No. Your security deposit can only be used for outstanding charges after you vacate the property – NOT for your last month’s rent. This is in the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act and part of your lease agreement.

Generally, NO. Most of our properties are keyed on a key system and any changes can affect the ability of our staff to respond to calls, lock outs, or maintenance requests in a timely manner. If you would like your unit re-keyed prior to move in or at any time during your residency you may request this at your cost. To ensure consistency and proper re-keying you are required to use the approved locksmith for that property. Please contact the office.

No. Unless agreed to in writing by the owner of the property. We recommend not painting but use other means of decorating to personalize your rental.

No. Under the VRLTA it is prohibited for a resident to withhold rent for failure to fix items submitted. Please contact our office to discuss your specific situation immediately.

No, you do not have to be present when work is being performed.

Yes, our residents are solely responsible for insuring their own personal property that is located or stored upon the property leased. Any loss from the risks of damage, destruction or loss resulting from theft, fire, storm and other hazards and casualties are your sole responsibility. Proof of Renter's Insurance (Certificate or Declaration of Coverage) is required prior to move in. Loss of Use coverage is required to be in your policy. Both the owner and D.M. Rothwell, Inc are to be listed as interested parties on the policy.

We accept pets on a case by case basis as determined by the individual owner of each property (many of our rentals do NOT allow pets). If pets are allowed, all pets must be listed in the Pet Addendum. There is typically an additional pet deposit of $350. Some owners also require additional pet rent on a monthly basis that is non-refundable. Again, each situation can be different based on the wishes of our owners. Any damage done by the pet is the responsibility of the resident. All pets must be registered and immunized in accordance with local ordinances. No pets can be tied on the property. Several breeds of dominant or aggressive dogs will not be accepted. Each tenant in the dwelling unit must agree that the pet may be on the premises before pet addendum is signed. Unauthorized pet(s) is a serious lease violation.

The “Resident Portal” is the required way to make your rent payments each month. Make sure payments are received no later than the 5th of the month to avoid a late fee. If you require a special accomodation for rent payment, submit this to the office in writing.

Each Prospect will qualify by meeting 1 of 2 standards below:

*Have suitable credit history, rental history, and income that meets or exceeds 3 times the monthly rent for the property that you are trying to qualify for.

*Have suitable credit history, rental history, and obtain another lease holder with suitable credit history, rental/ownership history, and income that meets or exceeds 5 times the monthly rent for the property that you are trying to qualify for to guarantee your obligations.

All routine maintenance requests must be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Your online Resident Portal is the required way to submit a maintenance request. It will be updated in real time and allows you to upload pictures if needed.
• By email at Office@DMRothwell.com
• Over the phone during normal business hours at 434-977-7676.

We allow prospective tenants to view our properties by setting up an appointment with our office. Please note that every attempt will be made to work with your schedule, but any current residents must be notified and given notice of at least 24 hours that their home will be shown. We offer showings Monday- Friday between 9am-2pm. Occasional Saturday showings are available with 48-hour notice. We do not show on Sunday’s. If you are working with a realtor and the property is vacant, they can show it anytime with the lockbox.

The resident is responsible for placing all utilities in their name and pay all utility bills due for services to the premises for which resident is responsible (unless otherwise agreed to in the lease). Utilities must be kept on through the entire term of the lease. Keys to a property cannot be issued until utilities are transferred or turned on in resident’s name. A fee could be assessed for any violation of the utility requirement.

1. Each adult (anyone over 18 years old) planning to occupy the property must complete the online application or fill out a Virginia Association of Realtors application and return all required information, allowing D.M. Rothwell, Inc. to inquire and verify information provided. If applicant is a full-time student or not employed, an additional lease holder, may be required or they must qualify on their own. Any additional lease holders must also fill out an application and sign the lease contract.
2. Once your completed application is received with application fees and documentation, your information will be processed and usually within 1-2 business days you will be notified as to whether or not you have been approved for the property. During this time frame, we will review your credit report, verify current employment, and check your rental references. If you are approved for the property, we will contact you and the leasing process will follow.
3. When signing a lease, the security deposit is due in full. The first month’s rent or prorated rent will be due when you come to pick up your keys.
4. In order to remove a property from the available market we will need the security deposit, application and lease signed within 48 hours of your application being approved.

Rent is credited to the longest outstanding balance first. If you have an outstanding balance of $100 on the last day of the month and pay your normal rent for the following month the next day, your payment will be credited toward the $100 delinquent rent first before being credited toward the following month’s rent. If you do not ‘catch up’ on this outstanding balance, your account will be subject to Late Fees each month. Late fees that are not paid become overdue rent.

Most of our leases are for a minimum of 12 months; however, we do lease some properties for shorter or longer terms as determined by each of our individual owners. At the end of the initial term, the lease will revert to a year to year tenancy unless otherwise agreed to or proper notice of non-renewal given.

Typically, once an application is completed online please allow 1-2 business days. We will email you to let you know the outcome.

Typically, we require monthly household income of applicants to be 3 times the total of the monthly rent amount. This may vary depending on what utilities are included in a particular property.

We require a security deposit on EVERY property leased. Usually the security deposit is the same as one month's rent. It may be more or less but in no case shall exceed two month’s rent (the security deposit required will be detailed in your lease).

There are many factors that go into each request and we cannot set give an exact day and time. However, we begin the process on the same day we receive the request. We assess the situation and determine the proper course of action. Our goal is typically no more than 5 business days to completion. Most are completed within 24-48 hours. Each maintenance request is handled by our contractors in the order that they are received, unless the request is deemed to be an emergency situation that may cause harm to health or property. In this case, these requests will receive priority.

Yes, however we may require you to secure a suitable person to lease the property with you. Or process through our normal rental application process. We do allow student loans and other financial support be counted as income for full time students.

Please contact our office immediately so we may investigate the issue. We can contact our contractor to address any issues with them directly.

The number one reason a water bill is very high is due to a toilet running frequently or constantly. A toilet can consume 25,000 gallons or more a month. If you can identify the problem such as a toilet or leaking sink, we will have it repaired for you, and upon completion of the work we will provide you with any required documentation for your utility provider. Documentation of the repair is usually required for an adjustment to your bill from your water service provider. Also be aware if there are wet areas in the yard as lines can also break.

If you require an adjustment you will need to call and discuss with your water provider. You are responsible for reporting any and all water issues immediately to our office. Check under sinks weekly. Reminder that outside faucets must be winterized to avoid freezing.

Typically, all residents are responsible for:

1. Securing all utilities for housing, unless otherwise provided
2. Lawn care, unless otherwise provided
3. Changing the furnace/air conditioning filters monthly
4. Minor repairs to your home, including, but not limited to, replacing light bulbs, clogged drains, etc.
5. Changing the smoke detector batteries during tenancy (these are new when you move in)
6. Pest control
7. Complying with all Homeowners Association Rules (if applicable)
8. Following all of the terms of your lease

You must submit your dispute to D.M. Rothwell, Inc. in writing within 30 days from the date of your security deposit return.

If your emergency is life threatening or could have serious consequences, DIAL 911 IMMEDIATELY. For other maintenance emergencies, please call our 24-hour emergency line at 434-257-6858. This line is for maintenance emergencies only and is monitored after hours and on weekends. Please leave a message and someone will return your call immediately. Emergencies usually involve active water situations. It is your responsibility to know where your water shut offs are located and turn the water off to avoid additional damage.

You are responsible for paying the security deposit and first month’s rent prior to being issued your keys.

The property should be properly cleaned including carpets. All personal items removed. Lawn should be in good condition. Required flea and tick treatments if you have a pet. All keys returned etc. Refer to your lease agreement and our move out procedures form for more details.

Immediately after you vacate the property, we visit the property and perform a move-out inspection to assess the condition of the property in comparison to your move-in inspection report. We then process your security deposit in strict accordance with the VRLTA and your signed lease agreement. You will receive a Security Deposit Disposition and the deposit refund at the forwarding address you provide. We are happy to conduct the move out inspection with you. Please contact the office at least 48 hours prior to your move out to schedule a walk through. We offer walk throughs Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm. This is not a "pre-inspection" and can only be completed if everything is done and you are ready to return the keys.

We operate in strict compliance with all Fair Housing Guidelines. After receiving an application, we inquire about rental and/or ownership history, review your credit report, and verify income and employment history.

All applications are accepted and processed on a first come-first served basis. Due to our fiduciary relationship to the owner, if more than one application is submitted before approval of an application, we are required to select the highest rated application.

You will be responsible for the late fee associated with the non-payment and be subject to the Warrant in Debt/Unlawful Detainer process if your account has an outstanding balance after all amounts due are processed.

If your rent is not received on or before 5pm on the 5th of the month, you will receive a letter notifying you that you are in breach of your lease and payment must be made promptly. If you do not make payment in a timely manner, then we will file an Unlawful Detainer or Warrant in Debt against you in the local court of jurisdiction in order to collect the debt due. All rent collected in our office is done so with reservation.

We will notify you and expect immediate payment in certified funds to avoid further legal action. Additionally, you will be charged with an NSF Check Fee and may be charged an additional fee from our office of up to $250 as a civil recovery fee.

Any outstanding charges 10 days from the date of invoice will become rent per you lease and will become part of your Unlawful Detainer/Warrant-In- Debt proceedings.

In the event your application is denied, we make every effort to contact you promptly regarding the denial. All deposit monies are held until the application is approved and returned immediately if the application is denied.

We will send you a security deposit disposition notifying you of a balance due that could not be covered by your deposit. Payment or payment arrangements will be expected promptly to prevent further legal action to collect the debt.

An Unlawful Detainer filing is the first step in the eviction process and should be taken seriously. A decision in favor of the Plaintiff (landlord) can stay on your record for years and might make it difficult to obtain future housing and credit. An Unlawful Detainer filing is also expensive and will be the responsibility of the resident it is filed against.

A sublease is a lease from one tenant (lessee) to another (called subtenant or sub-lessee). The agreement between the landlord (the lessor) and the first lessee remains in effect and governs the terms of the sublease. An assignment of a lease is a complete transfer of the right to be the tenant under the lease from one tenant to another. The landlord no longer holds the first tenant liable under the original lease. A fee usually applies to process paperwork in this case. We do not allow sub-leasing on any of our properties, but we can work with you on an "assignment" to a qualified replacement tenant.

The application fee is $50 per person payable to D.M. Rothwell, Inc in cash, certified check, or money order. Applications cannot be accepted or processed without the application fee.

Rent is due on the 1st of each month. If rent is not received in our office by 5pm on the 5th of the month, a late fee will be charged immediately equal to 10% of the monthly rent amount payable to the owner of the property.

Our website is updated continually to reflect our current inventory of properties.

Under VRLTA your deposit will be returned within 45 days from the date in which you move-out. Please make sure you provide us with your forwarding address. We cannot return any deposit without a forwarding address.

Keys must be returned immediately at move out. You are not officially moved out until the keys are returned and you may be responsible for charges until the keys are returned. Make sure you provide us with your forwarding address when you return your keys. There is a minimum $150 (or actual cost) re-keying fee if all keys are not returned.

Rent is due on the 1st of the month and considered late after 5pm on the 5th of the month. Rent must be in our office by 5pm on the 5th of the month. If you pay rent after 5pm on the 5th of the month there is a late fee that is assessed per your lease agreement of 10% of the total monthly rent amount.

Information on our properties can be found on our website www.DMRothwellinc.com 24 hours a day. You can also contact our office by phone at 434-977-7676 or make an appointment to pick up an available list. We are located at 675 Berkmar Circle #103 Charlottesville, VA 22901.

Each adult (person over 18 years of age) planning to occupy the property must fill out an application.

Every adult who resides in the property must be listed on the lease to have a legal right to occupy the property. We must verify and approve of everyone on the lease.