THE TENANT'S PERSPECTIVE OF THE RENTAL PROCESS

Whether you wish to rent a house or an apartment, it will be your home for the foreseeable future. We, at Caldwell & Associates Realty Ltd, Brokerage, would be pleased to help you find the home that will fulfill your needs and many of your wants. 

Our services are offered to prospective tenants on a complimentary basis.   In the majority of situations Caldwell and Associates is paid directly by the owner of the property, to find a suitable Tenant; therefore, our services are provided to prospective Tenants on a complimentary basis.   There are occasions when our fee is paid by a relocating firm, or a corporate body hiring Caldwell and Associates for the specific purpose of finding their employees accommodation.

THE RENTAL PROCESS
Caldwell & Associates Realty Ltd., Brokerage is pleased to offer complete rental services both to the landlord and tenant, and through Caldwell & Associates Property Management, management services for residential property owners. 

Agreement to Lease
​This is usually a two-step process. Once a suitable tenant has been found, an Agreement to Lease (an offer to lease) is submitted to the landlord detailing the following:
  • Monthly rental fee (may be an offer for less than the listed price, but not always)
  • Lease Term (1 year or 2 years, etc)
  • What is included for their use (all appliances and window treatments are standard)
  • Any special clauses such as diplomatic or executive transfer clauses
  • Whether they have pets
  • Any maintenance agreements and who will pay for them
  • Whether there is any work to be completed or professional cleaning of the house, appliances and carpets etc.
  • Tenant Insurance clause – required by most owner’s insurance companies
A Rental Application must accompany all Agreements to Lease. Caldwell & Associates to perform a credit check. We utilize Rent Check Corp; who use several credit checking organizations to provide critical financial information regarding payment history (use of computer access to credit information ensures a quick response). Where appropriate, we also contact current or past landlords for their opinion.  

Providing the rental application results are satisfactory, you are requested to provide a certified cheque or money order equivalent to the first and last months' rent.  
 
At this point we have in hand:
  • The Offer to Lease, signed by both parties
  • The cheque for first and last month’s rent
  • The Rental Application for the purposes of a credit check (if applicable), personal and professional references
Once negotiations concerning the Agreement to Lease have been completed to the mutual satisfaction of all parties, the terms of the Agreement are incorporated  into a Residential Lease which is signed first by the landlord and then by the tenant.
 
The keys are released to the tenant either by the owner, or by Caldwell & Associates.  If the latter Caldwell & Associates does a walk-through with the tenant and provides a pictorial and written report to both the tenant and the landlord as to the condition of the property at the commencement of the lease.  The keys are released and an acknowledgement of receipt is signed by the tenant on the commencement date of the lease to the tenant unless otherwise agreed to by the landlord.