Tenant FAQ

All adults in the household over the age of 18 must individually complete our tenant application and be approved. First month's rent and a security deposit equal to two month’s rent is charged to tenants prior to tenancy on our annual rentals. When individual tenant candidates submit an application and pay the application processing fee they are authorizing Palm Realty Management to conduct a background investigation including credit report/credit score review, review of public records for past evictions, verification of current employment, verification of previous landlord reference(s), review of criminal background check, review of local county civil/criminal public records and comparison of applicant names vs. entries in the sex offender databases. Although exceptions can be made with Landlord approval, applicants unable to show income that is 2.5 times that of the rent, have an eviction on record, have a felony on record, cannot show credit worthiness, is on the sex offender list and cannot provide positive references may not qualify for a rental at this time.

Once a property of interest has been selected from our list of vacancies and an initial phone conversation with one of our team members has transpired with successful completion of our pre-screening process  an application link will be generated.

All adults in the household over the age of 18 must individually complete our tenant application. If for any reason you are not approved for a rental property, the $75 application processing fee is non-refundable, so please ensure you are able to qualify before you apply by going through our pre-screening process by talking to a team member as well as being transparent with your answers. Some homeowner and condominium associations require a separate application fee and/or security deposit. If you select a rental and such is the case, all applicants may be additionally required to apply through the association, submit to an in-person association interview, and remit whatever fees or deposits the association may require. Generally the association application fees are $150 or less. Homeowner and condominium associations that also charge a security deposit are variable, please check with our team  for specific association security deposit requirements.

Applicants must have a combined documentable income of 2.5 times the properties advertised monthly rent. We utilize an automated income verification system that oftentimes totally eliminates the need for submission of your bank statements or pay stubs, although in some cases we may still require submission of bank statements to prove reliable, measurable and recurring income from employment or other source(s). Palm Realty Property Management holds the right to contact your employer for income verification. In some cases, where income can not be proven, landlords may make an exception, typically when 6+ months of rent is paid upfront.

Applicants that wish to rent must have a minimum credit score of 600. (No credit is considered a ZERO score). If your credit does not meet the minimum threshold score, we may be unable to rent a home to you without landlord exception. Applicants must have a credit history demonstrating the applicant has paid bills on time and does not have a history of debt write-offs or accounts that have gone into collection. Residency may be denied due to poor credit history. Applicants must all have at least 12 months verifiable rental history when applicable. Applicants can have no more than three 3 late payments, during the last 12 month period as reported by the previous landlord. Applicants must also be reported to have “taken good care of the property”. Applicants must not have an outstanding balance with a previous landlord.

The landlord determines initially whether or not they will allow pets. In the event that they will, we happily accept pets. Except for fish, one pet may be permitted that is not over 30 lbs (anything over 30 lbs requires exception). Birds are prohibited in all of our rental properties. Some HOA's will not allow pets or have different pet restrictions on size or type. If a pet is approved, a one time non-refundable pet fee of $250 will be charged and the base rental rate may be increased by up to $50 per month as 'pet rent'. Mainly due to homeowner insurance restrictions we maintain a list of K9 breeds that are not acceptable under any circumstances even if they are under the 30 lb weight limit. Please speak to a team member about your specific pet(s). We reserve the right to deny any pet at any time for any reason both prior to a lease and during a lease should the pet become a nuisance. At the sole discretion of our individual team members, K9s are screened and K9s resembling in appearance the following K9 breeds will not be accepted under any circumstances: GERMAN SHEPHERDS, DOBERMANS, PIT BULLS, CHOWS, OR ROTTWEILLERS. 

No. 100% of our rental units are smoke free. Smoking is never allowed inside our rental units. Smoking inside a rental unit is cause for immediate termination of a lease and tenants who have a lease terminated for smoking will forfeit all security deposits.

Yes, an application can be completed remotely, lease signed online and funds transferred electronically. That being said, all applicants should view the exterior/interior of the rental or have a trusted friend/relative view the rental prior to completion of the application process, deposit of funds and signing of lease because all rentals are accepted “AS-IS”. 

Depending on the property, a $45 lease preparation fee may be applicable.

You can follow us on our Facebook page for office and industry news. Tenants and Landlords will be sent email communications with pertinent information as well as updates. 

You can pay your rent through your online portal. The best and preferred way to pay rent is online through your portal. Alternatively, you may mail, place in our dropbox (Port Charlotte location only) or deliver in person a check at one of our office. You can also make cash payments accepted via our PayNearMe option allowing a secure way to pay rent at convenient locations like 7-Eleven, CVS, Walmart and FamilyDollar. View locations here. (https://home.paynearme.com/all-locations/)

Rent is due on the First (1st) day of each month and considered late on the Second (2nd) unless your lease agreement indicates otherwise. Any payment not received by the 5th will be charged a 10% late fee.

You can check your balance through your tenant portal.

With an exception for minor children, current occupancy standards are a maximum of 2 persons per bedroom. However, some city and county municipalities and/or homeowners associations prohibit more than two 2 unrelated adults to reside in a single family dwelling unit. Consequently, Palm Realty Property Management also prohibits the rental of a single family dwelling to more than two 2 unrelated adults without landlord authorization or exception.

You can report maintenance issues through your tenant portal. 

We aim to address all urgent maintenance issues on the same day, however that is not always possible due to various reasons. If the issue is non-emergency it may take longer depending on the type of repair, available supplies, time to obtain quotes, authorization process and many other factors. 

Reference your lease agreement for specified dates as all Security Deposit refunds are subject to Florida statutory law 83.49(3). We process all security deposit notices and accounting statements within the timeframe required by State law. In most cases, we aim to process them within 14 days of move out, however (depending on how long it takes our vendors to provide final invoices) exact time frames may vary.

If you are receiving a full or partial security deposit return you will receive a check in the mail made out in the names of all tenants in one check.

We understand that circumstances change and where possible, we will work with you to reach an agreeable solution. Legally you are responsible for the remaining amount of period left on your lease, but by working together we can often reduce your expenses by finding an amicable solution.

Our primary office is located in the Murdock Executive Center at 18326 Murdock Cir. Unit 102, Port Charlotte,Florida 33948 (back corner building). Our Venice location by appointment only is located in the Galleria Plaza at 2095 S Tamiami Trail, Venice Florida inside of RE/MAX Palm Realty.