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(+01) 401 846 3800
1. Newport Rentals
2. Getting Prepared
3. The Rental Process
4. Fees
5. The Rhode Island Landlord–Tenant Handbook
6. Credit Checks
7. Security Deposits
8. Leases
9. Section 8 Housing
10. Problems & Resolution
11. Insurance
12. Pets
13. Lead Information
14. Area Profiles
Welcome to the Newport Rentals, one of Rhode Island’s leading property rental resources. As a member of the William Raveis Group we are members of New England’s largest privately owned real estate network and as such we have a very wide reach, as well as a team of highly experienced agents able to help you with all of your Rhode Island property rental needs.
The most important step in renting is being prepared. Before you begin viewing properties, do a bit of research to establish your criteria. Make use of our comprehensive website, guides, service center and agents to help you in this process. Once you have narrowed down your search, contact our office directly to discuss the specifics of that property and make arrangements for a showing. We have rental agent specialists throughout the State of Rhode Island. Agent biographies are provided online to help you choose the agent that best suits your needs, or simply contact our office and we will provide you with excellent service.
Throughout the thirty nine towns that make up the State of Rhode Island, we have both exclusive and non-exclusive rental listings. With exclusive properties we can guarantee the accuracy of the data as we are the listing agents, however in the case of non-exclusive listings we MUST rely on landlords and our own agents to ensure the data is both accurate and current.
We present to our site visitors an extensive array of photographs, property tours, mapping, data mining and wherever possible, local area videos and links to enable searchers to narrow down properties to those that best meet their needs. By using this process we find that most clients are able to locate the right property either directly online or with a maximum of two or three showings, which is what our agents are normally able to provide given their busy schedules.
As per the Rhode Island Real Estate Disclosure Law, we disclose that our rental agents act mostly as neutral transaction facilitators, working for both the Landlord and Tenant equally to pull the rental transaction together. When acting as an exclusive designated client representative, the agent works for either the Landlord or the Tenant exclusively, as their personal agent. Please feel free to enlist an agent as your designated client representative for exclusive service.
Remember if we are exclusive renters of a property then generally our agent is the Landlords designated client representative and as such represents them. If no such arrangement exists our agents will be acting as neutral transaction facilitators – please ask your agent for confirmation of your agency status.
Finally we have arranged rentals under four broad headings:
• Yearly – One year lease or longer
• Winter– Off-season housing that is typically available from Labor Day up to Memorial Day
• Summer – June, July and August rentals leased in one to three month blocks
• Weekly – Most often during the summer months, leases for one week blocks in all towns but Newport, as Newport does not permit weekly rentals and requires a one month minimum.
If in doubt contact an agent for a more in depth explanation as it relates to properties of interest.
• Search the database
• Pick the best two or three matches
• Contact us
• Provide data on requirements
• Sign RI Mandatory Sales Disclosure Form with agent as required
• View properties and pick the one you want to rent
• Fill out and sign Rental Application
• Negotiate & Sign Lease
• Provide check for security deposit and rent as required
• Arrange move in details – utilities/services etc
• Move In
Any brokerage fees involved in finding a tenant are paid by the Landlord and as such our services provided to tenants are FREE.
This document which is produced by the RI Department of Administration is an invaluable guide to the rental process and we highly recommend that you read it prior to renting. Please follow the following link:
http://www.hrc.ri.gov/documents/2007%20Revision%20of%20L_T_Handbook2.pdf
Most RI landlords require good credit and will conduct a credit report. Renters can provide current credit reports themselves or obtain one through their agent for a fee of ten dollars.
So what would reflect badly? A few old late payments are usually acceptable. A high revolving balance is not good. Past due payments that are still outstanding are bad. Delinquencies and collections are very bad. A public record is bad and a landlord-tenant record is the worst. If you don't think your credit is good, it probably isn't. Be sure to advise your agent of this. Doing so will allow your agent to properly prepare you for the process. Different landlords have proposed remedies for potential tenants with "credit issues". Some will allow you to increase the security deposit or to use a guarantor. Others may reject the application completely. Our savvy agents will guide you in a way that will save you time, money, and a lot of frustration.
http://www.creditreporting.com/fair-credit-reporting-act-law.html
A Landlord can take a security deposit from a tenant at the beginning of a new rental term but it cannot exceed one month’s rent – see section 3 of the Landlord-Tenant Handbook. The security deposit cannot be used to pay the last months rent, as detailed in your Newport Rentals Lease.
Most rental disputes arise over disagreements concerning the return of security deposits when a tenant leaves a rental. We strongly advise inspecting the property once you move in and taking photos of any pre-existing issues. Notify your landlord in writing so these are not issues when you leave. Finally when you leave please ensure everything is spotless.Below are some guidelines on what is expected:
• Clean the stove inside, underneath and behind – also clean surrounding area.
• Defrost and clean refrigerator inside and out, move away from wall and clean behind and vacuum coils and motor.
• Wash floors
• Clean kitchen cupboards, wash woodwork and remove contact paper throughout.
• Clean bathroom tiles and fixtures and remove soap scum from tile walls.
• Wash windows and sills and if they tilt please clean exteriors where possible.
• Wash interior walls and woodwork removing fingerprints and smudge marks wherever possible.
• Shampoo rugs using mechanical rug cleaner if available.
• Repair any broken window glass.
• Repair or replace anything broken during your tenancy – report anything not fixed to Lessor.
• Clean fireplace and wash glass doors.
• Ensure fuel tank is filled on last day of tenancy.
• Pay all past due utility bills and terminate accounts.
In accordance with RI State Law the security deposit must be returned within 20 days after the Tenant vacates and provides a forwarding address. Unpaid rent, as well as damages beyond reasonable wear and tear, may be deducted from the sum. An itemized list of deductions must be provided by the Landlord.
Before signing a lease ensure you read it very carefully and understand what you are committing yourself to. If in doubt we advise you take professional advice prior to signing anything.
The Section 8 Rental Voucher Program increases affordable housing choices for very low-income households by allowing families to choose privately owned rental housing. The public housing authority (PHA) generally pays the landlord the difference between 30 percent of household income and the PHA-determined payment standard-about 80 to 100 percent of the fair market rent (FMR). The rent must be reasonable. The household may choose a unit with a higher rent than the FMR and pay the landlord the difference or choose a lower cost unit and keep the difference. Several assistance programs exist under Section 8. Together, the voucher and certificate programs help more than 1.4 million households in the United States. The administering PHA or governmental agency inspects the housing units to make sure they comply with HUD quality standards. The voucher program is similar to the Section 8 certificate program but gives households more choices, especially in high-demand markets where landlords may be reluctant to accept HUD's FMR level.
Through the Section 8 Rental Voucher Program, the administering housing authority issues a voucher to an income-qualified household, which then finds a unit to rent. If the unit meets the Section 8 quality standards, the PHA then pays the landlord the amount equal to the difference between 30 percent of the tenant's adjusted income (or 10 percent of the gross income or the portion of welfare assistance designated for housing) and the PHA-determined payment standard for the area. The rent must be reasonable compared with similar unassisted units. Please notify your rental agent if you are Section 8 eligible.
Once a tenant signs a lease and occupies the property,any ongoing issues should be addressed directly to the Landlord or their designated property manager.
We strongly recommend tenants take our renters insurance as most Landlords home owners insurance policies do not cover tenants’ belongings.
Most Landlords have restrictions or require a signed pet addendum; please ask for details if you will be bringing pets to the rental.
Rhode Island has many older homes that may contain lead based paints and the links below should better enable you to understand the issue and how it is dealt with during a rental transaction.
http://www.hrc.ri.gov/misc/lead_mitigation.php#faq
Please use the following link to enable you to access statewide area profiles
http://www.riedc.com/data-and-publications/state-and-community-profiles
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