Windermere Property Management / Lori Gill & Associates’ primary purpose is to provide high quality, full-service property management services by intensely focusing on our clients’ satisfaction. (This includes our property managers, property owners, residents, employees, and Windermere sales agents).

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW RESIDENCE

We at Windermere Property Management / Lori Gill & Associates sincerely hope your stay in your new residence is a positive experience. If you have any questions or needs regarding your residence or future plans, please feel free to contact us. We do have a few policies which we would like to share with you.

YOUR LEASE

Please read your lease. We have made strong efforts to spell out each party’s responsibilities. A lease is a legally binding contract and its conditions are enforceable by law. If you should have any questions regarding these provisions, please contact us.

YOUR RENT

Rents are due on the first day of each month. No invoice will be sent. We strongly suggest signing up for a Tenant Web Access account and setup AutoPayments. This convenient electronic feature will save you time, money, and assure that your rent is paid on time each month automatically. The Owners of your residence have obligations they must meet and rely upon your rental payments. It is imperative your rent be paid on time. If your rent is late, a late fee will be assessed. If for some reason you are unable to make the payment on or before the first of the month, please contact your property manager immediately to let them know when we can expect payment.

MAINTENANCE

It is important that we work together to protect the condition of the property. Please treat this property as if it were your own. Just as the Owner is expected to behave in a responsible manner during your tenancy, likewise, there are certain expectations placed on you, the Resident.

EMERGENCIES

We define an emergency as a situation where additional damage to the premises will occur if action is not taken. Examples of an emergency would be if there were a loss of heat or hot water, or if there has been a “breach” to the property which creates a true security problem or hazard to the Resident. In the case of an emergency where property damage is occurring, it is the Resident’s responsibility to act immediately to prevent further damage. If you have a true emergency, you must call 911. If you have a property emergency, call our office to be connected to your property manager. Our emergency maintenance line is monitored 24 hours per day 7 days per week including holidays.

SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR

Your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have been checked prior to move-in. If there are not operating smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors, please contact your Property Manager immediately. Once you take occupancy, it is your duty to maintain the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors by providing and changing batteries on a regular basis.

INSURANCE

Our lease requires that you obtain renter’s insurance. The property owner carries insurance on the residence itself but this policy will not cover your personal possessions. The Insurance Information Institute reports that only 26% of renters have insurance protecting their personal property from vandalism, fire, theft, or water damage. A renter’s insurance policy can be obtained from any insurance broker, and is typically very reasonable. If you need a referral, please ask your property manager.

PERIODIC CONDITION REPORTS

It is our job to help preserve the Owner’s asset by addressing any safety issues, maintenance and repairs. This often necessitates a visit to the property and a thorough walk through of the interior and exterior of the home. We will contact you in advance to schedule such a visit.

REMEMBER

The property owner will expect you to return the residence in the same condition as you received it. In many cases, properties are returned to us in even better condition. We appreciate your tenancy and cooperation and look forward to a successful working relationship.

Moving Information

Emergency

Seattle Activities

Getting Around Town

Here is a list of helpful links:

Here is a list of helpful links:

Depending on the terms of your contract and type of rental, residents can be responsible for the following:

  • Securing all utilities for home, unless otherwise provided
  • Lawn care, unless otherwise provided
  • Changing the furnace/air conditioning filters regularly
  • Minor repairs to your home, including, but not limited to, replacing light bulbs and clogged drains
  • Changing the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries during tenancy
  • Complying with all Homeowner Association Rules
  • Following the terms of your lease
  • Alerting the landlord to any maintenance that is needed
  • Accommodating visits to perform maintenance
  • Notifying Landlord of any tenancy changes, person or animal

Unless otherwise indicated in your lease or by local jurisdiction, Rent is due on the 1st of the month and late fees are calculated at 1% of the monthly rent per day, with a maximum cap of 10%.

Rent can be paid by check, money order, CashPay or online through your Tenant Web Access (TWA). If rent is paid late, we will only accept rent in the form of certified funds (cashier’s check, money order or CashPay). We do not accept cash payments for rental payments.

Yes! One-Time payments can be made through your tenant web access; Residents can also setup recurring payments. Please note if a Resident completes the recurring payments through the TWA it will override any payment information we have on file. The Resident will be responsible to manage all payment information going forward.

Tenant web access (TWA) is a FREE online web portal for Residents to view charges & payments, Make One-Time Payments, Setup Recurring Payments, and create service issues. If you have not signed up for your TWA contact your property manager for your account number and instructions

Upon receiving the setup instructions from your property manager you will need to go to wpmnorthwest.com and in the upper right hand corner select “LOGIN”; tenant and click sign up. Be sure to follow the instructions provided by your property manager as you will want to choose the correct location.

For additional information contact LGA Support.

With CashPay/CheckFreePay Residents are now able to pay on their account with CASH! Just take your CheckFreePay instructions to your local Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Ace Cash Express, or any other participating CheckFreePay location, present the instructions and make your payment. All CashPay/CheckFreePay transactions are subject to a $4 convenience fee. Contact your property manager to request your CashPay/CheckFreePay instructions today!

Please be aware that the CashPay/CheckFreePayment cutoff time is 11:59pm. That means any payments made after 11:59pm on the 1st are subject to late fees in accordance with your lease agreement.

Ideally you will have a conversation with your property manager 60-90 days prior to the end of your lease term. Generally speaking, all parties agree to a plan of action regarding the expiration of your lease. If you do not renew or extend your lease, in writing, the term will end and the expectation will be that you move out on/before the final day of your lease term. If the homeowner’s plan is to place a new Resident or sell the property upon your departure, it is very likely that new Resident (or buyer) prospects will be viewing the home prior to your departure.

Again, this is best handled via conversation with your property manager. If you wish to terminate (aka “break”) your lease early, there are provisions in place for this as outlined in your lease.

There are several ways to submit a maintenance request, they must be submitted in writing. You may email your property manager or use the Tenant Portal (aka “Tenant Web Access”), you may fax in a request, or, if none of these options are available to you, mail a request. Alternatively, you may call your property manager to submit a request via phone, but again, we prefer requests be in writing.

If your emergency is life threatening, dial 911. For other emergencies, please try calling your property manager first on any/all phone numbers that you have for them. If you cannot reach them quickly, dial our front desk at (425) 455-5515 and if you receive the after-hours greeting, you will be prompted to press a button to report an emergency. Your call will be routed to our 24/7 emergency operator who will assist in getting the issue taken care of immediately.

No, all of our service technicians are licensed, bonded and insured, they also display the utmost in professionalism. Should you desire to be home when the service is performed, please schedule with the vendor accordingly when they contact you to make an appointment. Per your lease agreement, if you cause an unnecessary delay in the vendor’s ability to perform the work that is required, you will be charged for additional costs accumulated as such.

There are many factors that go into each request and we cannot set a firm schedule. We take pride in working with well qualified vendors and completing maintenance issues as quickly as possible. Please understand there are times when, for non-urgent issues, we are at the mercy of our vendors’ schedules and also the time it takes for necessary parts to be shipped if applicable.

No. Unauthorized repairs will not be reimbursed. Should you wish to perform work on your property, it must be approved in writing prior to any work being performed. If you are having trouble with a maintenance request being handled in a timely fashion, please call our office and ask to speak to our General Manager.

No. Under the WA State Landlord Tenant Act it is prohibited for a resident to withhold rent for failure to fix items submitted. If rent is not paid for any reason, your landlord can start the eviction process against you

Should you desire to change them during your tenancy, you must first receive written approval from our office. The work must be done by a licensed locksmith and three keys to each new lock must be provided to our office within 24 hours of the work being done.

This, and any other alterations, must be specifically approved in writing and if approved must be completed to a professional standard. Paint, and any other alteration, that was not pre-approved in writing may be charged back to you in order to “put things back the way they were originally.”

CURRENT RESIDENT MOVE OUT AND SECURITY DEPOSIT QUESTIONS

No. Your security deposit is held in a Trust account and can only be used for outstanding charges after you vacate the property.

As a reminder, depending on the terms of your lease, the following may be required prior to the end of your lease term:

  • Remove all personal property and all trash
  • Professionally clean all carpets, submitting the receipt with your keys
  • Have a professional deodorization treatment performed, submitting the receipt with your keys (only if pets were present)
  • We strongly recommend hiring professional cleaners for the following:  Vacuum all hardwood floors and mop all vinyl/tile floors, wash all cabinets, inside and out, clean all appliances, inside and out, clean all areas of the home, including baseboards, window sills, door frames, ceiling fans, toilets, tubs, showers, and light fixtures, etc.
  • Replace all furnace filters with new ones, ensure that all smoke/CO alarms have operable batteries
  • Mow grass, trim shrubs, and remove any debris. Maintain the yard to its original condition to match when you moved in (only if lawn care is not included)
  • Secure all windows and doors
  • Replace any burned out light bulbs
  • Return all keys, garage door openers, and any other items provided to you to our office
  • Notify us of your desired address for the return of your security deposit. If a stop payment and re-issue is necessary on your security deposit check as a result of you not providing a proper forwarding address, there could be a bank fee associated.

All keys, receipts, and other required items must be returned upon vacating the home. Until keys are returned, possession of the home has not been completely turned back over to the landlord.

Immediately after you vacate the property, one of our agents visits the property and performs a move-out inspection to assess the condition of the property in comparison to your move-in report. We then process your security deposit in strict accordance with applicable state laws.

Your statement of deposit settlement, and any applicable refund due, will be mailed to you within 30 days of your move out and surrender of possession of the home. In some cases, this will be an estimated statement as all charges may not be known, to the penny, within 30 days. For example, if you vacate mid-utility-cycle, we will estimate what you owe on your final bill and withhold accordingly to ensure full payment and once we verify it has been paid, we will send a second statement with additional refund due as applicable.

We will send you a letter notifying you of a balance due and enclose receipts supporting the charges. Payment will be expected promptly to prevent further action.

Any outstanding charges will be turned over to a collection agency for processing and might become part of your permanent credit history.

Prospective Resident FAQ

Information on our properties can be found on our website, www.wpmnorthwest.com, or by calling us at (425) 455-5515. Information is also available from your local REALTOR via the NWMLS.

All of our available properties, on our website, provide the name and contact info for the applicable leasing agent. Please contact the leasing agent directly to schedule an appointment. You may also view the home with any licensed broker from any other NWMLS member office, and they will have access to the showing instructions via the NWMLS property listing.

Your first step is to view the interior of the home that you’re interested in leasing, then simply submit an online application. We will ask for photo ID and income documentation for all applicants age 18 or over as part of the application process. We do not accept Reusable Tenant Screening Reports. In the event that you wish to apply and have not been able to visit the property, we will attach a “Site Unseen” addendum to your file.

Our website is updated continually to reflect our current inventory of homes. Our market moves very quickly, and we have properties coming and going from our available inventory on a daily basis.

APPLICATION GENERAL QUESTIONS

Required for all occupants 18 years or older

  • Valid photo ID
  • Authorization form (if applicable, to contact former landlords for rental references)
  • Income verification
  • We do not accept Reusable Tenant Screening Reports

Yes, our residents are solely responsible for insuring their own personal property that is located or stored upon the property leased. Any loss from the risks of damage, destruction or loss resulting from theft, fire, storm and other hazards and casualties are your sole responsibility.

FUTURE RESIDENT GENERAL QUESTIONS

Typically, all residents are responsible for:

  • Securing all utilities for the home, unless otherwise provided
  • Lawn care, unless otherwise provided
  • Changing the furnace/air conditioning filters regularly
  • Minor repairs to your home, including, but not limited to, to replacing light bulbs and clogged drains
  • Changing the smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries during tenancy
  • Complying with all Homeowner Association Rules if applicable
  • Following the terms of your lease

First month’s rent via certified funds is due at the time of lease signing in order to obtain your lease. Your security deposit will be due upon move in, also via certified funds, in order to obtain keys and possession of the home. If there are any additional deposits or fees due (for example, HOA Move In Fee), these will also be due upon move in via certified funds and made payable to the appropriate party depending upon the situation (your Property Manager will clarify for you).

Rent can be paid by check, money order, CashPay or online through your Tenant Web Access (TWA). If rent is paid late, we will only accept rent in the form of certified funds (cashier’s check, money order or CashPay). We do not accept cash payments for rental payments.

Unless otherwise indicated in your lease or by local jurisdiction, Rent is due on the 1st of the month and late fees are calculated at 1% of the monthly rent per day, with a maximum cap of 10%.