that right--even better!) If you moved in early, you essentially accepted the property in it's "As-Is" condition. This means accepting responsibility for the condition of the property as well.
For example you aren't just saying, "Okay, I can live with that missing cabinet door. Don't worry about replacing it!". It's actually more like, "I will either replace the cabinet door myself, or pay to have it replaced when I move out, as long as I am allowed to move in today!".
The responsibility for the condition of the property upon accepting possession is not limited to only those who move in early. If there are damages that we missed or were unable to have repaired before you moved in, it is your responsibility to document them and share that with us within 48 hours of moving in. As long as you can prove that you properly notified us within that time frame, you should not be held responsible for those damages.
If you signed a lease with other tenants (as most of our tenants do), you are all equally responsible for the entire unit and all of the associated charges. Typically, unless a tenant's deficiency becomes excessive, we only hold that tenant responsible for that balance while the lease is still active. If a deficiency becomes excessive or is left unpaid at the end of a lease, all tenants and guarantors will share this liability. Everyone will be notified and expected to satisfy the balance or it will be deducted from the deposit as a whole, along with any other charges assessed upon move-out. Balances that exceed the deposit amount will be billed to everyone.
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- When is my rent due?
Rent is due on the 1st of the month; it is considered late on the 5th of the month.
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- How do I need to pay rent?
The preferred method of payment is online via a checking or savings account. If you would like for us to set this up for you or need help to set it up correctly, do not hesitate to contact us. We're happy to walk you through the steps, or at least help look over your entry to make sure everything is correct.
You may also pay by check or money order either in our office, or by mail.
Some landlords accept cash; some may not.
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- Are utilities included?
No. No utilities are included with the rent. You must set up any necessary utility accounts in one of your names, as well as schedule a time to have the utilities turned on.
It is best to contact the companies well ahead of your move-in date as they become VERY busy during that time of year. They will let you know if anything more needs to be done to ensure that you have lights, water, etc when you move in.
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- Is it furnished?
No. None of our properties come furnished.
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- Do you provide pest control services?
Yes. Pest control is provided at either 4 or 6 week intervals at which time the air filters are changed. These services are provided by the landlords as a courtesty to the tenants. Should there be an issue which prevents or inhibits these services, the landlord, at his discretion, may no longer provide these services for the property, or may begin charging the tenant a fee in exchange for them.
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- Do you allow pets?
Some specific properties are pet friendly; however, most of our properties are not. Most property listings on our website will state whether or not a property is pet-friendly. Be sure to ask the property manager or landlord about this matter specifically before you sign your lease. Whether you have a pet, a service animal, or an ESA, we appreciate being notified up front about the animal so that the appropriate steps can be taken. We follow all federal and state laws regarding service animals and ESAs, and we will make accommodations for legitimate requests.
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- Can I have the outgoing tenants leave furniture or other stuff for us?
Whether you are buying, begging, selling, or giving, you CANNOT leave anything in a home for the next tenants without getting explicit approval from Elkins Apartments to do so. Just telling us is not enough, and we have to approve it.