How do I become a tenant?
If you are interested in renting one of Legacy Properties' vacant units, the first
step is for all applicants 18 or older who will occupy the unit
to fill out a detailed application, and follow the steps outlined
in the application, including payment of an application fee for
each adult occupant. Legacy Properties
does have criteria based on income,
credit, and previous rental history. Once your tenancy has
been approved, you will be asked to remit a deposit to hold
the unit, and all occupants 18 and older will be asked to
sign a lease and remit money for rent and security deposit.
No unit will be held until a non-refundable cash deposit is remitted.
Please read the lease and any attached documents very carefully,
because they are legally binding. If you violate the lease in any
way, you may wind up losing the right to live in your apartment.
Rent collections are strictly enforced, as are noise rules and pet
policies. If you plan to get a pet, be sure you find out whether or
not a pet will be allowed before signing the lease. If there is
anything in the lease, House Rules, or in the unit itself, with
which you may have issues, be sure to discuss this with your
Property Manager before you move in.
What are my options for paying rent?
Rent payments (in the form of check, money order or cashier's check) must be mailed in.
Legacy Properties
2504 W. Main St. Ste 2B
Bozeman, MT 59718
What happens if I don't pay my rent?
If your rent is not received when it is due, generally by the
first of each month, you will be served a legal notice to
pay your rent or leave the apartment or house. If rent is
not received by the time the notice expires, and you do
not leave, you will be subject to eviction proceedings.
If you plan to be out of town when rent is due, you still
need to make sure before you leave that your rent is paid.
Being out of town does not excuse you from paying the rent.
Rent must be paid regardless of any personal circumstances
or problems you may have. This is part of your lease
agreement, which is a legal document voluntarily signed
by you. If your rent is late you will be subject to late
fees, and if your check bounces, you will be subject to a
bounced check fee. If there are any problems you wish to
discuss in regard to your rent, you may contact your
Property Manager.
Do you accept pets?
Not unless otherwise noted
If I share my rental property with a roommate, can we each pay half?
In a roommate situation, both roommates are entirely responsible
for the rent. Legacy Properties prefers one payment for the entire rent per
unit. You must work it out between yourselves as to how you get
the rent payment to Legacy Properties; for example, there are times when one
roommate may pay more rent than another, if that roommate occupies
a room that is significantly larger, but that must be worked out
between roommates and is not handled by Legacy Properties.
It is not Legacy Properties'
responsibility to intercede if one of you pays and the other
doesn't. This will simply be considered nonpayment of rent,
and both your names may appear on a three day notice and any
possible eviction. The security deposit only is refunded when
the entire unit is vacant, and no partial refund is given when
one roommate moves out. If one roommate wants to leave and someone
else wants to live in the unit, that person needs to apply as a
tenant and be approved. If you and your roommate do not get along,
Legacy Properties is not obliged to get your roommate to leave.
When I move out, how do I get my security deposit? Can it be used for the last month of rent?
Security deposits are not to be used instead of payment of rent, since the purpose
of a security deposit is to pay for any damage caused by the tenant or their guests.
If you do not pay any rent, including the last month you are in the unit,
you may be subject to eviction proceedings. You are entitled to an
accounting of your security deposit as well as the appropriate refund,
within 21 days of your moving out of the unit.
I have to move for work before my lease is up. What are my obligations?
Inform Legacy Properties in writing as soon as you know about your transfer,
and give an exact date you will be vacating the unit. You will still
owe rent until the end of your lease term, or until a new tenant is
found, plus costs of advertising. However, the owner is obliged to
make efforts to rent the unit as well. It would be to your benefit
to keep your unit as presentable as possible, and cooperate fully
with Legacy Properties' showing the unit, so a new tenant can be found as soon
as possible. You may even want to advertise the unit on your own,
and introduce any interested parties to Legacy Properties. This will help lower
any costs you will have to bear.
How do I move in an additional person?
Any persons not on the lease may only occupy the unit only with the written
permission of Legacy Properties, and that person needs to be approved as a tenant by
Legacy Properties. You may be charged more rent if that person is in addition to, rather
than instead of, a present resident. If an additional person is found to
live in your unit, without permission of Legacy Properties, you may be subject to
eviction and/or increase of rent.
What do I do if my roommate moves out and I stay? What about the deposit?
Contact you property manager at least 30 days
before he/she leaves. Your new roommate must come in to our offices and
fill out our rental application to determine whether he/she is a qualified
candidate for the rental. The new tenant will be placed on the lease.
According to your specific lease, there might be a fee involved. If
you are not planning on adding a new rent, you are responsible for
the entire amount of rent.
Your deposit is a joint deposit that remains with the unit until it is vacated.
It is the responsibility of the new tenant or remaining tenant to give back
the portion of the deposit to the vacating tenant. If you contact our property
manager they can give guidance as to what deductions may apply. We only issue
deposit refund checks when all the tenants are moving out.
Can I paint my rental and make other changes?
As part of the lease agreement, renovations made by a tenant are only
permissible with written approval by Legacy Properties. You may, of course, hang
paintings of your choice on the wall, provided you repair the holes
upon vacating the unit. This rule against renovation without permission
applies to all renovations, including changing your carpeting or other
flooring, installation of built in appliances, etc. Please do not
affix a satellite dish or other antenna to the roof, without acquiring
permission first, as you will be charged for any damages to the roofing.
What happens if I lose my keys?
If it is during normal business hours you can come into our offices and,
upon verifying identification, receive another set of keys for $5 per key.
If it is after hours, you can call the emergency line and we will send a
maintenance person to let you into your unit. There is a charge
for after hours lock outs. Charges vary by location.
How do I report a repair that needs to be made?
You may go to our web site and submit a Maintenance Request,
or you may call (406) 577-1470 and make a request.
If you have an after-hours emergency, you can select the emergency
extension from the automated system. Please call Legacy Properties
rather than repairing a
maintenance problem yourself, as, except for specific circumstances provided
for by law, you will not be allowed to deduct costs of repair from your rent.
If there is a problem which was caused by you or your guests, such as in
inappropriate item flushed down the toilet, you will be charged for the repair.
What is considered an emergency?
An emergency is defined as a maintenance problem that will cause a safety hazard
to residents, or an imminent damage to property, so that fixing it cannot wait
until the next business day. A few examples would be an overflowing toilet,
a broken pipe, or sudden electrical short. If there is a gas leak, call the
gas company in your area first, and if there is a power outage, call the
electric company in your area first to see if there is a general power
outage in the area. The manager who answers the emergency line will determine if you
have a true emergency, and if so, they will contact an emergency vendor.
Will I recieve notification when a repair person is coming to my home?
Legacy Properties will give you a 24 hour notice to enter, unless you agree
to allow Legacy Properties'
vendor to enter your home on an as-available basis. There is no requirement
for you to be present, but you must provide access to your home, with
proper notice, for purposes of repairs. There is no requirement for
Legacy Properties to give you notice if there is a suspected emergency, such as a burst pipe.
Can I get reimbursed for repairs I make on my own?
You can only get reimbursed for repairs that were initially approved by the staff at Legacy Property Management.