Moving in

The following describes the entire process of moving in to an apartment at West Main Flats from application through receiving the keys for your apartment.

1. Applying

• You and all your co-tenants and/or cosigners (if you have any) EACH submit an online application through an available apartment listing found on the website. Even husbands and wives must each submit their own application. You each must include all supporting documents (proof of income like a recent pay stub or tax document and photo ID like a driver’s license or passport) and fees with your application.  We will not start processing applications until ALL co-tenants in a group have submitted their applications.
• All applications in a group (including any cosigner applications) must be submitted within a week of each other to be considered. If after a week, there are still missing applications in a group and/or missing documents such as proof of income, we may cancel your application.
• Once we have received ALL the applications in your group (all co-tenants and/or cosigners if you have any) and ALL the documents requested to complete the applications, we will process your application within 3 business days.
• More info on applying can be found in our “How Do I Apply” section

2. Approval

Once your application is complete (all applications in your group are complete) we will contact you within 3 business days either by email or phone call with a status update.  If you are approved, we will contact you by phone to go over the details and next steps to reserve your apartment.   This will include but is not limited to the following;

• Confirm the amount of the security deposit which must be paid in the form of a money order or cashier’s check. Payment in the form of a personal check is not accepted for the security deposit.
• Confirm the date that we will need to receive the security deposit. Our policy is that the security deposit must be paid within TWO BUSINESS DAYS of the approval phone call. If the security deposit is not paid by this date, the apartment may be offered to another applicant. Security deposits can be dropped off at the office during normal business hours or dropped off into a rent drop box after hours.   If you are out of town, we will need you to email us a picture of the security deposit within two business days to reserve your apartment.  Then you can send the deposit to us via USPS first class mail.
• Confirm the specific unit you will be renting, and the start and end dates of the lease.  We normally have all leases end on the 31^st of May.
• Confirm the monthly rent & the date the rent charge begins. The rent charge begins the first day the lease starts.  You will be responsible for paying rent starting on the lease start date, even if you decide to move in on a date after the lease start.   If the lease start date is not on the first of the month, the rent may be pro-rated for that month. Then, after the first prorated month, rent will be due on the 1^st of each month for the remainder of your lease.
• Discuss the renters insurance requirement. We require all tenants to be covered by some form of liability renter’s insurance so you will need to provide proof of renter’s insurance coverage for the apartment. If you do not provide proof of your own renters insurance policy by the lease start date you will by default be enrolled in a liability only coverage plan for $10.50/mth which will be automatically added to your monthly rent charge. 

• Explain that we are an Experian RentBureau community which allows your payment of rent to be reported to a credit agency allowing you to build credit for paying your rent. More information on this program can be found here.

After we have discussed the points above on the phone with at least one of the approved applicants, we will send all tenants and cosigners and email confirming all the points we have described above in writing.

3. Lease Signing

Once we receive the security deposit, we begin an electronic lease signing process. Each tenant and cosigner (if you have one) will receive an email from our Tenant Portal Activation System with a link to set up a tenant portal.  You will each find the lease in your respective tenant portals.   Because we do online lease signing, all tenants and cosigners must have their own portal.  You cannot share a portal and you CANNOT sign documents through another person’s portal.   You will be able to access your lease, pay rent, request maintenance, check your ledger and do other tasks through your tenant portal. We use AppFolio and they have a free mobile app for the tenant portal that works with both Apple & Droid devices.

4. Move in Day
   We'll schedule a 30 minute check in appointment for your move in day. Please note that move in days need to be scheduled on week days. We cannot accommodate weekend move ins. At your check in appointment, we'll do the following:

• Collect the first month’s rent and insurance charge (if you do not provide proof of renter’s insurance).
• Review important parts of the lease and West Main Flats protocols with you, give you your parking permits, sign out your apartment and mail keys and give you the laundry room code.
• Review the Condition of Premises Report with you and do a walk through of the unit so that we can make sure that we agree on the condition of the unit, including cleanliness and any damages, as you will be responsible to return the unit in the same clean condition when you vacate.

We request that all tenants who will be living in the unit be present for the check in appointment.

5. Setting up Internet Service

A basic high speed internet service through Xtreme Communications is included in your monthly rent. Tenants are given set up instructions before move in and can contact Xtreme Communications at (406) 920-2045 with any questions at the move in date.

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