“Ask the Rental Professional #9”

In the this edition of Ask the Rental Professional, Minot Regional Apartment Manager Justin Hammer offers insight on subletting your apartment.

Q: What is the policy and procedure on subletting your rental unit?

Within your lease agreement it should be outlined whether or not subletting your apartment is allowed or not.

At IRET Properties we do not allow subletting and it is actually a violation of your lease agreement. However, if you are planning to move out of your apartment and have someone that is interested in moving in, you should contact your Community Manager or property management company as soon as possible. A proper move-out notice still needs to be given and the new resident would have to go through the same qualifications as you initially had to. The process would be treated the same as a normal move-in and move-out but you would be able to possibly help out a friend by referring them to the management company.

“Ask the Rental Professional #8”

In the this edition of Ask the Rental Professional, Minot Regional Apartment Manager Justin Hammer offers guidance on what utilities could be included in your rent.

Q: What utilities come included with an IRET Apartment?

This is a great question. Which utilities are included in your rent will vary from apartment complex to apartment complex and often depend upon the building’s amenities. Some apartments have electric heat and some have boiler heat. Some apartments have a wall-unit air conditioner while others have a condenser unit. These differences can often effect what utilities you, as a renter, will be responsible for in addition to your monthly rent.

A good rule of thumb when looking at apartments is to ask what utilities are included with the rent and which utilities are the responsibility of the tenant. Keep in mind that the monthly rent amount may vary depending on what utilities are included or not included. For example Apartment A may have a lower rent amount but the tenant is responsible for the electric payment which controls the heat. Apartment B may have a higher rent amount but the heat is included because the building has boiler heat.

As I mentioned above each apartment complex will have variations in the utilities covered by rent and it is very important to know this before you enter into a lease agreement.

For apartment listings in your area, click the links below:
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“Ask the Rental Professional #7”

In the this edition of Ask the Rental Professional, Minot Regional Apartment Manager Justin Hammer answers apartment rental questions from the Minot Daily News.

Q: Does IRET mange all their own rental properties? Does each unit have an on-site manager?

A: Here in Minot, ND, and throughout the rest of the Midwest, we at IRET Properties take great pride in managing our own apartment communities. We have over 600 apartments in Minot alone, ranging from efficiencies to 3 Bedrooms, with varying rental rates that meet a wide range of budgets. We manage all of our Minot apartments in-house, from our central leasing office in the IRET Corporate Plaza, but at many of our other apartment communities, our management staff works on-site at each complex.

Managing the apartment communities we own means we’re able to provide the professional service you deserve from lease signing to move out—and everything in between; service like our 24-hour Emergency Maintenance means, no matter the time of day, if you have a pressing maintenance issue, one of our professional staff will be there to help.

Managing our own properties isn’t easy, but it means we understand that your place is more than just an apartment. It’s your home.

IRET Properties — this is home.

“Ask the Rental Professional #6”

In the this edition of Ask the Rental Professional, Minot Regional Apartment Manager Justin Hammer touches on furnished apartments.

Q:  Does IRET Properties have any rental apartments that are furnished?  Is so, what is included in the furnished rental?

A: Currently, we do not have any furnished units in Minot. However, we are considering furnishing a few apartments at a couple of our properties in Minot and offer furnished apartments in many of the other regions we operate within. You can view a full list of our furnished apartments here.

When we furnish an apartment, we look to fill whatever our customer’s needs may be. Everything from furniture, bath supplies, and bedding to cooking utensils, dinnerware, and internet can be provided in your apartment. Everything you may need to turn the key and live in your apartment can be provided in a furnished rental.

“Ask the Rental Professional #5”

In the this edition of the Minot Daily News series, Ask a Professional, Minot Regional Property Manager Justin Hammer offers his expertise to those wondering about the terms of their rental lease.

Question: In renting an apartment, what is usually the policy when my lease is up? Will it automatically convert to a month-to-month agreement or will we have to sign a new lease?

A: When a lease has reached its expired period a few different things may occur. The big thing to remember is that this should be outlined within your lease agreement and may vary between property management companies.