Welcome to Link Realty Property Management and to your new home. Please remember to keep give us your new phone numbers and other contact information. You must also have all the utilities transfer to your name effective the first day of your lease.

The following hand out is designed to answer frequently asked questions, and to minimize confusion related to caring for the property as well as keeping with Link Realty Property
Management procedures.

In here you will find information regarding:

Maintenance Procedures
and Guidelines		 Care & Use Utility and Other
Services Directory		 Local Emergency
Phone Numbers

Please review this information and keep it on file for your reference. 

Paying Rent
  • Rent is due on the 1st of each month.  Rent may be mailed or deliver to our office.
  • Checks must be payable to: Link Realty, Inc.
  • Rent may be paid by personal check, money order or cashier’s check-NO CASH!
  • Per your lease agreement, late charges are assessed on the 6th of each month at a charge of $20.00 a day plus legal notice serving fees.
  • Please remember to include the property address on the memo section of your check of money order to ensure you are credited for the payment.
  • Please be sure to fully complete all checks, money orders and cashier’s check with names of payer and payee.
  • Link Realty will not be responsible for incomplete checks, money order or cashier’s check left on the premises. 
  • Rent personally deliver to our office after hours must be place in a sealed envelope and left inside one of our secure mail boxes on each side of our building.

Maintenance

  • If you have maintenance issue please contact our office as soon as possible at 813.684.0036 ext 250.  You may also use our Maintenance Request form on our site www.LinkToRentals.com, email repairs@LinkToRentals.com  or fax your request to 813.684.7411.
  • When making a request, be specific about the problem and remember to include your name and address and the best number(s) to reach you.
  • Tenants must be prepared to schedule time and make themselves available to let a vendor or repair person into the property or give permission for Link Realty to provide the vendor or repair person with a key to enter the premises in their absence.
  • Tenants are responsible for securing any pets prior to a vendor or repair person visit to the property.

Emergency Maintenance

  • If you have an emergency that cannot wait until the next business day and you are calling outside our regular business hours, please call 813.684.0036 ext 250 and someone will return your call shortly.           
  • An emergency is a fire, flood, or any dangerous and hazardous situation.

Property Care Obligation

Link Realty prides itself in keeping clean and well kept homes for our tenants and owners.  Tenants are responsible for interior care of the property, which includes keeping the property in clean condition without excess wear and tear.  Link Realty will schedule a walk-through inspection prior to your lease renewal or any time during the lease term if we determine your obligations as a tenant are not being met.  A seven day notice of non-compliance will be issue for minor damages not arising from normal wear and tear.  If the damages are not cured within the seven days, eviction proceedings may begin.  For major damages, Link Realty will coordinate repairs with the vendors at your expense or you must have a professional complete the repairs subject to Link Realty’s approval and final inspection.  If it is deemed that a tenant is not maintaining the home as agreed upon, eviction proceeding will begin immediately and proper legal action taken.

The following information has been gathered in response to requests from tenants looking for guidelines and information regarding move-in and move-out procedures.  If you have any questions about the use and care for items not on this list, please contact Link Realty at 813.684.0036.

Most of our properties include care manuals for appliances and other items provided by the owner.  Please refer to these manuals and instructions first whenever there’s a problem.  Answers to must issues are often found in these guides.

***PLEASE REPORT UNSAFE OR HARZARDOUS SITUATIONS IMMEDIATELY***

Locked Out?

  • Link Realty keeps extra keys for each property.  During regular business hours you may come by our office and borrow a key, which must be returned within 24 hours. 
  • After business hours, keys are not available and you will have to contact a locksmith.
  • Be sure to carry all your keys with you.  When vendors or repair person are authorized to enter a property to make repairs, they are required to secure the premises when they leave.

Power, Heat or A/C outages

  • If the power goes out in your residence, first check to see if the entire area, neighborhood is without power.  If so, chances are TECO already knows about the outage, but you should contact them to report it.
  • If the power is only out in your residence, check the circuit breaker box in most cases located in the garage.  One or more switch may be tripped and you may see them in the OFF position.  Turn each switch off then on to reset the circuits.  If this does not solve the problem call Link Realty at 813.684.0036.

Drains

  • AVOID putting food, hair, and excess soap down the drains.
  • Clogged drains caused by food, hair, grease and soap in excess are the tenant’s responsibility.  Dishwashers will clog from excess food left on the dishes when put in the machine.  Please be sure to rinse all dishes thoroughly before running the dishwasher.

Garbage Disposals

  • ALWAYS run water while using the disposals to avoid damage to the unit.  Let the water run long enough to grind all the material in the disposal.  Then let the water run for 10-15 seconds after turning the disposal off.
  • Disposals are designed to grind up organic items only.  Exceptions include: banana peels, artichoke leaves, flower stems, coffee grounds, bones and any item that is particularly tough.  NEVER put paper, plastic, glass, aluminum foil or grease in the disposal.
  • ALWAYS be sure to check the power switch, the reset bottom at the bottom of the unit and remove all contents before calling for maintenance.

Refrigerator Coils/Drip Pans

  • Keep coils on refrigerators (especially sub-zeros) free of dust.

  • Coils need free air flowing around them to operate efficiently.  Failure to keep coils clean may cause the appliance motor to burn out.  The replacement of a burned out motor due to dirty coils may be the tenant’s responsibility.

  • Some refrigerators have drip pans under them.  If not kept clean, the pans can start to develop a strong odor.  Please take the time to get acquainted with the appliances in your unit.

Fireplaces

  • Be sure a fireplace screen is in use when a fire is burning to prevent hot ashes from burning the surrounding floor or floor coverings.
  • Burn only hardwoods in the fireplace or woodstoves to minimized the buildup of creosote, etc. in the chimney.  Creosote build-up is a fire hazard.

Plumbing Fixtures

  • NEVER use abrasives on brass or gold finish fixtures.
  • Many homes and apartments have low-flow toilets.  We strongly recommend that you keep a plunger nearby.  Low-flow toilets tend to clog or back up if too much paper, etc. is flushed. 

A/C FILTERS,

  • The Tenant is required to change Air conditioner filter(s) every month and if damage to system results from not changing filters, Tenant will be liable for any damage to the system.

Water Damage

  • Tenants must take care to avoid water damage caused by allowing water to sit on counters and floors.
  • Care must be taken to ensure that shower curtains are inside the tub, and that shower doors are completely closed when taking a shower.  Water on tile floors can seep through the grout and cause dry rot on the floorboards below.  Water can also seep around the edges of linoleum and damage the floor below.  We recommend putting a mat, towel or rug on the floor to step on when exiting the tub or shower.
  • Water can also damage the space behind the faucet in the kitchen and bathrooms.  Please be sure to keep these areas dry to prevent dry wall and counter damage.

Sliding Glass Doors, Screen Doors and Shower Tracks

  • It is imperative that dirt and debris be cleaned regularly from sliding door tracks.  Rolling over dirt, leaves and other debris that might accumulate in the tracks can damage the wheels on the doors.
  • Please do not use oil or WD40 to lubricate slider doors or screens.  They only attract dirt and gum up the wheels and mechanisms.

Mold

  • Bleach is the best product for removing mold that forms around the edges of the shower, tubs, on tile walls around metal windows, and anywhere there is moisture.
  • In order to retard the growth of mold in the tracks and at the bottom of the shower doors, keep the tracks clean.

House Plants

  • Be sure drip pans are kept under all plants.  Water run-off will stain or damage most surfaces.  Tenants are responsible for all damage caused by plants.

Kitchen Counters

  • To avoid costly damage from nicks and cuts in counter tops, please use a cutting board at all times.

Ceramic Tile-Molded Tub and Shower Walls

  • NEVER use scrubbing cleaners like Comet or Ajax on molded fixtures, as these products will permanently scratch the surfaces.

Mini Blinds

  • When cleaning mini blinds, don’t soak them-the finish may bubble and peel.  Spray them with a mild soap & water solution and wipe them down.

Pest Control

  • Tenant is responsible for routine pest control for insects, rodents and other pests after the initial 30 days of the lease.
  • Landlord is responsible for termites and wood destroying organisms.  If Landlord must ask Tenant to vacate the Premises for extermination purposes, Landlord will rebate rent for the days Tenant is unable to occupy the Premises.
  • If pets are permitted, Tenant agrees to have Premises treated for ticks and fleas by a professional exterminator at Tenant's expense upon termination of this agreement.

Smoke Detectors

  • Tenants are responsible for keeping fresh batteries in smoke detectors.  We recommend changing the batteries at the beginning and end of daylight savings time.

Wood Decks/Porches

  • Potted plants and flowers add beauty and appeal to a property.  If you have planters or pots, please put “feet” under them so that they are raised up off the deck a few inches to allow air flow beneath the pot, and to prevent water run-off from rotting the deck.

Hardwood Floors

  • NEVER use a mop for cleaning or applying oil.  Use a soft cloth only.  It is best to sweep and dust regularly.
  • Use throw rugs in front of the sink and the stove to protect these areas from water and grease.

Marble & Granite

  • NEVER use any acidic or abrasive cleaning products including vinegar to clean marble or granite.  It is best to use warm water and a sponge with a small amount of dishwashing liquid.
  • Marble is a porous material and it will be permanently stained if water if left standing on the surface.

Utilities

  • The Tenant agrees to pay all charges and deposits for ALL other utilities and Tenant agrees to have all accounts for utilities immediately placed in Tenant name with accounts kept current throughout occupancy. 
  • Garbage and or trash removal is considered a utility under this lease. If the utilities which Tenant is responsible for are still in Landlord's name at the time Tenant takes occupancy, Tenant agrees that Landlord shall order such utilities to be terminated.

Please contact us with any questions or inquiries.  Thank you.