FAQ’s

All utility services that aren’t included in the rent amount must be switched to the tenants name on or before the lease start date. If utility services are not switched to the tenants name, on or before the lease start date, the required utility services will not be active and operational at move in.  Keep in mind that utility companies are not open for business on weekends or holidays, so if your lease start date falls on a weekend or holiday, it’s important that you schedule all utility turn on’s for a day prior to your lease start date.

At any given time we are showing between 30 – 40 rental properties a week. Some of the properties are vacant and others are occupied by property owners or tenants. As a result of this extensive showing schedule and the coordination challenges for our occupied properties, these are the two primary reasons for our reservation style tour schedule.  For security & liability reasons, we do supervised property showings ONLY. It is very important that you make your reservation at least 4 hours before the tour time so that the agent showing the property has ample notice of your desire to see a property.

It is very important that you are on time for your appointment once you are registered. The agent can only spend approximately 15 minutes at each property showing before they have to leave for the next property showing. If you need to cancel an appointment, please provide our office with as much advance notice as possible.

After you submit the application to Scott Properties you will be prompted to:

1. Pay a $50.00 application fee. Keep in mind that we will not start the application process until this $50.00 fee is paid. IMPORTANT NOTES: All adults intending to live in the property must submit an individual application and pay the $50.00 application fee, this also includes each student in our student housing homes. Application Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. As a very small token of our appreciation for service to our country, we waive the application fee for all ACTIVE military. Occupants under the age of 21 years of age, living in the home with another family member, are also exempt from having to pay an application fee.

2. Upload or fax a copy of your Driver’s License (Valid Gov’t Issued Photo ID)

3. Upload or fax (1) month most recent pay check stubs. If you are self employed, instead of pay check stubs, you will need to upload your last two years of tax returns. IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that you and your spouse have different last names listed on your Driver’s Licenses, a copy of your marriage certificate will need to be provided in order to combine income, credit reports and rental history.

We will do a background check, credit check, check previous rental history, verify employment and verify income. The criteria that would cause an application to be automatically declined are:

1. Net income (after taxes) is less than three times (3X) the rental amount

2. Any eviction filings in the last 5 years

3. Any unpaid balances due to previous landlords

4. Credit score lower than 560

5. Unsatisfactory references

6. Violent felonies in the last 7 years

7. Foreclosure or Bankruptcy filings in the last 7 years

8. Less than two years of you paying a comparable rent amount or mortgage amount for the rental home you are applying for

9. Unqualified occupants and / or pets can also be a reason for an application denial

Scott Properties will only accept co-signers for FULL time students only. Each student applying for student housing will have to have a parent or other immediate family member co-sign on their behalf. Each student will need to complete a separate application with the co-signer as the co-applicant. In the event that you and your spouse have different last names listed on your Driver’s Licenses, a copy of your marriage certificate will need to be provided in order to combine income, credit reports and rental history.

RESTRICTION – City ordinances and neighborhood Home Owners Associations prevent Scott Properties from renting to more than two unrelated people in the same dwelling UNLESS the dwelling is designated as student housing. If the dwelling is designated as student housing, all students MUST have a parent or other immediate family member co-sign the rental agreement on their behalf.

Simply go to the Scott Properties website at www.ScottRentsCharleston.com  Once on the site, you will see a button/ link on the top right of the home page labeled Tenant Log-In.  Click on this link and it will bring you to a log-in page. Put in your email address and click on REGISTER NOW.  A temporary password will be sent to the email address that you entered into the portal.  When you go back into the tenant portal you will have the opportunity to change this temporary password to something easy for you to remember.  The email address that you will use to access the portal will be the email address that was provided to us at move-in. If you gave us multiple email addresses we are only able to use one of these email addresses as your primary log-in address.  If you are unable to log-in please call us to confirm that the email address that we have in our system matches what you are trying to input into the portal.  Once you access the portal you will be prompted to change your password.  Please write down your new password because Scott Properties will have no record of your new password. Once your password is changed you will have full access to the resident portal.  NOW YOU CAN SUBMIT MAINTENANCE REQUESTS AND PAY YOUR MONTHLY RENT ON-LINE! 

The maximum number of days that we can hold a property, with a security deposit, is 15 days. Rent payments will begin on the 16th day.

Upon signing the lease agreement, you are agreeing to reside at the rental property until the lease expiration date. However, if it becomes necessary for you to vacate the property earlier than your lease expiration date, you may break the lease as long as you fulfill the following obligations:  First, you must provide a 60 day written notice to vacate. Secondly, you must pay a break lease fee equal to 3 months rent. The ONLY exception to this policy is for active military who receive permanent orders to relocate to another station that is more than 50 miles from the current station location. A copy of these permanent relocation orders would need to be sent to Scott Properties along with a minimum 30 day written notice.  Once both are received from an active military tenant, Scott Properties will allow the lease to be terminated early with no penalty.

When a security deposit is paid to hold a property and you change your mind and decide not to rent the property,  you will forfeit the security deposit.  When you pay a security deposit to hold a property, Scott Properties immediately stops advertising & marketing the property.  The security deposit forfeit will assist in covering the cost of the extended time that the property will sit vacant and will also help cover the cost of having to restart the entire marketing process to include advertising, screening new prospects, property showings, etc.

If you are living with a roommate(s), and your roommate(s) wishes to move out you will need to immediately contact Scott Properties to make us aware of the situation.  Scott Properties will then send you a “Roommate Release Addendum” that will need to be signed by all the names listed on the current lease agreement.  After the “Roommate Release Addendum” is signed by all the names on the current lease agreement,  then and only then will the roommate be released from their lease obligation. Also keep in mind that once this release addendum is signed the roommate being released from the lease agreement will also forfeit any security deposit money paid at move in.  All the security deposit money will transferred to the remaining tenants at the property.

Of course. You can make a rent payment each month,  or you can set up a recurring rent payment that will auto draft from your checking or savings account each month.  You can access this payment portal 24 X 7 on the Scott Properties website.  Once you access this payment / tenant portal you can check your account balance, view your rental statement, view your payment history and submit maintenance requests.

TENANT PORTAL

No. The lease agreement includes verbiage that prevents any tenant from subleasing a rental property.

Scott Properties will not enter your rental property without giving you the required 24 hour notice unless there is a reported emergency.  If you place a work order with Scott Properties, we will contact you to schedule a day and time to complete the maintenance request.  Scott Properties will also enter the property to conduct a minimum of two property evaluations per year.  You will get an email and a letter through the United Postal Service (USPS) to let you know what month we will conduct the evaluations.  You don’t have to be present at these evaluations, but we give you the option of scheduling a specific day and time if you desire.

Scott Properties will only accept co-signers for FULL time students only. Each student applying for student housing will have to have a parent or other immediate family member co-sign on their behalf. Each student will need to complete a separate application with the co-signer as the co-applicant.  

Yes, but only on select homes that are identified as Section 8 Gov’t Housing.  If the home is identified as Section 8 Gov’t Housing, your Section 8 monthly voucher amount must cover 100% of the monthly rent amount.  Example:  If the Section 8 home of interest rents for $800.00 a month, your monthly gov’t voucher amount would need to be a minimum of $800.00 per month.

YES. Once your application is approved, and you sign your lease agreement, your account will be charged a $60.00 Administration Fee.  This fee must be paid before we release the keys on your move-in day.  This administration fee covers the cost of your account set-up, preparation of your lease agreement and other cost associated with the move in process.

The decision on whether or not to allow pets at a particular rental property is made by the property owner.  Scott Properties then enters into a contractual agreement with the property owners which includes the agreed upon pet policy.  All of our pet friendly properties will NOT allow a full grown pet that weighs more than 25 LBS.  If pets are allowed, a non-refundable $350.00 pet fee is required. If notification or discovery of an unauthorized pet is reported or found on the premises, this finding and lease violation will result in an immediate 30-day notice to vacate the property. If you have a registered service dog, your healthcare provider will need to complete the REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS VERIFICATION FORM and you will need to complete the SERVICE / ASSISTIVE / EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST form found on our website.  A service animal will not be approved until all required forms are received back from the applicant and the applicants healthcare provider.  Two of the applicant forms can be found on our website behind the tenant resources tab located at  https://www.propertymanagementcompanycharleston.com/tenant-resources. 

Yes.  All of our rental agreements have a military clause.  Any active military tenant able to provide Scott Properties with permanent orders to relocate to another station that is more than 50 miles from the current station location will be released from their lease agreement obligation.  A copy of these permanent relocation orders would need to be sent to Scott Properties along with a minimum 30 day written notice.  Once both of these items are received from an active military tenant,  Scott Properties will allow the lease to be terminated early with no penalty.

After you submit the application to Scott Properties you will be prompted to:

1. Pay a $50.00 application fee. Keep in mind that we will not start the application process until this $50.00 fee is paid. IMPORTANT NOTES: All adults intending to live in the property must submit an individual application and pay the $50.00 application fee, this also includes each student in our student housing homes. Application Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. As a very small token of our appreciation for service to our country, we waive the application fee for all ACTIVE military. Occupants under the age of 21 years of age, living in the home with another family member, are also exempt from having to pay an application fee.

2. Upload or fax a copy of your Driver’s License (Valid Gov’t Issued Photo ID)

3. Upload or fax (1) month most recent pay check stubs. If you are self employed, instead of pay check stubs, you will need to upload your last two years of tax returns. IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that you and your spouse have different last names listed on your Driver’s Licenses, a copy of your marriage certificate will need to be provided in order to combine income, credit reports and rental history.

We will do a background check, credit check, check previous rental history, verify employment and verify income. The criteria that would cause an application to be automatically declined are:

1. Net income (after taxes) is less than three times (3X) the rental amount

2. Any eviction filings in the last 5 years

3. Any unpaid balances due to previous landlords

4. Credit score lower than 560

5. Unsatisfactory references

6. Violent felonies in the last 7 years

7. Foreclosure or Bankruptcy filings in the last 7 years

8. Less than two years of you paying a comparable rent amount or mortgage amount for the rental home you are applying for

9. Unqualified occupants and / or pets can also be a reason for and application denial

Per our lease agreements, a 60 day written notice to vacate a rental property is required. This 60 day notice can be sent through regular mail, by email or input through your tenant portal. Once this 60 day notice is received by a Scott Properties staff member, you will receive a confirmation email, along with a copy of your MOVE OUT INSTRUCTIONS. If you do not receive this confirmation email along with the move out instructions from Scott Properties, please call us at (843) 972-9008, Ext 4. This move out instructions document will provide you with a list of everything that you are responsible for completing prior to vacating the property.  Any items not completed on the checklist prior to move out will be completed by Scott Properties vendor.  The cost of any and all incomplete checklist items will be deducted from the tenants security deposit. A copy of the move out instructions can also be found on the Scott Properties of Charleston website by clicking on the “Tenant Services” tab on our HOME page.  After you open the “Tenant Services” folder simply click on the “Documents – Tenant” tab where you will find a downloadable version of the move out instructions.

A month to month rental option is NOT permitted under any terms of the Residential Rental Agreement.

In order to view one of our available rental properties you must register for a GROUP property showing on the Scott Properties of Charleston website. How do you do this? From the Scott Properties website at www.ScottRentsCharleston.com,  find the property of interest and click on it from the Available Property page. Towrds the bottom of the page you will see  SCHEDULE SHOWING button.  After clicking on this button, you will need to complete the short registration form to set up your property showing. IF YOU DON’T REGISTER ON OUR WEBSITE TO SEE A PROPERTY WE WILL BE UNAWARE OF YOUR DESIRE TO VIEW THE PROPERTY. The property showing form that you complete and receive back via email,  is your confirmation and our verification that you will be at the property at the designated showing day and time.

It is important to note that we have between 30 – 40 available rental home showings each week in the Charleston County area. Some of the properties are vacant and others are occupied by property owners or tenants.  As a result of this demanding showing schedule and the coordination challenges for our owner and tenant occupied properties, these are the two primary reasons for our reservation style tour schedule.  For security & liability reasons, we do supervised property showings in our occupied homes.  It is very important that you make your reservation at least 4 hours before the tour time so that the agent showing the property has ample notice of your desire to see a property. It is also important to note that property showings last for 15 minutes so it’s very important that you arrive on time to prevent you from having to register again to see the property at a later date. 

You can, at any time, submit a Maintenance Request through the Tenant Portal on the Scott Properties of Charleston website. Simply click on the MAINTENANCE REQUEST button on our home page.  Once you log into your tenant portal you will see folders at the top of the page. One of these folders is labeled WORK ORDERS.  After you click on the work order folder you will see all the open and closed work orders that you have sent us.  You will also see, at the top left of this folder, a link labeled “ENTER A NEW WORK ORDER“.  Simply complete the work order form and Scott Properties will contact the appropriate vendor to make all necessary repairs.

IMPORTANT: In order for Scott Properties to take action on any maintenance request, a work order must be submitted through the on-line tenant portal.  The work order form is short and won’t take but a couple of minutes to complete. Please make sure that form is complete which will make for a faster response time.  Upon receipt of the completed work order form, we will contact the appropriate vendor to make all necessary repairs

A security deposit is a sum of money equal to one months rent,  paid to Scott Properties of Charleston prior to the move in date. This amount is paid in addition to the monthly rental amount, and the security deposit is held in an escrow account until move out.  Your security deposit is the final step in securing your rental home once your application is approved.

The security deposit will be refunded no later than 30 days after the lease expiration date.  If, at move out, charges are incurred for cleaning, property damages, etc., theses charges will be deducted from the security deposit.  The security deposit refund will be mailed to the forwarding address that you provide to Scott Properties at move out.  If no forwarding address is provided, Scott Properties will send the deposit refund letter and refund check to the last known address on file, which will be the address of the rental property that was managed by Scott Properties.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Policy for the Achievement of Equal Housing Opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support a program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Handicap, Familial Status, or National Origin.

If you have a registered service dog, your healthcare provider will need to complete a REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS VERIFICATION FORM and you will need to complete the SERVICE / ASSISTIVE / EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST forms found on our website.  A service animal will not be approved until all required forms are received back from the applicant and the applicants healthcare provider.  Both of these require forms can be found on our website behind the tenant resources tab located at  https://www.propertymanagementcompanycharleston.com/tenant-resources.

Utility and Maintenance Reduction Program (HVAC Filters): HVAC filter(s) will be delivered to your front door step every 90 days under the Second Nature Utility and Maintenance Reduction Program. Tenant shall properly install the filter(s) that is provided within two (2) days of receipt. Tenant hereby acknowledges that the filter(s) will be dated and subject to inspection by Landlord upon reasonable notice to verify replacement has been made timely. Non-compliance could result in a 30 day notice to vacate. Tenant’s failure to properly and timely replace the filter(s) is a breach of this agreement and Manager shall be entitled to exercise all rights and remedies it has against Tenant and Tenant shall be liable to Landlord for all damages to the property or HVAC system caused by Tenant’s neglect or misuse.

Utility Concierge Service: Citizen Home Solutions is a third party service coordinator that will start your utility services including water, electricity, gas and internet/cable/satellite service on your behalf. They will call you soon after you sign your lease. It is your responsibility to ensure all utilities are in your name at the start of the Lease. If you do not hear from Citizen Home Solutions in a time that suits you, feel free to call them to set up an appointment at 1-877-528-3824.

Renters Insurance Policy: Renters Insurance is not optional and all tenants who rent a property with Scott Properties must have a valid / current renters insurance policy. If you already have a Renters Insurance Policy in place, you will need to provide Scott Properties with proof of coverage prior to your move in date. If you don’t have a current renters insurance policy, the execution of the Renters Insurance Policy will be handled by Larry Hutto – State Farm Insurance Agency. Upon execution of this addendum, a representative from Larry Hutto – State Farm Insurance Agency will contact you to set up your Renters Insurance Policy. The binding of all Renters Insurance policies will be done on the 1st day of each month. For information on Larry Hutto – State Farm Insurance Agency please visit their website at https://www.LarryHutto.net/.

24 Hour Call Center / Online Maintenance Request: You can call to speak with a representative or submit a maintenance request online through your portal 24 / 7. In the Midlands you can call us at (803) 951-0702, Ext 3 and in the Charleston area you can call us at (843) 352-8413, Ext 3.

Multiple Payment Options: Pay online through your portal on the Scott Properties website for FREE with a bank account. You can also pay your rent at select Walmart locations and no processing fees will be charged.

Tenant Portal (Free online Rent Payments & MORE): Access all your leasing documents, account balances, account ledger, payment history, submit rent payment and more 24 / 7. NOTE: There will be a $1.00 processing fee charged to you for all checks, cashier’s checks and money orders.

Equifax, TransUnion & Experian Rent Bureau Reporting: Help build your credit and rental history through automated reporting on time rent payments.

One Time Waiver of Late Fee: Life can get hectic sometimes and a small oversight financially can cause big problems. We understand things happen so we will waive one NSF for the entire tenancy not including the move in funds.

Virtual Move In – This self move-in process will prevent us from getting in your way at move-in time. When you arrive at the property on your move-in day you can move-in immediately without having to wait for us to complete the move-in evaluation. Tenants have found this process to be convenient and efficient.

We will do a background check, credit check, check previous rental history, verify employment and verify income. The criteria that would cause an application to be automatically declined are:

1. Net income (after taxes) less than three times (3X) the rental amount

2. Any eviction filings in the last 5 years

3. Any unpaid balances due to previous landlords

4. Credit score lower than 520

5. Unsatisfactory references

6. Violent felonies in the last 7 years

7. Foreclosure or Bankruptcy filings in the last 7 years

8. Less than two years of you paying a comparable rent amount or mortgage amount for the rental home you are applying for

9. Unqualified occupants and / or pets can also be a reason for an application denial

Rent is due on the 1st and late on the 6th day of each month.  If rent is not received by midnight on the 5th, a $50 late fee will be charged on the 6th.  If rent is still not received by midnight on the 10th of each month, an additional $100 late fee will be charged on the 11th. Evictions will be filed on the 15th day of every month if rent is not received, in hand, by the office. If the 15th falls on a weekend, or holiday, evictions will be filed on the next business day.

If you want to move into one of our properties within 1-2 business days of signing a lease there is a Move-In Rush Fee of $150.00.  This fee is charged because a move-in within this short time frame requires that we rearrange our already set move-in schedule to accomadate your move-in needs.  This shortened time frame also requires that we fast forward all that is required of us to make sure the home is in move-in condition and to perform the necessary move-in inspection.

Under no circumstances can rent be withheld for lack of repairs to a property.  A tenant is also under no circumstances allowed to make home repairs and deduct the cost of these repairs from the rent payment.  The Landlord Tenant Act protects tenants against a landlord who refuses to make repairs to a property.  Tenants are required to put the identified repair(s) in writing to the landlord and the landlord is required to make all necessary repairs within 14 days. Failure of the landlord to make the identified repairs within the required 14 day time-frame could result in a non-penalty rental agreement termination and the landlord could also be held liable for money damages.

At most of the properties that we manage, the tenant is responsible for all utilities, lawn care and pest control services. However, a few of our properties may include select utilities services and other add on services. Please check with our office to verify what services are included in the monthly rent amount.

After you submit the application to Scott Properties you will be prompted to:

1. Pay a $50.00 application fee. Keep in mind that we will not start the application process until this $50.00 fee is paid. IMPORTANT NOTES: All adults intending to live in the property must submit an individual application and pay the $50.00 application fee, this also includes each student in our student housing homes. Application Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. As a very small token of our appreciation for service to our country, we waive the application fee for all ACTIVE military. Occupants under the age of 21 years of age, living in the home with another family member, are also exempt from having to pay an application fee.

2. Upload or fax a copy of your Driver’s License (Valid Gov’t Issued Photo ID)

3. Upload or fax (1) month most recent pay check stubs. If you are self employed, instead of pay check stubs, you will need to upload your last two years of tax returns. IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that you and your spouse have different last names listed on your Driver’s Licenses, a copy of your marriage certificate will need to be provided in order to combine income, credit reports and rental history.

We will do a background check, credit check, check previous rental history, verify employment and verify income. The criteria that would cause an application to be automatically declined are:

1. Net income (after taxes) is less than three times (3X) the rental amount

2. Any eviction filings in the last 5 years

3. Any unpaid balances due to previous landlords

4. Credit score lower than 520

5. Unsatisfactory references

6. Violent felonies in the last 7 years

7. Foreclosure or Bankruptcy filings in the last 7 years

8. Less than two years of you paying a comparable rent amount or mortgage amount for the rental home you are applying for

9. Unqualified occupants and / or pets can also be a reason for and application denial

Once a tenant is found for your property you will need to contact your insurance company to make them aware that you will be renting out your home.  You will need to change your current Home Owners Insurance Policy to a Landlord Insurance Policy.  The landlord insurance policy will include verbiage that will protect you against anything that could happen while the tenant resides in your home.  Normally the cost of a Landlord Insurance Policy is about the same or less than you are paying now because you are no longer required to insure your personal household goods. You will also need to add Scott Properties of Charleston as the additional insured on the policy since the lease agreement will be between tenant and Scott Properties.

When you make the decision to rent your home, you are making the decision to turn your property into a business. So in order to run an effective property investment business, you will need to hire a Property Manager who will manage all aspects of your property and make most, if not all, the decisions on your behalf. With all the management and decision-making responsibilities comes a huge amount of liability for all parties involved to include the management company, insurance company, tenants and property owners. Once you switch your homeowner’s insurance policy to a Landlord (Rental Home) Policy you will need to add Scott Properties as the additional insured because it gives you and Scott Properties another layer of insurance protection at no additional cost. Most insurance companies encourage homeowners, who carry a Landlord Policy, to add their Property Manager as the additional insured because of the liability exposure.

As a side note, keep in mind that Scott Properties also requires all tenants to carry Renter’s Insurance. This Renter’s Insurance requirement also serves an additional layer of liability coverage for you, the property owner.

The tenant lease agreement / terms will be subdivided into three (3) individual twelve (12) month periods. The first, second and third year periods shall be of one-year duration, beginning on the date immediately following the date that the prior period expires.  In short, the lease agreement will auto-renew every twelve (12) month period unless we receive from the tenants a notice to vacate the premises sixty (60) days prior to the end of any of these three individual 12 month periods. A copy of a tenant rental agreement can be found behind the “Tenant Services” tab under “Tenant Documents” on the Scott Properties home page.

Before Scott Properties of Charleston starts advertising and marketing your home, we will complete a comprehensive rent comparison on similar homes currently renting in your area.  Scott Properties will recommend a lower and upper end rent range.  We recommend starting within the range and we will monitor prospective tenant activity before lowering the monthly rental amount.  When we start advertising your property, as long as the phones are ringing and we are showing your property we will find a qualified renter.  If the phones aren’t ringing and we have little to no activity on your home that tells us that the monthly rent price is too high.  Once we start the advertising and marketing of your property, we will monitor the phone and website activity and provide recommendations.

DON’T PAY MORE FEES FOR LESS MANAGEMENT. The cost is very fee simple.  If Scott Properties has to market and advertise a vacant home in an effort to find a new, qualified tenant, the property owner will be charged a $500.00 marketing & advertising fee. Property owners will not pay this fee upfront. This $500.00 marketing and advertising fee will be deducted from the first month’s rent after a qualified tenant is found and the move in of this tenant is successful.

Property owners will pay a 8% management fee to Scott Properties each month….8% of the gross monthly rent collected for the month. If a monthly rent payment is not collected from the tenant the property owner is not responsible for the management fee for that month. The management fee would resume when monthly payments commence.

We require owners that have a property with a swimming pool, to have a professional pool company maintain the pool after the tenant moves in. This will ensure that the pool is maintained properly during the lease term. This will also prevent us from having to train a tenant on the required pool maintenance.  We also recommend that the pool open and close the same as any community pool.  We will open the pool on an agreed upon day each year and the pool will close, and will be covered, on an agreed upon day each year.

Unlike most property management companies, Scott Properties of Charleston will conduct a minimum of two property evaluations per year. These evaluations are typically done every five (5) months. The results of these evaluations will be documented and sent to the property owners & tenants. If we walk through the property and there are evaluation findings, we will document our findings and set up a re-evaluation date within 30 to 45 days. The purpose of the re-evaluation is to verify that all TENANT RESPONSIBLE findings were handled within the required time frames. The tenant will be responsible for the cost of all items identified as tenant responsibility. The results of these follow-up evaluations will also be sent to the property owners and tenants for review. In some cases Scott Properties will identify OWNER RESPONSIBILITY repairs which will be notated on the evaluation report. IMPORTANT NOTE:  Scott Properties does not charge an additional fee for these evaluations. These evaluations are a part of the management services that we offer to all of our property owners.  

The owner portal is one of the many benefits of doing business with Scott Properties.  Scott Properties provides all property owners with real time, 24 X 7 access to their personal itemized profit & loss reports. Owners also have access to end of year tax forms and repair invoices through this same portal.  All these reports, statements, invoices and other documents are printable and will assist property owners with completing  their  monthly, quarterly & year end book keeping and accounting.  A required year end 1099 tax form can also be accessed through this owner web portal.  Instructions on how to set up this web portal will be provided at the time the management agreement is executed.

Prior to moving into a Scott Properties rental home, the tenant is required to pay a security deposit equal to the monthly rent amount.  This security deposit will sit in an escrow account until the tenant moves out.  When the tenant moves out we will do a thorough walk through evaluation once the property is empty.  If repairs or cleaning are required to get the home in rentable condition, the cost for these items will be deducted from the tenant’s security deposit and any remaining monies refunded to the tenant.

Yes. At the time your account is set up with Scott Properties you would simply provide us with the Warranty Company Name, Warranty Company Contact Number and your Warranty Claim Number.  When a tenant submits a maintenance request, your home warranty company will be our first point of contact for any and all repairs.  After the work is completed, the warranty company will send Scott Properties the invoice and we will pay the invoice on your behalf.  The cost for these repairs will be subtracted from the rent collected for that month.

Yes. If you would like to walk your property while the tenant is residing there, we highly recommend that you walk through the property with a Scott Properties representative.  The walk through would require us to give the tenant a minimum of a 24 hour notice to let them know when we will access the property.

Scott Properties is responsible for the coordination of all the day to day home maintenance & repairs. Scott Properties has established an agreement with all the necessary contractors to ensure fast, reliable and affordable repair services. All contractors are licensed, bonded and insured. Property owner approval will be required for all EMERGENCY maintenance & repairs over $250.00. This approval amount of $250.00 can be increased as requested by the property owner. It is not necessary for Scott Properties and the property owners to exchange money for needed repairs.  The cost of repairs will be deducted from the rent amount collected for the month.

If the tenant rent payments are not received by the 5th day of the month, Scott Properties will begin the collection process.  If payment isn’t received by the 6th, the tenant will be charged a late fee.  If rent payments are not received by the 11th day of the month, Scott Properties will charge the tenant the second level of late fees.  If payment isn’t received from the tenant by the 15th of each month the eviction process will begin.  Partial rent payments are not accepted in any form. Scott Properties is responsible for  filing all eviction paperwork and attending court proceedings if necessary. The tenant will be charged a $125.00 eviction administrative fee which covers eviction filing fees, administrative cost and court cost.  Scott Properties will always initially charge the tenant for all magistrate filings.  If the tenant is evicted from the property and Scott Properties is unable to collect these eviction administrative fees from the tenant, $50.00 of the $125.00 will be moved to the property owner register.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Policy for the Achievement of Equal Housing Opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support a program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Handicap, Familial Status, or National Origin.

If you have a registered service dog, your healthcare provider will need to complete a REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS VERIFICATION FORM and you will need to complete the SERVICE / ASSISTIVE / EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST forms found on our website.  A service animal will not be approved until all required forms are received back from the applicant and the applicants healthcare provider.  Both of these require forms can be found on our website behind the tenant resources tab located at  https://www.propertymanagementcompanycharleston.com/tenant-resources.

This may vary based on the agreement that Scott Properties has with the property owner.  Unless exceptions are made, the tenant is responsible for all utilities, lawn maintenance and pest control.  Utilities would include electric, water, sewer, gas and garbage collection.

Scott Properties specializes in the management of middle to high end residential properties with rent amounts ranging from $1200.00 to $8,500.00 per month.

Utility and Maintenance Reduction Program (HVAC Filters): HVAC filter(s) will be delivered to your front door step every 90 days under the Second Nature Utility and Maintenance Reduction Program. Tenant shall properly install the filter(s) that is provided within two (2) days of receipt. Tenant hereby acknowledges that the filter(s) will be dated and subject to inspection by Landlord upon reasonable notice to verify replacement has been made timely. Non-compliance could result in a 30 day notice to vacate. Tenant’s failure to properly and timely replace the filter(s) is a breach of this agreement and Manager shall be entitled to exercise all rights and remedies it has against Tenant and Tenant shall be liable to Landlord for all damages to the property or HVAC system caused by Tenant’s neglect or misuse.

Utility Concierge Service: Citizen Home Solutions is a third party service coordinator that will start your utility services including water, electricity, gas and internet/cable/satellite service on your behalf. They will call you soon after you sign your lease. It is your responsibility to ensure all utilities are in your name at the start of the Lease. If you do not hear from Citizen Home Solutions in a time that suits you, feel free to call them to set up an appointment at 1-877-528-3824.

Renters Insurance Policy: Renters Insurance is not optional and all tenants who rent a property with Scott Properties must have a valid / current renters insurance policy. If you already have a Renters Insurance Policy in place, you will need to provide Scott Properties with proof of coverage prior to your move in date. If you don’t have a current renters insurance policy, the execution of the Renters Insurance Policy will be handled by First Carolina Insurance Company. Upon execution of this addendum, a representative from First Carolina Insurance Company will contact you to set up your Renters Insurance Policy. The binding of all Renters Insurance policies will be done on the 1st day of each month. For information on First Carolina Insurance Company please visit their website at https://www.firstcarolinainsurance.com.

24 Hour Call Center / Online Maintenance Request: You can call to speak with a representative or submit a maintenance request online through your portal 24 / 7. In the Midlands you can call us at (803) 951-0702, Ext 3 and in the Charleston area you can call us at (843) 212-9672, Ext 3.

Multiple Payment Options: Pay online through your portal on the Scott Properties website for FREE with a bank account. You can also pay your rent at select Walmart locations and no processing fees will be charged.

Tenant Portal (Free online Rent Payments & MORE): Access all your leasing documents, account balances, account ledger, payment history, submit rent payment and more 24 / 7. NOTE: There will be a $1.00 processing fee charged to you for all checks, cashier’s checks and money orders.

Equifax, TransUnion & Experian Rent Bureau Reporting: Help build your credit and rental history through automated reporting on time rent payments.

One Time Waiver of Late Fee: Life can get hectic sometimes and a small oversight financially can cause big problems. We understand things happen so we will waive one NSF for the entire tenancy not including the move in funds.

Virtual Move In – This self move-in process will prevent us from getting in your way at move-in time. When you arrive at the property on your move-in day you can move-in immediately without having to wait for us to complete the move-in evaluation. Tenants have found this process to be convenient and efficient.

Scott Properties runs every prospective tenant through an Artificial Intelligence Tenant Screening Platform. We will NOT, under any circumstances, move a tenant into your home until the tenant is approved based on the results of a list of qualifying criteria.  This criteria includes the review of a credit report, employment verification, income verification, debt to income analysis, previous rental history check & a criminal background check. Once all this information is obtained, Scott Properties will review in detail and make a yes or no decision on whether or not to approve the application.  Once a tenant application is approved, a representative with Scott Properties will call you to answer any questions that you may have concerning the new tenant.

Our territory includes the South Carolina counties of Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester. Scott Properties manages homes for property owners located all around the world.

Scott Properties manages a wide variety of property types including, single family, town homes, duplexes, triplexes, patio homes and condos. Scott Properties specializes in middle to high end rental residential properties.

We will do a background check, credit check, check previous rental history, verify employment and verify income. The criteria that would cause an application to be automatically declined are:

1. Net income (after taxes) less than three times (3X) the rental amount

2. Any eviction filings in the last 5 years

3. Any unpaid balances due to previous landlords

4. Credit score lower than 520

5. Unsatisfactory references

6. Violent felonies in the last 7 years

7. Foreclosure or Bankruptcy filings in the last 7 years

8. Less than two years of you paying a comparable rent amount or mortgage amount for the rental home you are applying for

9. Unqualified occupants and / or pets can also be a reason for an application denial

All property owners will be paid via Direct Deposit no later than the 28th day of each month.  If the 28th happens to fall on a weekend then the payout will be done on the Friday before the weekend or holiday.

Depending on your home location and home type, Scott Properties of Charleston will pick and choose from the below advertising media. Once the advertising is posted for all selected media, the advertising is re-posted each week to ensure that the ads stay fresh. Scott Properties will also utilize some unique marketing & advertising tactics that will maximize our ability to find good, qualified tenants as quickly as possible.

• Scott Properties of Charleston Website
• Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN.com)
• Trulia.com
• HotPads.com
• AOL Real Estate
• MSN Real Estate
• Yahoo! Homes
• HGTV Front Door
• Zillow
• Oodle
• Vast
• Enormo
• Rent.Com
• Yard & Directional Signage