Frequently Asked Questions

**PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY**

LIABILITY INSURANCE

‍Each Resident is required to provide proof of Liability Insurance coverage of $100,000. To satisfy this requirement you have two options:

1. Purchase Renter’s Insurance from any third-party provider of your choosing and provide proof of coverage.
2. Do nothing and Forced-Placed coverage will be purchased on your behalf and billed a small monthly fee (per individual).

There is a substantial benefit to obtaining and maintaining your own Renter’s Insurance coverage throughout the lease, not least of which is that it protects your personal belongings and oftentimes, your vehicle, while it’s parked at your residence. Renter’s policies can often be cheaper than the Forced-Placed coverage. Forced-placed coverage does not protect or insure your belongings.

 RULES AND PROCESS FOR SUBMITTING PROOF OF COVERAGE

1. All lease occupants must have Liability insurance policies of at least $100,000. Any resident who does not provide proof of coverage will be assessed an individual fee/month for Forced-placed coverage.
2. Coverage can only be submitted via www.HO4verify.com/resident_portal/marker using the SAME EMAIL address associated with your Resident Portal. Policy docs can NEVER be provided directly to the leasing office. Policy docs  submitted through your landlord’s resident portal, email, US mail, or other means than the provided portal, will be ignored and discarded.
3. All uploaded coverage documents MUST name the appropriate ADDITIONAL INTERESTED PARTY (shown here):

‍Additionally  Interested Party

Marker HT CBUS MGMT, LLC

PO BOX 19219
Atlanta, GA 31126

If you’re unsure what this means or how to get the information reflected on your policy, ask your Insurance Agent for help.
THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE FOR POLICY DOCS BEING DENIED – Failure to reflect the correct name/address as an Additionally Interested Party.

4. The Insured Address on your documents MUST match your address with your landlord, including the apartment number where applicable.
5. The Named Insured (Resident) must match the name we have on your Lease.  Providing a document with the name of a guarantor will not qualify.
6. Proof of coverage must be uploaded via www.HO4verify.com/resident_portal/marker before the month your lease begins.
7. Approval and monitoring of Proof of Coverage are all managed by Stern Risk Partner and the leasing office won’t be able to answer any questions about your documents’ status.

    Please direct all questions related to your proof of coverage to HO4verify@sternrisk.com.
    STERN RISK CANNOT WAIVE FEES FOR ANY REASON.

• Having insurance coverage and failing to appropriately upload and submit proof of coverage as outlined here will result in fees being assessed that cannot be waived. It is not enough to purchase insurance, you must comply with the provisions here to prevent fees from being assessed.

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Trash and Recycling Services are provided by the City of Columbus and schedules can change monthly. To check when your address is slated for trash pickup, or other services, please use the City's website: https://new.columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/Find-My-Collection-Day‍

August to July lease contracts are not typical conventional lease agreements in that they are for a fixed sum for the entirety of the contract, and broken into twelve equal installments.

If you're wondering why your move-in payment isn't prorated while moving in halfway through the month, this is why. The first page of your contract should list the annual agreed upon sum, and the schedule for installment payments, due on the first of each month.

All leases provide Water/Sewer at $24 per person, per month (subject to change.) Water cannot be set up with the City of Columbus separately and has to remain in the name of the landlord at this time.

For all other utilities (Electric, internet, cable, gas [where applicable]) the resident is responsible for setting up utility accounts with the providers directly and maintaining service through the end of the lease term.

To make sure everything runs smoothly when you move into your new home, we kindly ask you to set up gas and electric in your name prior to your arrival. You'll need to contact both the gas and electricity providers, tell them your unit address, and ask them to set up the utilities in your name or the name of someone else living with you.

‍Please review the attached sheet for any special exceptions regarding your unit, such as a different address format or the need to set up multiple meters under a single name: ‍Utility Setup Helper

We want to emphasize the importance of scheduling the start date of your utilities to align with your lease start date. Any utility bill received by Hometeam during your contracted lease term will incur an admin fee of $50 per bill.

If you have any questions that cannot be addressed by your utility provider, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at utilities@htcolumbus.com.

What is Plaid?
_{Plaid is a secure financial technology that helps you link your bank account to your Resident Portal for ACH payments. This process ensures your payment details are accurate and reduces the risk of errors or fraud.}

How Does Plaid Work for ACH Payments?

Plaid verifies your bank account details, like routing and account numbers, in real-time. This ensures your account is authorized for payments and streamlines the setup process.

Setting Up ACH Payments Through the Resident Portal

1. Log in to your Resident Portal.
2. Select the "Add Payment" option and choose "Bank Account ACH" as your payment method.
3. A Plaid pop-up window will appear, guiding you through the bank account verification process.

You’ll have two options for setup:

1. Instant Authentication

• Log into your bank using your online banking username and password.
• Follow these steps:
  1. Select your financial institution from the list provided by Plaid.
  2. Enter your banking username and password when prompted.
  3. Once verified, choose whether to link your checking or savings account.
  4. A success message will confirm the account is ready to use for payments.

Note: Some banks, like PNC and Fidelity Bank, do not currently support Instant Authentication.

2. Manual Authentication

• Use your bank’s routing and account numbers to verify your account.
• Follow these steps:
  1. Enter your routing number and account number twice for confirmation.
  2. Specify whether it’s a personal or business account and whether it’s a checking or savings account.
  3. Provide the full name on the account (must match the name on file with your bank).
  4. Plaid will send a $0.01 micro-deposit with a 3-digit code to your account.
  5. Return to the Resident Portal, navigate to Payments > Wallet, and select "Confirm Micro-Deposit."
  6. Enter the 3-digit code to complete the setup.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• Re-Linking Required:
  If Plaid prompts you to re-link your ACH account, follow the original steps to re-add the account.
• "Account Cannot Be Verified":
  This error means the account can’t be used as is. Remove the account from your Wallet and re-add it using the authentication steps above.
• "Invalid Account Number":
  This error occurs if an ACH payment is returned due to incorrect account information. Verify the details and re-add the account if necessary.

For further assistance, contact rentpayments@htcolumbus.com or consult your bank for help with account verification issues.

With Plaid, setting up and managing ACH payments is secure and straightforward, helping you stay on top of your rental payments effortlessly!

To renew your lease with Hometeam, please complete the VIP Renewal Registration Form.

This form is designed to state your intentions for the upcoming lease term, guide you through the renewal process, and assist our staff in preparing the necessary paperwork.

Here’s what you need to do for each option:

1. Renewal
   Action: Continue your lease with your current roommates in the same unit for the next lease term.
   Instructions:
   • Select the renewal option on the form to confirm you want to stay in your current unit with your roommates.
   • Our team will send you a new lease agreement and cover page with updated dates and rates for the next term.
2. Partial Renewal
   Action: Renew your lease with some of your current roommates and replace others with new residents.
   Instructions:
   • Provide the full names, new email addresses, and dates of birth (DOBs) for both the roommates who are staying and the new residents joining. Provide the same for guarantors, if known.
   • Ensure each resident, both current and new, uses a new email address to set up a new portal account, as the old email will be associated with the existing lease. The same applies for guarantors.
   • Hometeam will send applications to all listed individuals and assist in preparing a new lease with updated dates and rates for signing.
   • Current tenants are responsible for finding and securing any new roommates.
3. Renewal Transfer
   Action: Renew your lease but move to a different unit.
   Instructions:
   • Provide the full names, new email addresses, and DOBs for both the current tenants staying and any new incoming residents. Provide the same for guarantors, if known.
   • Each resident will need a new email address to set up a new portal account, as the old email will be tied to the existing lease. The same applies for guarantors.
   • Indicate which Hometeam unit you wish to transfer to for the next lease term. Review the current unit listings to check availability before making your selection.
   • Staff will use the information provided to start the application process and send a lease agreement for the new unit with updated dates and rates.‍
4. ‍Pass-Down
   Action: Opt not to renew but recommend a new group to take over your unit.
   Instructions:
   • In the registration form, provide the contact details (name, phone number, email) for at least one member of the new group interested in taking over the unit.
   • Hometeam will contact this person to finalize details and sign a lease for the unit you currently occupy for the upcoming lease term.
   • The new group will have priority and waived application fees if they sign a lease by October 31st.
   • Pass-down leases will start the day after your current lease ends, with the unit being taken as-is (no cleaning or painting will be performed before move-in). The new residents will be responsible for preparing the unit to their desired specifications upon move-in.‍
5. ‍Non-Renewal
   Action: Decide not to renew, with all tenants moving out at the end of the lease term.
   Instructions:
   • Indicate your decision not to renew on the form.
   • The unit will be listed for tours during the next leasing season.

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Rent is due on the 1st and considered late on the 3rd.

Rent can be paid via the online resident portal by ACH transaction or credit card. There is a convenience fee for each option with the ACH payment costing approx. $1.99 per occurrence (subject to change).

Physical payments (check, money order) carry a processing fee per the lease agreement.

CASH IS NEVER ACCEPTED.

Outstanding charges for items like utilities, damages, fees, etc... can accrue late fees if they total more than $100 on or after the 3rd of the month following when they were billed. For example, if a pet fee of $200 was charged on April 10th it could go unpaid without a late fee until May 3rd, at which time it would trigger a late fee as outstanding charges are paid first when payments are received.

For questions or concerns about anything payment related, contact us via RentPayments@HTcolumbus.com

You can apply for a specific apartment via the "Apply Now" link on on this website. If a unit is marked "unavailable" it is already rented for the upcoming term.

All leases require the payment of a security deposit equal to one month's rent.

If you are the sole party to a lease agreement you may release your apartment at any point by transferring the lease to another individual who meets all rental qualifications.

Re-leasing (Aka: Subleasing) is a process in which a resident (tenant) or guarantor is removed from a lease and a new tenant is added in their place to an existing lease. Since our leases are joint and several in nature, it is required that all existing parties to the lease agree to such changes prior to the addition or removal of a tenant from the lease.

This form must be printed off, filled out in its entirety, and notarized with all parties present, in order for a lease modification to be complete.

Please note that Hometeam will NOT accept incomplete packets.

The 3rd page (Application) will need to be printed for every new applicant. If 4 people are being added to the lease, 4 copies of that portion of the packet must be printed and turned in along with the packet.

Click HERE to print the documents needed to add/remove occupants from the lease.

There is an applicable lease transfer fee and all parties must complete all applicable paperwork.

Subleasing the unit without written consent of management is a violation of the lease agreement and could lead to eviction.

In a Joint Lease with multiple parties, all parties of the lease must consent in writing via the release documents provided above to the replacement of one or more roommates.

All subleases and re-leases are performed AS-IS, meaning the landlord will not clean or paint between occupants' stay in the unit.

Policies:

• All re-leases come with a lease transfer fee that is assessed to the vacating tenant.

• The incoming tenant pays an application fee, which is non-refundable if the re-lease is not completed.

• ALL re-leases are "AS-IS." The landlord will not clean or paint. Incoming residents accept the room or unit as left by the previous resident.

• Release documents will not be issued until the re-lease fee is paid in full.

• All re-lease paperwork is required to be completed 14 business days prior to the re-lease taking place.

• A re-lease is not complete until all re-lease documents are signed by all parties, including the lease, as well as countersigned by management.

• All re-leases begin on the first of the month. We will no longer prorate or handle the finances involved in the release process. If residents wish to work something out between themselves, they are welcome to do so, but we will no longer accomodate a start date that isn't the first of the month. Parties are welcome to switch keys amongst each other at any point after the 1st of the month in which the release begins.

• All re-leases cover the remainder of their entire lease. Should they wish to move back in at a later date, they can complete a secondary release close to the time they wish to move back in.

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