All rents are due and payable in advance, on the first business day of the month. Please mail your payments to: Home Rental Services PO Box 219241 Kansas City MO 64121 Do not mail anything but rental payments to that address. Payments must be received by the 3rd day of the month. HRS is not responsible for delays in the mail. We do not accept post dated checks. We must be fair and strict with the late fees so please remember to mail your payment in a timely manner. Thank you.
Other payment options:
Pay your rent in person at our office. We will accept your rental payments in our office. If you choose to pay in person the fee to do that is 3% of your rental amount. For example, if your rent is $1,300 per month and you decide to pay your rent in person at our office the total due will be $1,300 + $39 = $1,339. Due dates do not change. If you should pay your rent in person and late then late fees would also apply.
Split your rental payment into 2 payments per month. To take advantage of this payment option you must notify HRS in writing prior to the first of any month. There is a $20 fee per payment that is due with each payment. So if you decide to use this method of payment and your rent is $1400 per month you would pay $720 on the first of the month and $720 on the 15th of the month.
Rent is due on the first business day of the month. If your rent is received by the 3rd day of the month there will be no late fee. However, we are very strict about late fees. The late fee is 10% of the monthly rent. HRS is not responsible for postal delays. Late fees must be paid prior to the next rent payment day. Non-payment of late fees is a breach of your lease.
If rent is not paid in full by the 4th day of the month you will receive a late notice and a late fee will be due. If rent is not received by the 5th day of the month we will prepare and serve a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit. This is the first step in the eviction process. We will not call you about this. The notice will be delivered and attached to your door. If we have not received payment within the three days, we will continue with the eviction proceedings. Once again, we will not contact you by telephone before proceeding with the next step. It is very expensive if you want us to stop the eviction once it has begun, as you may have to pay all legal fees and court costs in addition to rent due and late fees etc. If the eviction is completed, it will appear on your credit report and make it very difficult for you to rent in the future. You can avoid all of these problems by simply paying your rent on time each month.
Paying by personal check is a privilege which may be revoked if abused. If your check is returned by your bank we will not accept a personal check (from you or anyone else) for payment of your rent for six months. You must pay with money orders or cashier’s checks. If this occurs a second time, all future rent payments must be made in certified funds.
If your check is dishonored, you will be charged an NSF fee. If your rent is late because your check is returned, you will also be charged the late fee. If you do not immediately replace the check with certified funds, you may be served with a 3-day notice, and charged a notice fee. Please refer to your lease contract for specific information regarding these fees.
Will the locks on the house be re-keyed when I move in?
All locks are re-keyed with each new tenancy. When you come into our office to pick up your keys you will be give a set of “old” keys. We will give you the name and phone number of the locksmith that we use. You will set an appointment with that locksmith at your earliest convenience to have the locks re-keyed. The locksmith will bring a set of keys to HRS once the re-key is completed. These keys will be held in a fireproof locked safe. The cost to have the locks re-keyed is paid by the renter. The amount of the charge is set out in your lease document.
Can I get a pet after moving in? Can I watch a friends pet for a few days?
Pets are not allowed unless previously okayed by Home Rental Services. This includes keeping a friend’s pet at the property temporarily. If we discover a pet at your property you will be given a 14 day “notice to cure”. If the pet is not permanently gone from the property within the 14 days the owner may elect to begin eviction proceedings.
If this occurs please notify our office in writing as soon as possible. You are responsible for the rent, utilities, and property upkeep (mowing lawn, shoveling snow etc.) until the property gets re-rented. However, the owner has an obligation to you to get the house re-rented or sold to minimize your expenses. We cannot begin to market the property until we receive your notice of your lease break in writing. Best case scenario: we get the house re-rented right away and you are set for your new adventure in life. Worst case: you end up paying rent and maintaining the property until the end of your lease. A lease is a contract. It cannot be treated “casually”.
Who is responsible for the smoke detectors in my home?
Smoke detectors are generally located on the ceiling or high on the walls, in the hallways leading to the bedrooms. If a smoke detector is not operating properly, contact our office immediately. If the smoke detector begins to make a chirping noise, it means the battery is low. Replace the battery at once. Your lease specifies that you must replace the batteries. If the smoke detector goes off when there is no fire (ie. From cooking) DO NOT remove the battery!!!! Smoke detectors must have working batteries in them AT ALL TIMES! This is for your own safety.
If you cannot locate the smoke detectors in your home please call our office immediately for further instructions.
Will Home Rental Services inspect the unit while I am living there?
As part of our agreement with the property owner, HRS will conduct routine surveys of the condition of both the interior and exterior of the property. You will be notified prior to any interior inspection. If there are any problems discovered, for which you are responsible, you will be notified. If any conditions are noted which are due to normal wear and tear, the repairs will be made at no cost to you. These repairs may be made at the time of the survey, or at a later date if necessary.
All breakdowns, system failures and structural defects must be reported to HRS in a timely manner. HRS will make any necessary repairs within a reasonable time. If you fail to report damage that then causes additional damage to the property (ie failing to report a roof leak) you may be held liable for the damage caused by failing to report the maintenance issue. You will not be reimbursed for any unauthorized repairs you make or cause to be made.
Some examples of maintenance you are expected to do at your own expense:
• Replace light bulbs • Replace screens and windows damaged during your lease • Keep flower beds weeded and free from volunteer trees • Mow lawn as needed to maintain a height not to exceed 6 inches • Replace batteries in smoke detectors • Replace furnace filters every 3 months • Keep dirt, weeds and debris away from heating & air conditioning units • Trimming shrubs • Clearing paved areas of snow and ice • Cleaning windows • Adequately watering the lawn and landscaping (trees/shrubs etc)
How should I submit maintenance requests (work orders)?
All requests for non-emergency maintenance must be submitted in writing. A work order request form was given to you at move in. There is also a form on this web site that you may print out and fax to us. You may also use email and send the request to repairs@home4rent.com . You will be contacted regarding your request. However, not all requests will be acted upon immediately. If you have not heard from us in 5 days, please contact our office. All dangerous conditions or habitability issues will be corrected as quickly as possible.
Will I be charged for maintenance work needed that turned out to be my fault?
If a repair is needed to correct a problem of normal wear and tear, the property owner will pay for it. If the situation was caused by you or your guests, you will be responsible to pay for the repair.
Garbage disposals are not for bones, greasy items, meat or large quantities of vegetable peelings. If the motor buzzes, turn off the switch. Un-jam the disposal by turning the blade backwards with a wooden spoon handle or a wrench, if available. Reset the circuit breaker on the bottom or side of the disposal (this is usually a small red or yellow button). If the unit turns easily by hand but not with the power, call HRS for service. Almost all disposal jams are caused by improper use. It is to your advantage to un-jam it, rather than requesting maintenance service for which you would be billed.
No power in bathroom or kitchen or garage electrical outlets?
Most homes are now equipped with GFI switches. These switches are made to interrupt the flow of electricity and are used in areas of the home where electricity and water might come into contact with each other. If you have no power in the outlets in the bath, kitchen or garage, find the reset button that is popped out and push it in. Sometimes several outlets are “hooked” to one switch. It may be that the outlets in the bathroom have no power but the reset button that is popped out is in the basement. Please check all the reset buttons before calling HRS. If we call out an electrician and all they have to do is push a reset button, you will be billed for the electrician’s time.
You are responsible for keeping all sinks and toilets open and free-flowing. After 5 days of occupancy you will be responsible for any damage or stoppage unless it was caused by mechanical failure of the plumbing system or roots in the sewer lines.
Minor insect problems should be treated with sprays (such as Raid). This would include ants, spiders, and roaches. If the pest problem is persistent, and cannot be adequately controlled with sprays, notify the office and we will arrange for an exterminator to treat your home.
• No heat • Free flowing water • No useable toilet in the house • Unable to secure house • No hot water • No air conditioning when outside nighttime temperature will stay over 80 degrees • Sewer back up
If one of these occurs call HRS immediately. If the emergency is after hours please follow the directions in our voice mail system and a maintenance coordinator will be paged.
What if the problem is urgent but not an emergency?
Urgent situations can be called in during normal office hours. Please do not call the emergency line except for the situations listed above. If you have an urgent, non-emergency situation you may call in your request for repair on the next business day, but please follow up with a written request also.
Examples of urgent maintenance situations are:
• Non-functioning appliance • Roof leak • No electricity in one room or area • Backed up sink (no other plumbing fixtures affected)
The quotes, excerpts and paraphrasing used in this section regarding the Kansas or Missouri law are drawn from the internet as of October 2003. To the best of our knowledge this information is current. Should you wish to verify or check we recommend using a major search engine on the internet and search using “Kansas Landlord Tenant” or “Missouri Landlord Tenant”. You should be able to find them easily at no charge to you.
Security deposits are one of the most challenging topics for Landlords and Renters to deal with. Both HRS and the Landlord would love for every renter to get 100% of their security deposit returned. That would mean that the property was well cared for by the renter (no problems for the Landlord and less work for HRS). Everyone wins when that happens. However, many times there are issues to be dealt with. These FAQ’s will help with some of them.
This varies by state and can change as the laws change. (Refer to Kansas or Missouri Landlord Tenant Laws for the most current information.) In 2003 the security deposit limits are as follows:
Kansas: (excerpt from the Landlord Tenant Law as of October 2003)
“58-2550. Security deposits; amounts; return; damages for noncompliance.
(a) A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit for an unfurnished dwelling unit in an amount or value in excess of one month's periodic rent. If the rental agreement provides for the tenant to use furniture owned by the landlord, the landlord may demand and receive a security deposit not to exceed one and one-half (1 1/2) month's rent, and if the rental agreement permits the tenant to keep or maintain pets in the dwelling unit, the landlord may demand and receive an additional security deposit not to exceed one-half (1/2) of one month's rent “
Missouri: (paraphrased from the Landlord Tenant Law as of October 2003)
Under Missouri law, a landlord can only require a maximum two months' rent as a security deposit.
As of October 2003 in both Kansas and Missouri the landlord is given 30 days to return the deposit to you and/or document the charges to the deposit.
Quoted from Kansas Law as of October 2003. “b) Upon termination of the tenancy, any security deposit held by the landlord may be applied to the payment of accrued rent and the amount of damages which the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant's noncompliance with K.S.A. 58-2555, and amendments thereto, and the rental agreement, all as itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant. If the landlord proposes to retain any portion of the security deposit for expenses, damages or other legally allowable charges under the provisions of the rental agreement, other than rent, the landlord shall return the balance of the security deposit to the tenant within fourteen (14) days after the determination of the amount of such expenses, damages or other charges, but in no event to exceed thirty (30) days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant. If the tenant does not make such demand within thirty (30) days after termination of the tenancy, the landlord shall mail that portion of the security deposit due the tenant to the tenant's last known address.
Missouri Law: paraphrased as of October 2003 “At the end of the lease, the landlord has 30 days to return the security deposit with an itemized list of damages for which any portion of the deposit is kept. "
Not only does your lease not allow you to use your deposit as your last month’s rent but both the Kansas and Missouri laws forbid that also. The penalties for trying to do that are very high.
Excerpts and paraphrasing from Kansas and Missouri law as of October 2003:
Kansas: (d) Except as otherwise provided by the rental agreement, a tenant shall not apply or deduct any portion of the security deposit from the last month's rent or use or apply such tenant's security deposit at any time in lieu of payment of rent. If a tenant fails to comply with this subsection, the security deposit shall be forfeited and the landlord may recover the rent due as if the deposit had not been applied or deducted from the rent due.
Missouri: The tenant may not use the security deposit to pay the last month's rent.
