Tenants are typically responsible for ensuring their property stays sanitary, clean and in good repair. A landlord is generally not responsible for making any repairs caused by the tenant’s own fault or if their guests damage anything. However, if a tenant notices an issue and fails to report it to the landlord, the tenant may be held liable for additional damage that would not have occurred had the tenant made a timely complaint.There are some simple maintenance tasks that tenants can perform to help resolve minor issues without making an appointment for service. In case of an emergency, dial 911.
American Beachside Brokers has provided the following maintenance tips and guide for tenants to troubleshoot problems:
Potential charges to Tenant
The cost for any maintenance repairs that are deemed to have been caused by your actions or negligence.
Missed scheduled appointment.
Office key copy to the property does not work.
No Power
Check you fuse box for tripped breaker switch.
Locate the GFCI outlets (outlets with the test and reset buttons) and press the reset button on all GFCI outlets.
Look for GFCIs in bathrooms, kitchens, garages and on the home’s exterior. Test and reset every GFCI you can find.
Reset the breaker by moving it to the full “off” position and then back to “on.”
Check appliances. Unplug all of them in the unit. Reset breaker, plug in one appliance at a time to find the faulty appliance.
Contact your power company to inquire if there are power outages in your neighborhood.
If the reset button doesn’t work, schedule a maintenance request.
AC not cooling
If the air filter has not been changed in 30 days, change it. Remember per your lease the filter must be changed monthly.
If the digital thermostat is not working check/change the battery.
If you notice ice on the coils at the unit, turn off AC and submit maintenance request.
Appearance of Mold
Refer to the EPA booklet issued when you were leased first – A Brief guide to Mold and Moisture in your Home
If problem persist, after following suggestions submit a maintenance request
No Hot Water
Check to see if hot water tank is leaking
Check fuse box for tripped breaker switch
Check pilot light on water heater, if not lit, contact Gas company first. It's free.
If it’s a gas water heater, check to see if pilot light is out, if you can’t turn it on, call your gas provider for instructions.
If these steps do not work, please proceed with a maintenance request through your tenant portal.
Please Do Not do the following:
Do not use liquid drain cleaner in the kitchen sink or garbage disposal.
Do not let excess food, potato peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, etc. go down the garbage disposal. (They will stick to any sludge in the pipe and quickly create a clog.)
Is the garbage disposal making a humming sound? Run your hand along the bottom of the unit for a small button. Once you find the button, press it to reset the disposal.
Is the garbage disposal humming and not turning. Look for the disposal wrench attached to the disposal use it to turn the bottom of the disposal counter clockwise. Then press the reset button on the bottom of the disposal.
Check for blockage in the sink around the blades. Before putting your hands or utensil down the sink, make sure the unit is turned off. ** Never put these items down the disposal: chicken bones, onion peels, potato skins, grease, and corn husk! **
Grind lemon peels and ice to help prevent odors. You can also put in a couple of handfuls of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar. Let that set in the disposal hopper with the unit turned off. After it’s done foaming, rinse it down the drain with running water
Dishwasher won’t turn on
Flip the wall switch near the sink
Check to ensure that the lock is engaged
Check timer setting to ensure it is aligned properly
Clogged or Slow Sink (without using harsh chemical drain cleaners)
Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain, pour in ½ cup baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then pour a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar and 1 cup hot water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Flush one more time with pot of boiling water.
For clogged bathtub and shower drains-pour boiling water down the drain to unclog hair and soap build-up.
Clogged Toilet
Use a plunger with short, quick motions. You may need rubber gloves; it can get messy!
Pour bucket of water to clear out.
Toilet Runs Constantly
Check for kink or disconnect of lift chain from the handle lever which is preventing the flap to seat properly.
If unable to stop toilet run – turn off water to the toilet using the knob behind the toilet until maintenance is able to access the problem. This will prevent high water bills.
Water puddling around toilet
Submit maintenance request through the tenant portal and call and text office immediately.
Washing Machine Not Working Properly or Not at All
Check whether the washing machine taps are turned on at the wall.
Check if appliance at the wall is turned on.
Check if lid is closing properly.
Check if settings knob is pointed directly on the desired settings
If the machine has stopped halfway through cycle you may have overloaded the machine and caused it to be out of balance. Try redistributing the wash evenly in the drum.
Don’t overload the machine
ONLY use laundry detergent NEVER use dishwashing detergent
Dryer is Not Working
Dryer can automatically shut down due to overload of lint in the filter Check whether the filter needs to be cleaned out. Remember to always clean the filter out. *Failure to clean the dryer is the leading cause of dryer fires. 2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year and caused deaths, injuries, and millions of dollars in property loss.
Dryer Duct Cleaning:
It is the Tenant’s responsibility to maintain a clean dryer (clean the removable lint trap)
If the duct is clogged through to the outside of the home, please open a maintenance request through your tenant portal.
Refrigerator Not Staying Cool or Freezing
Check the thermostat to make sure it hasn’t been turned way down by mistake.
Be sure the vents on the back of the freezer compartment aren’t blocked by boxes of ice cream or frozen food packages-the vents have to be clear for cold air to circulate.
Vacuum the coils under or behind the fridge. Clogged coils can cause poor cooling
Clean the seals around the refrigerator doors to keep cool air from escaping
Smoke CO2 detector beeping or not working
If your smoke alarm or CO2 detector is going off, please go outside and call 911 immediately!
If your smoke alarm or CO2 detector is beeping and needs a new battery, please replace the battery, this is tenant responsibility.Do Not Remove Detector. It is required by law.
If replacing the batteries doesn’t work or you have other issues please open a maintenance request through your tenant portal.
Leak In Ceiling
Isolate when and where leak is coming from before calling for maintenance.
If leak occurs when toilet is flushed, turn off water to toilet and call the office.
If leak occurs when a bath is taken, use shower until maintenance can fix leak.
American Beachside Brokers wants you to remember the most important thing : your landlord is responsible for the maintenance and repairs for your home(per your lease). However these tips will help you address issues better and more efficiently for you and your landlord.
3
Feb
How Not To Suck At Design–A Non Designers Cheat Sheet
You may have heard that design is best left to the professionals, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t give it a go yourself. If you have a good eye for design and the skills to create something truly unique, taking on a project as a non designer can be beneficial. However, it’s important to have a good idea of what you are doing and what you want to achieve.
Top Design Tips for Non Designers
Use a Lot of Contrast - It doesn't matter what you are designing, it is important that you use plenty of contrast between the background and font. You should choose a background color and font color that are very different so as not to cause eye strain when someone is reading the text. You will find that black text and a white background work extremely well, whereas light grays and yellows do not. You don’t want people to have to squint to read anything on the design.
Choose Almost Black Over Black - Don’t make the mistake of assuming that there is only one type of black color, as this is not the case. Rather than using pure black for text, choose almost black as this is a lot easier to read when it is on a white background.
Place Important Content First - One of the most important things to think about is placement and layout. When you are designing anything, you should place important information first. You only have a few seconds to engage and interest the audience,which is why the key facts need to be the first thing they see. All important information should be placed at the top of the design and visible from a distance.
Align Everything - If something doesn't feel right about your design, take a look at the alignment. When the alignment is off, aspects of the design can feel out of place and messy. It’s a lot more aesthetically pleasing to have everything aligned, neat and organized.
Design in Black and White First - Though you will surely be creating colourful artwork, start off by designing in black and white. Once you have added individual elements and are happy with the layout, add color. This will help you to focus on the design itself, rather than focusing too much on whether or not you are choosing the right colors. Color evolves emotions, which can make it difficult to see design problems.
Taking on a new design project as a non designer can be daunting, but there’s nothing to say that you can’t create a fantastic logo or banner. Regardless of what you are designing, think carefully about the colors you are using and the layout of text, images and graphics. You should want your design to be unique and intriguing, but you don’t want it to be complicated and confusing. Remember advertisers (the clients your designing for) want a return on investment. So you’ll soon know if your designs are working or not. If you’d like to find out about measuring ROI – read this Ultimate Banners article.
"I cannot overstate my satisfaction with Melissa and her company American Beachside Brokers, in connection with my house sale. They made ever effort to keep me informed as to the process they used to price the home, to negotiate the ultimate sale price and to navigate the escrow process. They went out of their way to minimize my costs and maximize the money into my pocket, and generally treated me, not as a customer, but as a friend or family member. When they say, It's not about money; it's about relationships, they are not kidding. I hope Melissa and her team continue to serve the community with care and skill for many years to come, and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in selling, buying, renting or just discussing real estate."
- Nancy C.
