Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to your common questions
Owners
If you own property that you want to rent out, it’s highly recommended to consider using a property management company or a property manager. These professionals are experts in managing properties and handling tenants. They take care of everything from collecting rent and dealing with leases to maintaining the property and handling repairs.
By hiring a property manager, you can adopt a hands-off approach to being a landlord, and leave all the details to the experts. Whether you have one property or a hundred, property managers will take care of all aspects of renting your property, leaving you free to focus on being a property investor.
Working with a professional property manager has its advantages, such as helping you determine the appropriate rental price for your property. Our team utilizes tried-and-tested tools, including conducting a comparative market analysis, to assist with this process. By evaluating how much similar rentals are charging in your area, we can recommend a rent amount that is reasonable and competitive.
It’s important to find the right balance as setting the rent too high could deter potential tenants while setting it too low could lead to missed revenue opportunities. Ultimately, our goal is to help you find the sweet spot where your rental price is neither too high nor too low. As you have probably heard – the right rent attracts the right renter.
At Azena Property Management, we prioritize finding the best possible tenant for our clients’ properties. To achieve this, we have a thorough screening process in place that all potential tenants must pass before being approved for occupancy.
Our screening process is comprehensive and includes an evaluation of the applicant’s employment status, credit score, credit history, criminal background, and social media presence. By considering these factors, we can ensure that we select only the highest quality tenant for our clients’ properties.
We understand the importance of finding reliable and trustworthy tenants, which is why we take our screening process seriously. By only approving applicants who meet our rigorous standards, we can help our clients avoid the headaches and costs associated with problematic tenants.
In summary, our commitment to thorough tenant screening is a crucial component of our property management services, and it ensures that our clients’ properties are occupied by responsible and dependable tenants.
As a property owner, the decision to allow pets on your property is entirely up to you. However, we typically recommend that our clients consider allowing certain types of pets in their rental properties.
Why is that?
Allowing pets can help attract long-term tenants, as it can be challenging for pet owners to find suitable accommodations that allow their furry companions. Moreover, Canadians are known for their love of pets, with up to 65% of households owning one, according to a survey by Healthy Pets.
It’s important to note that pets can cause damage to properties, such as chewed wires, scratched woodwork, destroyed landscaping, and unpleasant odors. To mitigate these risks, we have a screening process for pets to ensure that only well-behaved animals are allowed on the property. In New Brunswick, we are not permitted to require tenants to provide an additional deposit to cover any potential damages caused by their pets. However, we can ask for a higher rent payment to offset the increased risk associated with allowing pets on the property.
Ultimately, we believe that allowing pets on your property can be a wise decision as it can attract a wider pool of potential tenants and foster long-term relationships with responsible pet owners, while also taking measures to minimize any associated risks.
We collect rent from the tenant and deduct the management fee as well as any outstanding bills. Afterwards, we transfer the remaining funds directly to your bank account. Our new payment system has significantly expedited the process, with the entire procedure taking only 4 to 6 business days starting from the 1st of every month.
To reduce the amount of time that our clients’ properties remain unoccupied, we take swift action and initiate the marketing process as soon as we receive notice that a tenant is vacating the property.
Our marketing strategy involves utilizing a range of advertising platforms to reach as many potential renters as possible. One key platform is our professionally-designed website, which showcases rental listings and gives them maximum exposure. In addition, we have handpicked Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, which includes multiple Facebook rental groups, to help promote our clients’ properties to a wide audience. We go above and beyond by also featuring the properties that are in a busy area by strategically placing “For Rent” signs in prominent locations to further increase visibility.
With our comprehensive marketing approach, we aim to find the right tenant for your property as quickly as possible.
Once a tenant has been approved, we follow a specific process to finalize the lease agreement and ensure a smooth move-in process.
First, we require the tenant to sign our lease agreement, which includes an appendix outlining additional rules and regulations that must be followed during the tenancy. We also request that the tenant sign a pre-authorized debit agreement plan for rental payments.
To secure the rental unit, we ask the tenant to send us the full security deposit amount, which signals that they have committed to renting the property and allows us to stop considering other applicants.
We then require them to provide proof of insurance and sign a move-in inspection document. The inspection software we utilize generates a smart PDF file, which is uploaded digitally to your owner portal for your convenience, allowing you to review it at a time that suits you. Additionally, the tenant must provide the first month’s rent payment.
Once all of these steps have been completed, the tenant will be given the keys to the rental unit, and they can begin their tenancy. By following this process, we can ensure that all necessary paperwork is in place and that the tenant is prepared to abide by the terms of the lease agreement.
At Azena Property Management, we take our lease agreements seriously and have a proficient team to enforce them!
In the event that a tenant falls behind on rent, we act promptly by issuing a late rent notice and implementing a late fee charge if the grace period of 2 days has elapsed. For tenants who have been approved by us, we utilize a Pre-authorized debit agreement plan to automatically withdraw rent from their bank account, hoping sufficient funds are available. We also make it clear that if payment is significantly delayed, we will report it to credit bureaus, which serves as a strong incentive for compliance.
If a tenant fails to respond or cannot provide a satisfactory explanation for their delinquency, we will have no choice but to send them a notice to vacate. This means that if rent remains unpaid for 7 days, they must leave the property within 14 days.
We strive to minimize the time and cost involved in this process for you.
In most cases, tenants occupying the properties under our management are mandated to put all utilities in their name and make timely payments for them. However, the water and sewer utilities, if applicable, remain the homeowner’s responsibility and cannot be transferred to the tenant.
In the event of a vacancy between tenants, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to settle any utility bills accrued. The primary energy provider in New Brunswick is NB Power.
At Azena Property Management, we have a strict no-smoking policy for all the rentals under our management. This policy is in place to protect both the property and the health of the occupants.
Cigarette smoke can cause significant damage to the property, such as discoloration of walls, carpets, and furnishings, as well as leave behind a persistent odor that is difficult to remove. Moreover, smoking is a known health hazard and can expose non-smoking occupants to second-hand smoke, which can lead to a range of health problems.
To ensure that all tenants are aware of our no-smoking policy, we include a clause in all our lease agreements that prohibits smoking inside the rental property. We strongly encourage our tenants to respect this policy and refrain from smoking in or around the property.
By maintaining a no-smoking policy, we aim to provide a healthy and safe living environment for all our tenants and preserve the condition of the rental property.
Maintaining a property increase its value over time. If any issues arise, the first course of action we’ll take is to notify you.
Then, when we have to do the repair a per landlords’ obligations (for example the fridge is not working), up to a certain amount as per agreement that is usually $500 or when it’s an emergency, we’ll initiate the repairs. But for any normal repair under $500 or any important repair that is estimated to be over $500, we will seek your approval beforehand.
Our team has a roster of skilled contractors and vendors who can swiftly handle any situation. You can trust us to provide top-notch work at competitive rates.
Azena Property Management recognizes the significance of our clients’ properties, which is why we take the responsibility of maintaining them seriously.
We perform exterior preventive inspections twice a year, free of charge. Additionally, we offer full inside inspections with a checklist and pictures when needed for a fee, to ensure that tenants are taking proper care of the property and to identify any maintenance issues that may have arisen.
We then upload these inspection sheets digitally to your owner portal, allowing you to review them at your convenience.
Tenants are required to give either 30 or 90 days’ notice before their lease expires, depending of their lease agreement. This time frame allows us to advertise the property and assess for any potential damage.
After conducting a move-out inspection, if the tenant has not caused any property damage, we will terminate their lease and refund their security deposit. However, if the tenant has caused any damage to the property, we will subtract the necessary costs from their deposit and return the remaining balance to them.
Certainly, we are able to assist you with that. Although we do not directly sell investment properties, we collaborate with a diverse group of competent agents who can be of assistance in this matter.
Tenants
To schedule a property showing for any of the properties we manage, kindly click the “Schedule Viewing” button located on our website’s menu. However, please be aware that a free pre-screening form must be completed before the property can be viewed.
Alternatively, you can contact us through our Contact form, or by calling (506) 805-5050 and selecting option #2 to speak with a member of our leasing department. Our friendly staff is always available to assist you with any inquiries you may have.
We require that all applicants of 18 years old or older submit an application. Every adult will receive an link to our online application form after viewing the property.
Certainly! Prior to renting any of our properties, you will need to sign a rental agreement which typically has a duration of one year. The lease outlines the respective rights and obligations of both parties involved.
After that you have completed the following important steps, we will provide you with the keys to your new home: apply for and be approved for the property, sign the lease agreement which includes rules and regulations, sign the pre-authorized debit agreement plan, pay the deposit and first month’s rent, provide proof of tenant insurance for all adults, and sign the move-in inspection report with us.
Certainly. Azena Property Management mandates that all tenants purchase renters insurance.
Unfurtunately not. Prior to advertising the price, we conducted a thorough market survey to determine the appropriate price for the unit, and we obtained the property owner’s approval.
You’ll need to pay a security deposit equal to one month’s rent, which must be paid in full or in installments, before you can move in.
We offer three options for rent payment. Our preferred method is through the Resident Portal, which can be accessed on either your computer or phone. Alternatively, you can send us an e-transfer to team@azena.ca as a second option. Lastly, you can pay in person at our office with a certified cheque.
For security reasons, we do not accept cash payments.
To submit a non-emergency maintenance or repair request, please do so in writing through your online Resident Portal and add a picture/video of the problem if possible.
If you submit the request during a business day, we will attend to it promptly. For requests submitted on a day that is not a business day, we will aim to assign work orders to our contractors as soon as possible.
In the event of an emergency, such as flood, no heat, leaking roof, gushing water, gas smells, please contact our 24/7 emergency response team at (506) 805-5050 and press 9. Essentially, an emergency situation is defined as one that impacts the safety or health of a tenant.
Azena Property Management is responsible for all maintenance tasks at the property.
However, there may be instances where the cost of repairs will be shifted to you. For example, if the damage is caused by your negligence or carelessness.
Rent payment is due on the first day of each month, and it will be considered late after midnight on that day. However, you will have an additional two days to pay during the grace period.
A late fee will be charged if rent payment is not received by the fourth day of the month.
If you anticipate being unable to pay rent on time, please contact us as soon as possible! We are empathetic and recognize that life can be unpredictable. Our office will provide guidance on what steps to take next.
However, if you fail to communicate with us, missed payments may be reported to credit bureaus and you will be issued a notice to vacate, meaning that you must pay in 7 days or leave the property in 14 days.
After the current lease term has ended, you can anticipate a potential increase in rent. The amount of the increase will be determined by several factors, including the property owner’s requests and prevailing market conditions.
If you are locked out of your unit after hours, you can contact one of our property managers who may be able to meet you. However, please note that there will be an additional charge for this service, which will be at your own expense. Alternatively, you may choose to contact a locksmith.
During office hours, please contact your property manager or call us at (506) 805-5050 and press 2, to arrange a meeting point.
Your property may need to be accessed by your property manager or one of our maintenance staff for various reasons, such as property inspections, maintenance or repairs, or showing the property to potential tenants.
We make an effort to inform you beforehand before entering your property. Please note that we do not provide access keys to any of our vendors who conduct routine repairs.
Smoking inside our rental properties is absolutely not allowed and constitutes a significant breach of the lease agreement.
Yes, you can. However, prior to doing so, it is imperative that you inform our office of your plans. The prospective tenant will also be required to complete a rental application form and successfully pass our screening protocols.
Not informing us would be considered a serious violation of the lease agreement.
Regrettably, you are not permitted to do so. If necessary, kindly get in touch with your property manager for assistance.
Unfortunately, you are not allowed to replace, rekey, or add security devices to the property, as doing so would be considered a significant breach of the lease agreement.
The response to this query varies depending on the property since different rules usually apply. If you wish to keep a pet, please contact your property manager to discuss the applicable policies. Our general policy is that pets are not allowed on the premises, unless we have granted prior written approval. In the case of dogs and cats, we also require you to complete a screening form.
Should you require repainting of the walls, kindly submit a written request to us beforehand, as we must obtain the owner’s approval first. In your written request, please indicate the specific rooms and the desired paint color. You can send the request via email to team@azena.ca.