RESIDENT FAQ
General
A copy of your signed lease will be saved to your portal and your Site Manager will perform a Move-In Orientation with you. This will be the transition moment from working with your Site Manager to the leasing team. All further communications will go through leasing!
10 business days after your move in date, you will upload your move in inspection form, and any photos that you took during your walkthrough, to your Dropbox folder that was shared with you. If you cannot locate the Dropbox email, please reach out to the leasing team.
For properties within the Redmond & Multnomah County City Limits: If you live in either of these counties, your trash utility will be set up by North Star and charged back to you. This charge will be posted to your account once we receive the bill.
You should have received a text link from our text system to set up your tenant portal with Appfolio. This will be the hub of communication, payments, and documents throughout your tenancy.
We recommend setting up automatic payments through your bank account to avoid late fees and credit card fees.
Rent is due on the first of every month with a grace period until the 4th before a late fee is added on the 5th. This late fee is stated on your rental agreement. If your rent has not been paid by the 8th, we will issue a notice of non-payment, meaning that you have 10 days to pay your late fees and rent or your lease will be terminated.
Maintenance
Submit Work Orders Here
North Star utilizes a work order system named Property Meld. It is a software tool based on easy and efficient communication between tenants, owners, vendors, and North Star. Once your lease is signed you will receive an invitation to register for Property Meld—please do this immediately. The chat function gives you immediate access and assistance from our maintenance coordinators and vendors to work through your “meld” in real time by keeping you updated every step of the way.
Please do not enter work orders through Appfolio or by email. This can create lost communication and missed items.
A maintenance emergency causes property damage or immediate danger to your safety. Some examples of a maintenance emergency include floods, leaks or pipe bursts with water that can not be shut off, and no hot water or heat in the winter months. In case of a fire, or medical attention, please call 911. If there is a gas leak, please call your natural gas provider
These emergencies make the home uninhabitable and we will work as diligently as we can to get them resolved. If your call is deemed NOT an emergency, a $50 charge will be added to your portal.
For in-house maintenance repairs, we charge $125 every hour. Please note our charges are based on market rates and are subject to change.
Tenant Charges: Tenants are responsible for replaceable items such as light bulbs, batteries, and fridge filters. All other charges would be anything assessed as tenant neglect/damage to the home, if applicable. Charges will be added to your tenant portal once assessed.
Owner Charges: Normal wear and tear, house failures, and deterioration due to age.
Any changes or alterations to the home will need to be permitted by the owner.
Routine inspections will be conducted one to two times per year, or on request by the owner. Reports with photos will be emailed to owners so that they can stay updated on the condition of the home or alerted to any repairs needed. Please make sure all forms of contact are kept updated in property meld so we can communicate about these inspections properly.
Periodic maintenance for properties may include sprinkler winterization and de-winterization, roof/gutter cleaning, and HVAC maintenance. Make sure a current email is on file in appfolio and property meld at all times and look out for meld communications to set up times for our vendors or North Star to perform these duties
Leases
Please email the leasing team whenever you wish to discuss renewing your lease. The Property Manager will confirm availability and terms with the property owner and share these options with you. Once the terms are agreed upon a new lease will be signed. If you do not reach out to us in advance we will reach out to you approximately 3 months before your lease expires to discuss lease renewal options.
Please email the leasing team to discuss terminating your lease before the end date. Terminating your lease early will result in a one-time lease break fee that will be charged to your ledger and is due immediately upon notice. Paying a lease break fee does not impact your security deposit. Your security deposit may not be used to pay the lease break fee.
