The best way to pay your rent is to pay online. Paying rent online saves you the time and hassle of bringing a rent check to the office, assists you in paying on time, and is the most secure, accurate, and efficient payment method.

Simply log in to your tenant account and follow the prompts to make a single payment or set up recurring payments each month to ensure your rent will always be paid on time by the due date!

There are two ways to request maintenance or repairs.

1. Log in to your tenant account and complete a Service Request for maintenance or repairs.
2. Call our 24 Hour Maintenance Hotline to request maintenance. If it is an emergency, please call us immediately.  (Note: If the situation involves a serious water leak, locate the main water valve in your rental home and turn it to the off or closed position.)

Before Requesting Maintenance

For faster resolution, review the following list of suggestions before calling maintenance. You can also find helpful maintenance tips and advice in your tenant account.

Some of our rental properties allow pets. Homeowner preferences and insurance policies generally determine what type and how many pets are allowed. To find a pet-friendly rental home, search the available properties and click Amenities and select Pets Allowed and if desired, select Fenced Yard.

Pet Application

Many Real Property Management rental homes allow pets. If you have a pet, please ask about our pet policy.

We welcome pets in rental homes that allow pets, however, we must ensure tenants are responsible pet owners and respect other residents in the area. Both landlords and tenants should be up-to-date on city ordinances controlling pet ownership and management. The following list of pet ordinances is not exhaustive, but it does cover the main questions pet owners and landlords are likely to have.

Real Property Management’s Pet Restrictions
Each rental home managed by Real Property Management may have unique restrictions for pets depending upon the type, number, and size of the pet. In addition, city pet ordinances limit the number of pets per pet owner, with exceptions to newborn pet litters. Most rental properties do not allow certain breeds of dogs including Dobermans, Rottweilers, Chows, and Pitbulls because property liability insurance policies will not cover injury caused by these breeds. Real Property Management tenants who have pets are asked to maintain their own liability insurance in regards to their pets.

General Rules and Regulations
Most cities and counties have pet ordinances that all Real Property Management clients must abide by as pet owners.  Below are common ordinances, however, check with Animal Control in your local area to make sure you understand and comply with all pet rules and regulations.

Normally, you must register your dog or cat with the city within a certain timeframe of acquisition, and the license tag must always be attached to your pet. Most pet licenses need to be renewed periodically.

Most city ordinances require a pet to be kept on a leash at any time the pet is off its owner’s residence, except when in officially designated off-leash city property. Dogs and cats in heat must be kept in a secure enclosure, preventing their exposure to any free-roaming males.

If your dog bites a person or another animal, city pet ordinances usually require you to notify the police or an animal control officer immediately, and not leave the scene until an officer has authorized you to do so. Always assist the victim as needed and give your contact information to the victim.

City pet ordinances also usually require you to control your dog’s barking at all times, both day and night, and the police have the power to impound your dog if it is barking incessantly and you can’t be reached.

Whether by law or not, tenants should always clean up after their pets as a courtesy to others and the surrounding property.

Tenant and Owner Responsibilities

As a resident of a rental home managed by Real Property Management Advantage, we want you to treat the home as if it were your own and be respectful of your neighbors.  Taking good care of the property also leads to a faster return of your deposit when you move out.

Your lease outlines your full responsibilities however, below are some general responsibilities.

• Keep the property clean and orderly, inside and out
• Set up utilities in your name prior to moving in – electricity, water, gas, trash
• Care for landscaping and exterior – lawn, and minor trimming and weeding of shrubs and flowerbeds, sidewalks (e.g., show removal), exterior light bulbs, window cleaning
• Pest control
• Complete minor and seasonal maintenance – changing light bulbs, furnace filters, refrigerator water filters, and batteries in detectors; maintaining water softener and purification systems, keeping vents clean
• Comply with local, state, and Home Owner Association (HOA) property codes, rules, and regulations

Contact our office if you would like a referral for a vendor for the services listed above.

Owner Responsibilities

Real Property Management and/or the owner of the rental home you lease are responsible for:

• Ensuring the rental property is clean, safe, and ready for occupancy
• Re-keying all doors leading to the outside for security
• Complying with state and federal laws pertaining to required detectors in the home
• Providing residents with a copy of applicable HOA rules

Rent Payment

You will receive a login for your own online account, where you can pay the rent each month. We encourage you to set up automatic, recurring payments to ensure on-time payment and peace of mind.

Maintenance Request

We want to ensure every rental property stays in great shape, and we encourage you to request maintenance when appropriate to possibly prevent larger issues or costly repairs.  When maintenance or repair is needed, log in to your online account or call our maintenance hotline.

You may apply online through the property listing on our website at www.realpmadvantage.com/houses-rent. Scroll down until you see the blue banner that says “Click Here to Apply”!

All adults 18 years or older who will be living in the home must apply and provide the required documentation. The first person to apply in a group will be required to enter the other applicants’ email addresses to link their applications for a property.

All adults 18 years or older must complete an application.

Our screening process includes background and eviction history checks, credit review, employment and income verification, and rental history verification.

All applicants must have no evictions in the past 5 years, no unsettled bankruptcies, have minimal delinquent/collection accounts on their credit reports, and must earn at least 3x the monthly rent amount in gross income.

All adults 18 years or older must complete an application.

Our screening process includes background and eviction history checks, credit review, employment and income verification, and rental history verification.

All applicants must have no evictions in the past 5 years, no unsettled bankruptcies, have minimal delinquent/collection accounts on their credit reports, and must earn at least 3x the monthly rent amount in gross income.

For applicants who are unable to be approved traditionally, we allow co-signors and/or may require higher amounts of security deposit insurance to issue an approval to lease.

Pet policies vary by property and are determined by the property owner. Some homes allow pets, some do not, and others consider pets on a case-by-case basis. Additional pet rent or restrictions may apply.

Emotional Support Animals are handled in accordance with applicable laws.

Approval timelines can vary based on application completeness and verification speed. Once a complete application is submitted, approvals are typically processed within 1–3 business days.

Move-in timelines depend on property availability, lease start date, and any required preparations.

Applications are processed in the order they are received once fully completed.

The first applicant who meets all screening criteria and is approved will be offered the lease. Once offered the lease, the approved applicant will be required to pay a hold deposit.

When multiple applicants can be approved, the first approved applicant will be given a time limit to submit the hold deposit before Real Property Management moves forward with the next approved applicant in queue.

A hold deposit is a sum paid to a landlord/property manager to reserve a property, taking it off the market during the time between application approval, lease finalization, and move-in, ensuring serious intent from the approved resident and preventing others from renting it.

The hold deposit is equal to one-month’s rent and goes towards the first month’s rent or security deposit once you move in. If you back out or change your mind after paying the hold deposit, the deposit will be forfeited. More information is provided at the time the deposit is collected.

We typically hold a property for thirty days after approval is issued, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.

Security deposit insurance is an alternative to paying a traditional cash security deposit. Instead of paying a large upfront deposit, eligible residents may choose a lower-cost insurance policy that provides coverage to the property owner for certain covered losses, such as unpaid rent or excessive damage.

This option can significantly reduce move-in costs and allows residents to keep more cash on hand at move-in. Policies often may be paid monthly or as a one-time upfront premium.

While premiums are nonrefundable and do not get applied toward rent or refunded at move-out, residents often find that the trade-off of not having to pay a large lump sum upfront is worth the much smaller insurance premium.

Note: Security deposit insurance is different from renter’s insurance. Security deposit insurance protects the property owner like a traditional security deposit would, while renter’s insurance protects the renter’s personal belongings and may provide liability coverage. Renter’s insurance is still required even if security deposit insurance is used.

The Resident Benefits Package (RBP) is a required monthly program designed to enhance your renting experience and provide added services and protections throughout your lease.

The RBP includes:

• Quarterly Furnace Filter Delivery Service to help maintain the HVAC system
• Resident Rewards Program with discounts, gift cards, and savings opportunities
• Resident Liability Insurance that meets lease requirements
• $1M Identity Protection for all adult leaseholders
• Credit Building through reporting on-time rent payments
• Online Platform for utilities, cable, and internet setup
• Online Resident Portal for payments and documents
• No eCheck Transaction Fees when paying rent via eCheck
• Vetted Vendor Network for professional, insured service providers
• Home Buying Assistance for residents interested in future homeownership

The monthly cost of the RBP depends on renter’s insurance status. The standard cost is $35.95 per month. Residents who upload proof of their own renter’s insurance to the resident portal will receive a reduced RBP cost of $25 per month. Proof of insurance may be uploaded at any time during the lease.

All maintenance requests are submitted through your online Resident Portal or our 24-hour maintenance line. Through the portal, you can describe the issue, upload photos or videos when applicable, and track the status of your request.

Emergency maintenance issues include situations that pose an immediate risk to health, safety, or property, such as no heat in winter, major water leaks, gas smells, or electrical hazards.

After-hours maintenance issues should be reported using the portal or the 24-hour maintenance line.

We use licensed, insured, and vetted third-party vendors for repairs and maintenance.

Residents should not attempt repairs themselves unless explicitly instructed by Real Property Management Advantage.

Rent is paid directly to Real Property Management Advantage. Almost all residents pay rent electronically through the online portal. Rent is due on the 1st of each month.

Rent is due on the 1st of the month and considered late after the 1st. A grace period applies through the 3rd, and a late fee of $100 are applied starting on the 4th.

Continued non-payment may result in formal notices being issued in accordance with Michigan law.

If an issue arises, residents are encouraged to contact our office promptly. Most concerns can be resolved through communication. Lease violations or nuisance issues are handled in accordance with the lease agreement and applicable laws.

Residents may contact us through the online Resident Portal by texting, by phone during business hours Monday through Friday, or through the maintenance line.