Tenant FAQs & Tips

A constantly running toilet is usually a faulty flapper or fill valve. To prevent water waste, high bills, or overflow until maintenance arrives:

1. Shut off the toilet valve (preferred). Find the valve behind or beside the toilet where the water line comes out of the wall, and turn it clockwise (to the right) until it stops. Do not force a stuck valve; contact maintenance if it will not turn easily. Avoid using the toilet until it is repaired.
2. No toilet valve? Shut off the main water shutoff valve. Look for it near the hot water heater, or on an inside wall where the main water line enters the house, often in the basement, crawl space, or utility room. Turn it clockwise until it stops (or turn a lever handle a quarter turn so it sits crosswise to the pipe), then let us know so we can prioritize your repair.
3. As a last resort: if water is overflowing and you cannot shut it off, call the City of Lawrence water department at (785) 832-7800 and tell them the meter needs to be shut off due to an emergency (the meter is usually near the curb or sidewalk).

Most run-on or weak-fill toilet problems come down to a couple of simple parts inside the tank that you can check yourself. Lift off the tank lid, set it somewhere safe and flat, and look inside while you flush.

Toilet keeps running

• Flapper not sealing. The rubber flapper at the bottom of the tank should drop and seal after each flush. If it is warped, dirty, or held up by a tangled chain, water keeps leaking into the bowl and the fill valve keeps topping off. Jiggle the handle - if the running stops, the flapper wasn't seating. Give the chain a little slack (about a half inch) and make sure it isn't caught under the flapper.
• Chain too tight or too loose. Too tight holds the flapper open; too loose can fold under it. Adjust it so the flapper closes all the way.
• Water spilling into the overflow tube. If water is running into the open vertical tube in the middle of the tank, the level is set too high - see the fill level below.
• Quick leak test: put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 10 to 15 minutes without flushing. If color shows up in the bowl, the flapper is leaking.

Won't fill enough, or fills too much

• The tall part on the left is the fill valve; it refills the tank and shuts off at a set level. Most have a float you can adjust: turn the adjustment screw or slide the float clip down to lower the water level (fills less) or up to raise it (fills more). The right level is about an inch below the top of the overflow tube.
• If the tank barely fills or fills very slowly, make sure the shut-off valve on the wall is fully open(turned all the way counter-clockwise); a partly closed valve starves the fill.

These are quick, no-cost checks. If the toilet still runs, won't fill, or you would rather not adjust the parts, submit a maintenance request and we'll replace the flapper or fill valve. To stop water waste in the meantime, see how to shut off the toilet valve.

Any water leak is urgent. Stop the water first, then submit a maintenance request.

How to shut off the water

1. Leak at a toilet or sink? Turn the small valve behind the toilet or under the sink clockwise until it stops.
2. Otherwise, shut off the main water shutoff valve. Look for it near the hot water heater, or on an inside wall where the main water line enters the house, often in the basement, crawl space, or utility room on the side of the home facing the street. Turn a round handle clockwise until it stops, or turn a lever handle a quarter turn so it sits crosswise to the pipe.
3. As a last resort, call the City of Lawrence water department at (785) 832-7800 and tell them the meter needs to be shut off due to an emergency. The meter is usually near the curb or sidewalk.

While waiting for help, set your thermostat fan to "on" or "constant" to help dehumidify, and set up a drying fan if you have one. Plumbers are not always available immediately during high-demand weather events, but we get them out as soon as possible.

You can stop the water to a single toilet or sink without shutting off the whole house, using the small fixture shut-off valve (also called an angle stop or supply stop) right at that fixture. Do this to stop a drip or leak until maintenance can repair it.

Toilet

Look for a small oval or football-shaped handle on the water line coming out of the wall behind or below the left side of the tank. Turn it clockwise (to the right) until it stops. That shuts off the toilet only.

Sink (bathroom or kitchen)

Open the cabinet under the sink and find the two valves on the supply lines running up to the faucet - hot on the left, cold on the right. Turn the one you need (or both, for a dripping faucet) clockwise until it stops.

No valve, or it won't turn?

Some older homes don't have fixture valves, and an old valve can be stuck. Don't force it - shut off the main water valve instead, or as a last resort call the City of Lawrence water department at (785) 832-7800 to shut the meter in an emergency.

Once the water is off (or if you can't stop it), submit a maintenance request right away so we can fix the leak.

Start with the water department, not a maintenance request. Ask Utility Billing to review your daily or hourly usage readings; the meters record when water actually flows, so they can usually help pinpoint whether something is running continuously (like a toilet or a dripping faucet) or the bill just reflects normal usage for your household. In Lawrence, contact Utility Billing at utilitybilling [at] lawrenceks.org, call (785) 832-7878, or visit lawrenceks.gov/utility-billing/service.

Step 1: check every water device in and around the home

Walk the whole house and yard before anything else. Water has to be going somewhere, and most of the time it is a fixture that is quietly running:

• Every toilet - the most common cause by far. A toilet that keeps refilling, hisses, or trickles into the bowl can waste thousands of gallons in a few days without ever overflowing.
• Every sink and faucet, including basement and utility sinks
• Every tub and shower, including a diverter that never fully shuts
• Every exterior faucet and hose bib - plus any hose, sprinkler, or soaker line left attached and running
• Water heater, washing machine hookups, and any water softener

Step 2: the main shut-off valve test

This is the test that tells you where the water is going. Shut off the main water shut-off valve for the house, then go read your meter and watch whether it is still moving.

• Meter stops with the valve closed? The water is being used somewhere inside the home - go back to Step 1, and submit a maintenance request for whatever fixture you suspect.
• Meter keeps running with the valve closed? That points to a leak in the underground line between the meter and the house. See Step 4 - that one is ours.

You do not have to do this alone. Call the city at (785) 832-7878 and ask them to walk you through the process - they do this regularly and can help you read the meter correctly. Where is my main water shut-off valve?

Step 3: if a fixture is the problem, send us a maintenance request

Suspect a running toilet, a leaking faucet, or a leaking shower or tub? Submit a maintenance request and tell us what you found and what the city told you. Repairs to fixtures like these are on us - the sooner it is reported, the smaller the next bill.

Step 4: if the meter runs with the house valve off

Only when the meter keeps running with the main shut-off valve closed do we have a real reason to suspect a break in the exterior line between the meter and the house. At that point Location Properties will send a plumber to investigate the underground line. Submit a maintenance request or a contact form saying you ran the shut-off test and the meter kept moving, and we will get it scheduled.

We ask for that test result first because digging up an exterior line is expensive and slow, and the overwhelming majority of high bills turn out to be a running toilet that takes a few minutes to fix.

Getting the bill itself reduced

If a leak caused a one-time spike, we recommend submitting a leak adjustment form to the city; the Lawrence leak adjustment form is here. You can also sign up for levelized billing, where each monthly payment is the rolling average of your last 12 months of bills.

An outside faucet (also called a spigot or hose bib) is plumbed into the unit it is attached to, so the water it uses shows up on that unit's water bill - in most cases, the tenant living in the unit the faucet is mounted on.

Because of that, in most of our multi-unit buildings we have already removed the spigot handles so nobody can run water on a neighbor's bill.

Worried someone else is using a spigot you pay for? Submit a maintenance request and we will remove the handle or put a lock on it. The same goes if you notice a handle has been added to a spigot on your unit at some point - tell us and we will take care of it.

A dripping or running outside faucet also raises the bill - see what to check when a water bill seems too high.

Our leases explain that tenants are responsible for clearing interior drains, because clogs are most often caused by hair and other items that go down the drain during normal use. Tub, shower, and sink clogs that do not occur within the first 10 days of the lease are considered caused by the tenants, so the cost to clear an interior clog after that is charged back to the tenants.

What is not charged to you

This covers ordinary interior clogs. It is not billed to you when the cause is something you could not have prevented - a main sewer line backup, tree roots in the line, a collapsed or defective pipe, or a clog inside the first 10 days of the lease. Those are the property owner's responsibility.

If more than one fixture is backing up at once, or water comes up in a tub, shower, or floor drain when you run a different fixture, stop running water and call us at (785) 841-7300 right away rather than trying to clear it. That pattern points to the main line, not your drain, and is not something you should be charged for.

Prevent clogs

• Flush only regular toilet paper: no wipes (even "flushable" ones), feminine products, or paper towels, and remind your guests.
• Never pour cooking grease down a sink.
• Large amounts of foods like potato peels or rice clog drains too; put them in the trash instead.

Clear a clog

A hair clog removal liquid from any hardware or grocery store, or a small drain snake, will clear most clogs. For interior drains, a product called InstaFlow (available at Westlake Ace Hardware) works well: wear gloves, run the vent fan to clear the smell, and follow the product instructions. If freezing weather may be the cause, try carefully pouring warm (not boiling) water down the drain first.

If a clog will not clear after treatment, submit a maintenance request, or call (785) 841-7300 extension 714 for drain or sewer line issues, and our maintenance staff can schedule a drain clearing. If the clog is determined to have been caused by the tenants, the service call and cleanup costs are billed to the tenants.

If drains are backing up in the whole building, that can indicate a clogged main sewer line. The landlord pays for clearing main lines for the whole building when the clog was not caused by tenants, so report that right away.

Floor drains have a water trap underneath that blocks sewer gas, and when the trap dries out, odors (and sometimes bugs) can come up the drain. The fix is usually simple:

• Pour a gallon of water down each floor drain to refill the trap.
• Pouring in white vinegar also helps remove odors and inhibits bugs from coming up the drain.
• A small amount of bleach with a half gallon of water is another option.
• Repeat every month or two, since traps dry out again over time, especially in low winter humidity.
• If a sink or toilet goes unused for a while, run or flush it periodically so its trap stays filled with fresh water too.

If the drain looks slimy or has algae-like growth, or it is draining slowly, here is how to clean and unclog a floor drain. If the odor persists after a few days, or the drain stays clogged, submit a maintenance request or call (785) 841-7300 extension 4.

Floor drains sit in damp, low spots - basements, laundry and mechanical rooms, garages, and next to the water heater or furnace - so they can grow a slimy, mildew- or algae-like film and slowly clog with lint, hair, sediment, and soap scum. A little routine cleaning keeps them clear and odor-free.

How to clean and clear it

• Lift off the grate (it usually pulls up or unscrews) and scrub the grate and the drain opening with an old brush and hot, soapy water.
• Flush with hot water to loosen slime and grease.
• Baking soda and vinegar cut buildup and minor clogs: pour in about a cup of baking soda, then a cup or two of white vinegar, let it foam 15 to 20 minutes, and flush with hot water. Repeat if needed.
• For a slimy or algae-like film and odor, about a half cup of bleach in a gallon of water poured down, left a few minutes, and flushed will kill the growth.
• Still slow? A plunger or a wet/dry shop vacuum can pull out stubborn debris.
• When you finish, pour a gallon of water down to refill the trap so sewer gas cannot rise up (see the floor-drain odor FAQ). Cleaning a floor drain once or twice a year keeps it from backing up.

Safety near the water heater and furnace: Floor drains are often right beside the water heater and furnace, which have pilot lights or igniters. Never pour flammable or solvent-based cleaners or drain openers near them - the fumes can ignite. Stick to hot water, baking soda, vinegar, or a little diluted bleach; keep the area ventilated; and never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners, which creates toxic gas.

If the drain stays clogged, water backs up, or it keeps clogging after you clean it, submit a maintenance request or call (785) 841-7300 extension 4 - there may be a deeper blockage in the line.

Fire safety: never store items against or on top of the water heater - keep the area clear for airflow and fire safety.

If you smell gas, leave the building first and call Black Hills Energy at 1 (888) 890-5554 or 911 from outside. Do not relight anything. See gas leak guidance.

Please check these four things before submitting a request. A large share of no-hot-water calls turn out to be one of them, and you would have hot water back tonight instead of waiting on a plumber:

1. Is your gas actually on and in your name? This is the most common cause we see, especially in the first weeks of a lease. If service was never set up or an account lapsed, the gas gets shut off and you lose hot water and heat at the same time. Call Black Hills Energy at 1 (888) 890-5554 to confirm the account is active in your name. See utility activation.
2. Electric water heater? Check the breaker and the reset button. Look for a tripped breaker at the panel and push it fully OFF, then firmly back ON. Many electric heaters also have a small red reset button behind an access panel on the front - press it once. If it trips again right away, stop and tell us.
3. Gas water heater? Look for the pilot or status light. Most have a small window or an LED near the bottom. A steady light usually means it is running; no light or a blinking error code usually means it is out. Newer heaters use sealed electronic ignition and should not be relit by hand. If yours has printed relighting instructions on its label and you are comfortable following them exactly, you may try once. If it will not stay lit, or you are unsure, stop and submit a maintenance request.
4. Is it the whole house or one fixture? If only the shower runs cold but the sinks are fine, the water heater is working and the problem is a failed mixing cartridge or a scald-guard setting in that one valve. That is a much smaller repair, and telling us which it is saves a trip.

Hot water that runs out quickly is a different problem from no hot water at all. It is usually a failed lower heating element on an electric unit, sediment buildup reducing capacity, or a tank sized for fewer people than are living there. Tell us roughly how many minutes of hot water you get and whether it changed suddenly or has always been that way.

Rusty, brown, or smelly hot water that clears when you switch to cold is coming from the water heater and is worth reporting. A rotten-egg smell in the hot water only is usually the anode rod, not the city supply.

Report it immediately, do not wait, if you see water pooling around the base of the tank, hear hissing, or the relief valve is discharging. A leaking water heater can fail suddenly and flood a basement.

When you submit a maintenance request, please tell us whether the unit is gas or electric, what you already checked, and whether you also lost heat. Repairs can take several days, and a full replacement can take a few more business days because the city requires a permit and a licensed plumbing company for installation. We always push the plumbers to move as fast as they can.

In the meantime, carefully warm water in a teapot or cooking pot and pour the warm - not boiling - water into a bathtub or sink so you can wash.

The part that sends water up to the shower head is called the diverter, and different tubs hide it in different places. Start the water at your preferred temperature first, then divert:

• Pull-down ring or tab at the end of the spout (the newer kind). Look under the tip of the tub spout for a small ring or tab. With the water running, pull it straight down and the water switches to the shower head. It is easy to miss because there is nothing on top of the spout; feel underneath the end of the faucet if you do not see it.
• Pull-up knob on top of the spout (the classic kind). Grip the small knob on top of the spout and pull it straight up while the water runs. Pushing it back down (or just shutting the water off) returns flow to the tub.
• Third handle between hot and cold. On tubs with three handles, the middle handle is the diverter: turn it (usually counterclockwise) until water moves to the shower head.
• Push-pull or rotating button on the valve plate. Some single-handle faucets put the diverter on the round plate behind the handle: pull the button out, push it in, or rotate it per its arrow markings.

A small trickle from the tub spout while the shower runs is normal. If the diverter will not stay engaged, most of the water keeps pouring from the spout, or it is stuck, submit a maintenance request and we will have it repaired; worn diverters are a normal maintenance item, not tenant damage. When you finish showering, release the diverter so the next person is not surprised by an overhead blast of cold water.

Lawrence and the northeast Kansas area have hard water - water that carries a lot of dissolved minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. Over time those minerals dry onto fixtures and leave deposits (often called limescale or mineral scale). It can look like rust, dirt, or a stain, but in almost every case it is mineral buildup, not a sign the home is dirty, and it is normal for this area.

How to recognize it

• White or off-white crust - chalky, crusty, or flaky rings around faucet spouts, on showerhead nozzles, and on sink aerators (the little screen at the tip of the faucet).
• Cloudy white film or spots on chrome, glass shower doors, and tile that ordinary wipe-cleaning will not remove.
• Reddish, orange, or brown staining from iron that can look like rust - common in toilet bowls, tub bottoms, and around drains.
• A greenish or blue-green tint near brass or copper fittings.

How to clean it (routine tenant care)

A lime, calcium, and rust remover (such as CLR or Lime-A-Way) from any grocery or hardware store works well, and plain white vinegar works too. Follow the product label, and there are many step-by-step guides online.

• For a showerhead or faucet aerator, unscrew it if you can and soak it in the remover or vinegar for an hour or more, then scrub the little holes with an old toothbrush.
• If you cannot remove the fixture, fill a plastic bag with the solution, tie it over the showerhead or faucet so the tip is submerged, and let it soak an hour or longer for heavy buildup.
• Rinse well, and wipe fixtures and glass dry after use to slow future buildup.

Still low flow? If a showerhead or sink has weak flow even after you clean the fixture itself, buildup may be in the supply line feeding that fixture. In that case, please submit a maintenance request and maintenance can help clear the line or replace the fixture. First, though, please take the time to clean the calcium and lime buildup off the fixture - that resolves most low-flow problems on its own.

Water filters and softeners

Location Properties does not install or pay for water filters, water softeners, or filtration systems. You are welcome to add your own at your own expense if you would like one. Please note that any leaks or damage caused by a tenant-installed filter or softener are the tenant’s responsibility, so install it carefully and keep an eye on the connections.

One more tip: running your bathroom vent fan during and after showers keeps humidity and mineral spotting down. Here is why the bathroom fan matters.

Yes - a store-bought drain cleaner or hair-clog remover is often the right first step for a slow bathroom sink, tub, or shower, which is usually a hair-and-soap clog. Used correctly and sparingly they are safe, but there are some important exceptions.

When it's fine to use one

• A slow or partially draining bathroom sink, tub, or shower (hair and soap buildup).
• Use a hair-clog remover or a gel / “max gel” drain cleaner. Liquid-Plumr and Drano are two common brands, and InstaFlow (at Westlake Ace Hardware) is one we've had good luck with; any comparable name brand or store brand works just as well, so pick whichever you like. Follow the label exactly - the right dose and wait time, then flush with water. For standing water, a thick gel is made to sink through to the clog.
• Wear gloves, avoid splashes, run the vent fan, and keep the room ventilated.

When NOT to use one - this part matters

• Never in a kitchen sink that has a garbage disposal. The chemicals pool in the disposal, damage the seals and blades, and create a serious burn and splash hazard if it later has to be opened. (See unjamming a disposal.)
• Never in a toilet. Use a plunger - see how to plunge a toilet.
• Don't pour it into a drain that is completely blocked and not moving at all. The caustic cleaner just sits on top, never reaches the clog, and can damage pipes or splash back - plunge it or call us instead.
• Never mix products, and don't add a different cleaner on top of the first one - combining chemicals can release dangerous fumes. One product, one dose.
• Don't use it over and over on the same drain; repeated caustic doses can harm older or metal pipes.

Gentler things to try first

• A cheap plastic hair-clog tool (such as a “Zip-It”), or pulling out the pop-up stopper and clearing the hair off it, fixes a lot of bathroom clogs with no chemicals at all.
• A small hand drain snake for deeper clogs.
• If freezing weather may be the cause, pour warm (not boiling) water down first.

If a product or tool doesn't clear it - or you would rather not use chemicals - submit a maintenance request or call (785) 841-7300 extension 714 for drain issues. Remember that interior drain clogs after the first 10 days of the lease are typically the tenant's responsibility (see clogged drains).

A plunger clears most toilet clogs in a minute or two. Use a flange plunger - the kind with a soft rubber flap that folds out from the cup - because it seals a toilet drain far better than the flat cup style meant for sinks.

First, avoid an overflow: if the bowl is full to the brim, don't flush again. Wait a few minutes for the level to drop, or bail some water into a bucket, so plunging doesn't splash over. You want the bowl about half full - enough to cover the plunger cup.

1. Seat the plunger. Fit the flange down into the drain hole at the bottom of the bowl so the cup fully covers it and is under water (it is the water, not air, that pushes the clog).
2. Push the air out first. Press down slowly to squeeze the air out of the cup while keeping the seal.
3. Plunge firmly. Then pump straight up and down vigorously for about 15 to 20 seconds, keeping the seal the whole time - the pull on the up-stroke does as much work as the push.
4. Break the seal and check. Pull the plunger up to break the seal; if the water rushes out, it is clear. If not, repeat a few times.
5. Test. Once it drains, flush once to confirm - and be ready to shut off the toilet valve if it looks like it might overflow.

A squirt of dish soap and a bucket of hot (not boiling) water left in the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes can soften a stubborn clog before you plunge again. If it still won't clear, don't pour chemical drain cleaner in a toilet - submit a maintenance request and we'll bring an auger.

A flat cup plunger (the classic red kind) works on the flat drain of a sink, tub, or shower. The trick is a good seal and blocking the overflow opening.

1. Block the overflow. Bathroom sinks and tubs have a second small opening (the overflow) up near the rim; hold a wet rag firmly over it. Otherwise your plunging pressure escapes there instead of hitting the clog. For a double kitchen sink, have someone hold a stopper or rag over the other drain.
2. Add water. Make sure there is an inch or two of water in the basin to cover the plunger cup.
3. Seal and plunge. Center the cup over the drain, press down to seal, then pump firmly up and down for about 15 to 20 seconds. Break the seal to check the flow, and repeat as needed.
4. Clear the pop-up. For a sink or tub, lifting out the pop-up stopper and pulling off the hair caught on it often does more than anything else.

Still slow or blocked? Try a hair-clog remover or a small drain snake (see drain cleaners), and if that doesn't do it, submit a maintenance request.

It is not only a fire risk. Furnaces and gas water heaters pull in combustion air; boxes, clothes, luggage, or totes packed around them (or blocking a louvered or vented door) can starve the flame, make the system short-cycle or shut down, and in a worst case produce carbon monoxide.

How far away should things be kept?

Clearances come from the national codes that Kansas and the City of Lawrence follow - the International Residential Code, the National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54), and the International Fire Code. There is no separate Kansas number, so use these simple, safe rules:

• Flammable liquids and gases - gasoline, propane and camp fuel, paint thinner, charcoal lighter fluid, spray paint and other aerosol cans: keep these out of the furnace and water-heater room entirely. Their vapors travel along the floor and a pilot light or burner can ignite them. If they must be in the same room, keep them at least 3 feet away - but a detached garage or outdoor shed is far safer.
• Anything that can burn - cardboard boxes, paper, laundry, bedding, furniture, curtains, or cleaning supplies: keep it a minimum of 3 feet (36 inches) from the furnace and water heater, and never on top of or leaning against the unit.
• The appliance label wins. Many units require an 18-inch clearance to combustibles, but the exact required distance is printed on the rating plate on the furnace or water heater - follow that if it is larger.
• Keep vents, louvered doors, and floor grilles clear so combustion air and return air can move freely.

Bottom line: if a room also happens to contain the furnace or water heater, you can still use the room - just keep everything well back from the appliances, keep the closet itself empty, keep anything flammable out of the room, and keep the vents clear. If you are not sure whether something is safe where it is, contact form and we will take a look.

Per the lease, tenants are responsible for regularly checking and replacing HVAC filters, generally every 1 to 3 months depending on use, occupancy, and pets. A filter left unchanged for months can cause:

• Reduced airflow, forcing the system to run longer and raising energy bills
• Overheating or freezing of the furnace or A/C coil, which can damage components
• Condensation leaks that can damage ceilings, walls, or floors
• Extra wear on motors and fans, shortening system life
• Poor air quality as dust, pollen, and pet hair circulate freely
• Dust buildup in ducts, vents, and rooms
• Higher utility costs from lost efficiency

You are expected to check your own filter every 1 to 3 months and replace it as needed. Replacement filters are sold at local hardware and grocery stores, and YouTube has how-to videos for nearly every system. For difficult-to-find or hard-to-open filter compartments, submit a maintenance request and we will help. Step-by-step instructions are in How do I change the furnace filter? below.

The landlord does not agree to pay for or conduct air duct cleaning. You, as the tenant, have the option to hire and pay the contractor of your choice directly for air duct cleaning if you choose.

Keep in mind that heating and air ducts are a closed system, and duct cleaning often involves cutting openings into that system so the cleaning equipment can be used. Any damage or openings resulting from that invasive process would need to be repaired at your expense.

Instead of duct cleaning, the lease requires you to change the filter on a regular basis. Most heating and air professionals recommend changing it somewhere between monthly and quarterly depending on the filter type. If you have trouble locating or opening the filter compartment, submit a maintenance request; YouTube videos can also guide you through it.

What the EPA says: the EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except on an as-needed basis, because of continuing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning under most circumstances. Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems, and studies do not conclusively show that dust levels in homes increase because of dirty ducts or go down after cleaning. Much of the dirt in ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. See epa.gov for the full guidance.

If you, a family member, or a visitor experiences allergy symptoms, we recommend a stand-alone portable HEPA air purifier, which removes pollen and other allergens from the air, in addition to changing the system filter regularly.

These tips prevent the most common summer AC problems. Some may not apply to your particular rental, so use what fits.

Know what your system can do

• Many ACs are only designed to cool 15 to 20 degrees below the outside temperature. If it is 95 to 100 degrees outside, your home will likely only cool to 75 to 80. As long as cold air blows from the vents, the system is probably working properly.
• It can take 2 to 6 hours or more for an AC to bring temperature and humidity down to the thermostat setting, so avoid changing the setting throughout the day.

Set it and hold it

• Set your ideal temperature, press Hold, and set the fan to On to keep the temperature steady and even throughout your home.
• Keep it running at the same temperature or cooler at night so the system can dehumidify and catch up before the next hot day.
• While the AC runs, water drains from the coil at the furnace; hearing it flow is normal. If the drain clogs, use a drain clearing product or submit a maintenance request.

Help it along

• Keep the filter clean. A dirty filter can make the system lock up and can cause thousands of dollars in damage. A medium grade filter allows more airflow than a thick pleated one. If you cannot find or change your filter, submit a maintenance request.
• Close blinds during the day, especially on south- and west-facing windows.
• Use ceiling fans or a box or pedestal fan; moving air cools you and takes load off the AC.
• Keep doors and windows closed, including doors to rooms that do not need cooling, like closets and storage rooms.
• Slightly close the vent handles in rooms that are cool enough or unused to push cold air toward warmer rooms.

Check the thermostat

• If your thermostat takes batteries, replace them at least once a year. If the system stops working, check the batteries first, then the filter; a quick battery swap is often all that was needed.
• If you install your own thermostat, such as a Nest, make sure it is compatible, and either leave it in working order or reinstall the original thermostat in proper working order if you take yours when you move out.

Check the outside compressor

The outdoor unit can get coated with tree pollen, dirt, and pet hair. Carefully switch off its breaker, then hose it off with a gentle spray of water. If you cannot comfortably do this, submit a maintenance request.

When to request service

Call for service if the system is not blowing at all, blowing only hot air, or the outside compressor has ice on it. Submit a maintenance request in the tenant portal, call (785) 841-7300 extension 2, or use the contact form. Please do not text or email property managers or maintenance crew members directly; they may not be on duty that day, and direct messages do not enter our tracking system.

If you are waiting on a repair

AC contractors can take days to get parts and service calls done during summer, so have a fan available and consider a place to stay for a night or two if needed. In the meantime:

• Drink plenty of water and take cool showers.
• Use cold washrags on your neck or wrists.
• Use box fans and close the blinds.
• Sleep in breathable linens in the lowest and coolest part of the home, or stay with a friend or family member.

Property owners do not pay for hotel stays during repairs, but if the home is not livable, you may request a prorated rent abatement for the days it was not livable.

Start with the air filter. A dirty, clogged filter is the most common reason an AC stops cooling well. It chokes off airflow, which makes the system struggle, runs up your electric bill, and can even freeze the coil or lock the system out - sometimes causing expensive damage.

Buy your own filter and replace it (they are inexpensive at any hardware or grocery store). Match the size printed on the edge of the old filter, such as 16x25x1 or 20x20x1. A basic to medium-grade filter actually lets more air through than a thick, high-MERV one, which is easier on the system. Check it monthly in cooling season and swap it as soon as it looks gray and dirty.

The filter sits either behind a return-air grille on a wall or ceiling, or in a slot at the furnace or air handler where the air blows through. If you can't find the filter or figure out how to change it, submit a maintenance request through the tenant portal (or use the contact form) and we'll help. See also how to change the furnace/HVAC filter and the summer cooling tips.

The outdoor unit - the condenser - gets rid of the heat your AC pulls out of the house. Over a season its thin metal fins pack with tree pollen, cottonwood fluff, grass clippings, dust, and pet hair, and once it clogs the AC can't cool well and costs more to run. A gentle cleaning a couple of times a season helps a lot.

Safety first: shut off power to the unit before you touch it - flip the disconnect switch in the box on the wall right next to it, or turn off its breaker - so the fan can't start while you work.

1. Pick up leaves, grass, and twigs from on top of and around the unit, and trim back any plants or grass to about two feet so air can move freely.
2. Brush the loose dirt and pollen off the outside fins with a soft brush. The fins bend easily, so be gentle.
3. Rinse the fins with a garden hose on a normal spray, aiming from the top down or from the inside out to push debris back out the way it came in. Do not use a pressure washer or a hard jet- the force bends the fins and does real damage.
4. Keep water off the electrical box and wiring, don't open any panels, and skip harsh chemicals - plain water is enough. Let it dry, then turn the power back on.

If the unit is hard to reach, you are not comfortable doing it, or it still isn't cooling after a cleaning (or has ice on it), submit a maintenance request and we'll take care of it. More summer tips are in the keeping cool in summer answer.

Turn the cooling OFF right away, but set the fan to ON. Running an air conditioner with a frozen coil can destroy the compressor, which is one of the most expensive repairs on the whole system. Shutting it down and letting the fan run is what protects it.

A frozen system usually looks like white frost or a solid block of ice on the copper refrigerant line, on the indoor coil above the furnace, or on the outdoor unit. What you feel inside is an AC that runs and runs while the house gets warmer, sometimes with weak or barely cool air at the vents.

What to do:

1. Set the thermostat mode to OFF and the fan to ON. The fan moves room air across the coil and thaws it.
2. Give it 2 to 4 hours, sometimes longer if the ice is heavy. Do not chip, scrape, or pry at the ice, and don't aim a heat gun or hair dryer at it - the coil and the fins damage easily.
3. Put a towel or shallow pan under the indoor unit. Melting ice produces a surprising amount of water and it can overflow the drain pan.
4. Replace the air filter while you wait. A clogged filter starves the coil of airflow and is the single most common cause of freeze-ups. See start with the air filter.
5. Make sure supply vents around the house are open and not blocked by furniture or rugs. Closing off too many rooms also causes freezing.
6. Once it is fully thawed and dry, switch cooling back on. If it freezes again, turn it off and submit a maintenance request.

Please tell us you found ice. It is a specific and useful clue. A freeze-up that returns after a filter change usually means low refrigerant from a leak, a dirty coil, or a failing blower - all of which need a technician. Mentioning the ice in your maintenance request often saves an extra trip.

On the hottest Kansas afternoons it is normal for an air conditioner to run for long stretches, and a system may hold a few degrees above setpoint when it is over 100° outside. That by itself is not a malfunction.

What is not normal: the AC running continuously and still sitting 4 to 5 degrees or more above setpoint day after day, including in the evening and overnight when the outdoor temperature drops. That is a system that cannot keep up, and it needs to be looked at.

Humidity matters just as much as temperature. Indoor relative humidity should sit around 40 to 55 percent. If yours reads 60 percent or higher for weeks at a time, please report it even if the temperature seems tolerable. Sustained high indoor humidity makes the house feel far hotter than it is, and over time it creates conditions for mold and dust mites. See mold concerns.

Before you submit a request, please check these - they resolve a large share of these calls:

• The air filter. If you cannot see light through it, replace it. More on filters.
• Ice anywhere on the system. If you find any, stop and follow the frozen coil steps first.
• The outdoor unit. Is the fan on top spinning? Is it packed with grass, cottonwood, or leaves, or crowded by shrubs? It needs about two feet of clearance. How to clean it safely.
• Vents and returns open and unblocked throughout the house.
• Blinds closed on sun-facing windows during the day, and heat-producing appliances like the oven and dryer left off during the hottest hours.

One measurement helps us enormously. Hold a thermometer at a supply vent, then take the room temperature. The air coming out should be roughly 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the room. If the difference is under about 12 degrees, that points strongly toward low refrigerant, and telling us that number often gets the right parts on the truck the first time.

When you submit a maintenance request, please include your thermostat setting versus the actual reading, the humidity if you can measure it, whether it is the whole house or only certain rooms, whether it has ever kept up this summer, and when the filter was last changed.

Please tell us right away if anyone in the home is elderly, pregnant, an infant, or has a medical condition affected by heat. We escalate those.

Fire safety: never store anything in the furnace closet or against the furnace - those areas must stay clear for airflow and fire safety.

Unless your lease says the landlord provides gas, first make sure gas service is on, working, and in your name. Most tenants in this area use Black Hills Energy at 1 (888) 890-5554. If you moved in recently and have not activated gas service, that is often the reason the heat is not working.

If the furnace still will not run, call us at (785) 841-7300 and select 2, or call the heating provider we have given you for your property. Furnace repairs can take multiple days, so please buy or request a space heater if needed until repairs are made.

During below-freezing weather, many furnaces cannot fully keep up with the temperature difference between inside and outside. The best first step is a new, clean furnace filter.

Keep the thermostat at the same temperature all day so the furnace is not trying to catch up. It can take many hours to raise the temperature during a cold snap. If your air is dry, a humidifier improves comfort and helps the room feel warmer, but keep humidity below 40%.

Yes, with caution and by following the manufacturer instructions. Aim an electric plug-in space heater at the wall or pipes most likely to freeze, such as under kitchen or bathroom sinks.

We recommend keeping at least one plug-in electric space heater on hand as a backup in case of a furnace failure; they are sold at Home Depot (usually open until 10 p.m.) and other retailers. Choose a temperature-controlled model that is safe to touch, with safety features like automatic shutoff if tipped over. Never use fuel-based heaters indoors.

Space heaters often trip breakers, so plug them in where no other appliances are on the same circuit, and never plug two space heaters into the same general area. Know where your breaker box is in case you need to reset it. If you have had frozen pipes before, consider pipe warming cable (see the winter section below).

It could be a normal furnace or water heater smell, but when in doubt, call the gas company on your gas bill to check for leaks. Most tenants in this area have Black Hills Energy: 1 (888) 890-5554.

If the smell is strong, leave the home right away without flipping any light switches or lighting any flames, and call the gas company or 911 from outside.

How to shut off the gas

1. At the appliance: gas appliances like the furnace, water heater, stove, and dryer each have a shutoff valve on the gas line behind or beside them. Turn the valve handle a quarter turn so it sits crosswise to the pipe to shut off the gas to that appliance.
2. At the meter (as a last resort): the main shutoff is on the pipe at the gas meter outside and takes a wrench to turn the valve a quarter turn crosswise to the pipe. Only do this if it is safe and necessary; once the meter is shut off, the gas company usually must turn it back on and relight the pilot lights.
3. Not sure or not safe? Call Black Hills Energy at 1 (888) 890-5554 and tell them you smell gas; they send someone out to check leaks at no charge.

Once you are safe, please let us know by submitting a maintenance request or calling (785) 841-7300.

Start with the utility company, not a maintenance request. Call Evergy (electric) or Black Hills Energy (gas), or log in to your online account, and ask about your daily usage history. They can compare this month to past months and to the weather and help pinpoint whether something is running continuously or the bill just reflects normal seasonal usage; heating and cooling swings are the usual cause of a surprising bill.

If the utility company suspects equipment is running too much, like a furnace or AC that never cycles off or a water heater working overtime, submit a maintenance request and tell us what they found. In the meantime, a fresh HVAC filter and a clean dryer lint screen are the two easiest ways to cut usage.

Never remove a smoke alarm, disconnect it, or pull the battery out to stop the noise. A disabled alarm is a lease violation and a fire code violation, and Lawrence rental inspections require working alarms in every required location. If the noise is unbearable, submit a maintenance request and we will get to it quickly, but the alarm stays up.

A short chirp every 30 to 60 seconds is almost always a low battery. That is the alarm telling you to change it. Most units take a 9 volt or two AA batteries. Replace the battery first; that solves the large majority of chirping.

Still chirping with a fresh battery? Check the age. Twist the alarm off its bracket and look at the back. There is a manufacture date printed on it. Smoke alarms are built to be replaced 10 years from that date, and past that point they chirp or fail no matter how new the battery is. That is called end of life.

Submit a maintenance request if any of these are true:

• It still chirps after a new battery.
• The manufacture date on the back is 10 or more years ago, or there is no date at all.
• It sounds a full alarm with no smoke, or will not silence.
• It is hardwired and the light is out, or it is hanging loose or missing.

Replacing a worn out or defective alarm is our cost, not yours. In Kansas the landlord installs the alarms and repairs or replaces them when they are deficient, and the tenant keeps them present, clean, and operating and changes the batteries. Please test every alarm monthly with the button and vacuum the dust off the vents a couple of times a year.

Carbon monoxide is different. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or a combination alarm announces carbon monoxide, get everyone outside into fresh air first and call 911. Do not stay inside to investigate. See gas and carbon monoxide emergencies.

Don't worry; this is usually a quick fix at no cost. Outside outlets and interior outlets within reach of a water source (kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements) are usually GFCI protected. A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is a safety device that instantly shuts off power when it senses a problem, to protect you from shock near water.

The GFCI protecting a dead outlet is often another outlet somewhere else inside or outside the property or in the garage, so when it trips, outlets in other rooms can go dead too. Two quick checks solve most dead outlets:

• Find every outlet with Test and Reset buttons and press Test, then Reset on each one; a tripped GFCI elsewhere can kill outlets in other rooms.
• Check the breaker box for a tripped breaker sitting between On and Off; flip it fully off, then back on.

For more information, see Family Handyman's guide to troubleshooting dead outlets or do a Google search for GFCI outlets.

Please let us know if this works. If not, please submit a maintenance request after you log in to the tenant portal, use the contact form under the Contact tab on our website, or call us at (785) 841-7300. Thanks!

Breakers trip to protect the home when a circuit is overloaded. If the same breaker trips repeatedly:

• Unplug high-draw appliances on that circuit: space heaters, hair dryers, microwaves, toasters, and window AC units are the usual culprits, especially two on the same circuit at once.
• Move one of the appliances to an outlet in a different area of the home, then reset the breaker by flipping it fully off, then back on.
• Never replace a breaker with a larger one or hold it on; that is a fire hazard.

If a breaker still trips with nothing plugged in, or you see sparks, smell burning, or an outlet or switch is hot to the touch, stop using that circuit and submit a maintenance request right away or call (785) 841-7300.

First check whether your neighbors have power. If the whole block is dark, it is a utility outage: most tenants in the Lawrence area have Evergy, which posts outages at evergy.com/outages or by phone at 1 (800) 544-4857. Also make sure your electric service is active and in your name, especially if you moved in recently.

If only your home is out, check the breaker box for a main breaker or several breakers that have tripped, and flip them fully off, then back on. If power still does not come back, submit a maintenance request or call (785) 841-7300.

Fire safety: while you are at the furnace, keep the furnace closet and the area around the furnace and water heater clear - nothing stored inside the closet or against the units.

1. Find the filter first so you can buy the right size: it is usually in a slot where the return air duct meets the furnace, or behind a return-air grille on a wall or ceiling. The size (like 16x25x1) is printed on the filter's edge.
2. Turn the system off at the thermostat.
3. Slide the old filter out and note the direction of the airflow arrow on its frame.
4. Insert the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace/blower (the direction the air flows), close the cover or grille, and turn the system back on.

Check it every 1 to 3 months; a medium-grade filter allows better airflow than a thick pleated one. Replacement filters are at any hardware or grocery store, and YouTube has videos for nearly every system. If the compartment is hard to find or open, submit a maintenance request and we will help.

• Clean the lint screen before or after every load. Pull the screen out, peel the lint off with your fingers, and slide it back. A clogged screen makes drying slow and expensive, and lint buildup is the leading cause of dryer fires.
• Never run the dryer with the lint screen removed; lint then packs into the vent duct.
• If you use dryer sheets or fabric softener, an invisible film can coat the screen over time. Every month or two, wash the screen with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and let it dry fully before reinstalling.
• Warning signs the vent duct needs cleaning: clothes take more than one cycle to dry, the outside vent flap barely opens or shows no airflow, or the dryer and laundry room get unusually hot. Stop using the dryer and submit a maintenance request so the duct can be cleaned; a blocked duct is a fire hazard.

In most kitchens, the dishwasher drains through the garbage disposal. If the disposal has food sitting in it, the dishwasher's drain water has nowhere to go, which causes standing water in the bottom of the dishwasher and can leave dishes dirty.

Make it a habit: run cold water and the disposal for a few seconds before starting the dishwasher, and again after each cycle, so the shared drain path stays clear.

1. Run the garbage disposal with cold water for a few seconds; the dishwasher drains through it (see the previous question).
2. Clean the dishwasher filter in the bottom of the tub (see the next question); a food-clogged filter is the most common cause of standing water and gritty dishes.
3. Scrape plates before loading. Large food scraps belong in the trash or disposal, not the dishwasher.
4. Run the kitchen faucet until the water is hot before starting a cycle so the dishwasher starts with hot water.

If it still will not drain after the disposal and filter are clear, submit a maintenance request and we will get it checked.

1. Remove the bottom rack.
2. Find the round cylindrical filter under the lower spray arm, twist it counterclockwise, and lift it out (many have a flat screen around it that lifts out too).
3. Rinse it under warm running water and scrub gently with a soft brush or sponge and a drop of dish soap until the mesh is clear.
4. Set it back in and twist clockwise until it locks; never run the dishwasher without the filter seated.

Clean it about once a month. While you are at it, wipe the rubber door gasket, and once in a while run an empty hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner or a cup of white vinegar on the top rack to cut odors and buildup.

Safety first: unplug the disposal (the cord plugs into an outlet under the sink) or turn off its breaker before doing anything, and never put your hand into the disposal.

1. With the unit unplugged, insert a 1/4-inch Allen (hex) wrench into the socket in the bottom center of the disposal under the sink. Many disposals come with this wrench; any 1/4" Allen wrench from a hardware store works.
2. Work the wrench back and forth a few full turns until it spins freely; this frees the jammed flywheel inside.
3. Shine a flashlight into the drain and remove whatever caused the jam (bottle caps, pits, utensils) with tongs or pliers, never fingers.
4. Press the small red reset button on the bottom of the unit; it pops out when the motor overloads.
5. Plug it back in, run cold water, and test. If it still hums or trips, submit a maintenance request.

Keep it from jamming again

• Keep out: grease, potato peels, rice, pasta, coffee grounds, fibrous vegetables (celery, corn husks, onion skins), bones, and fruit pits. Feed scraps in gradually rather than packing it full.
• Always run cold water while grinding and for 15 to 30 seconds after to flush the line.
• Grinding a few ice cubes now and then helps clean the grinding parts; a small citrus peel freshens odors.

Often, yes. When frost or ice builds up on the inside walls or over the vents, it blocks the airflow the unit needs to stay cold, so the fridge or freezer runs constantly and still won't cool. Before assuming it is broken, try fully defrosting it.

How to defrost

1. Move your food to a cooler. Put everything from the fridge and freezer into coolers with ice or ice packs so it stays cold while you work.
2. Turn the unit off and open the doors. Set it to off (or unplug it) and leave both doors open so the frost can melt. Lay towels inside and along the floor to soak up the water, and keep a second set handy.
3. Let it melt. Give it several hours; heavy frost can take eight or more. To speed it up, set a bowl or two of hot water inside and shut the door for a few minutes at a time. Never chip at the ice with a knife, screwdriver, or other sharp or metal tool, and don't aim a heat gun or hair dryer close to the surfaces - it is easy to puncture a coolant line or the liner and ruin the appliance.
4. Dry it and restart. Wipe everything dry, plug it back in, and give it a few hours to reach temperature before you reload it. A fridge should be about 37°F and a freezer about 0°F.

Find steps for your exact model

Defrost details vary by appliance, so it is worth a quick online search for your refrigerator's brand and model number plus the word “defrost” (for example, “Whirlpool WRS325 defrost”). The model and serial number are on a sticker inside the fridge compartment, around the door frame, or on the back.

Ice maker not working?

The same fix often revives an ice maker (icemaker) that quit: when the water fill line or fill tube freezes up, no water reaches the tray. Defrosting the freezer and letting that tube fully thaw can get it making ice again.

Keep it cooling well

• Don't overfill or block the inside vents; cold air has to circulate.
• Keep the door gaskets clean and make sure the doors close and seal fully - a warped or dirty seal lets warm, humid air in and causes frost.
• Leave a few inches of space around and behind the unit, and vacuum the coils or front grille now and then so it can shed heat.
• Open the doors as little as possible, especially in humid weather.

If it still won't cool after a full defrost, or it frosts back up quickly, submit a maintenance request or use the contact form and we'll take a look. See also general appliance care tips and temporary loaner refrigerators.

Possibly, yes. Ask us whether your unit is eligible for a temporary dorm-size loaner refrigerator. If your refrigerator and freezer are going to be out of service for more than a few days while we repair or replace it, we may be able to set up a small loaner fridge/freezer in your unit so you are not without cold food storage the whole time.

How to ask

• submit a maintenance request through your tenant portal, or use the contact form.
• Say “refrigerator not working - asking about a temporary loaner fridge” so it gets routed correctly the first time.
• Tell us how long it has already been out and whether the freezer is affected too.

What to expect

• A loaner is a small dorm-size refrigerator/freezer combination, not a full-size replacement. It is meant to carry you through the wait, not to replace your regular fridge.
• It stays in place until your regular refrigerator is repaired or replaced, then we pick it back up.
• Availability depends on what we have on hand and on the specifics of your unit, so please ask rather than assume.

In the meantime, see refrigerator and freezer troubleshooting- a full defrost fixes a surprising number of “not cooling” problems and may get you running again the same day.

• Refrigerator: keep air vents inside unblocked, leave a little space around the unit, and vacuum the front grille or coils occasionally so it cools efficiently. If a door will not seal, clean the gasket.
• Range hood: the metal grease filter above the stove pops out; wash it in hot soapy water (or the dishwasher) every month or two so it keeps pulling smoke and moisture.
• Stove and oven: use drip pans and clean up spills once cool; do not line the oven floor with foil, and never use the self-clean cycle right before a holiday meal (it is when ovens most often fail).
• Washer: do not overload it, check pockets for coins and pens, use the recommended amount of HE detergent, and leave a front-loader's door and detergent drawer cracked open between loads so it dries out and does not develop odors.
• Air flow: keep furniture and rugs off supply and return vents, and keep the furnace filter fresh (see the top of this section).
• Detectors: test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace their batteries; tell us if one is missing or chirping after a battery change.
• Report early: small drips, running toilets, unusual appliance noises, and slow drains are cheap to fix early and expensive after they cause damage. Submit a maintenance request as soon as you notice something off.

• Remove all exterior hoses. Connected hoses trap water in the pipes, which freezes, bursts, and causes major damage. Disconnect hoses after every use. Cracks in frozen pipes do not always burst right away, so if you see any sign of water leakage, report it to us immediately. Pipe damage from a hose left connected is considered tenant negligence and may be billed to the tenant or their renters insurance.
• Keep the heat at 65°F or higher, even when you leave town. One prior tenant saved about $70 on a gas bill by shutting off the heat, and the frozen pipes that followed caused over $20,000 in damage. Tenants are responsible for deductibles and costs insurance does not cover.
• Set the thermostat fan to "on" or "constant" to move warm air through the home, including around pipes.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air circulates around the plumbing (move cleaners and chemicals out of children's reach first).
• Let cold water drip from faucets near exterior walls during very cold weather. Even a trickle helps prevent freezing.
• Keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage.
• Skip nighttime thermostat setbacks during very cold weather and keep the home warmer than usual day and night. The slightly higher heating bill is far cheaper than the repair job after pipes freeze and burst.

Leaving town in winter? Keep the heat on at 65°F or higher and shut off your main water valve, often found near the water heater. Shutting the valves to toilets and sinks helps too, if you can reach them, and turning the water heater temperature down while you are gone saves money.

If a faucet only trickles, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely spots are exterior walls and where the water service enters through the foundation.

1. Shut off the main water valve to prevent a surge, but keep the faucet open. Flowing water helps melt ice as the pipe thaws.
2. Apply heat to the frozen section with an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, a hair dryer, a portable space heater kept away from flammable materials, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or any open flame.
3. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored.
4. Check all other faucets; if one pipe froze, others may have too.

If you cannot find or reach the frozen area, or cannot thaw it, submit a maintenance request. You are also welcome to buy pipe warming tape or cable (Frost King is one brand at hardware stores like Home Depot). Send the receipt through the contact form and we will reimburse you, or submit a maintenance request and our team will help when possible.

If you see water leaking, shut off the main water shutoff valve, often near the water heater or where the main line enters your unit, or call the city to turn off the water meter, then submit a maintenance request right away. If you cannot find the shutoff valve, submit a maintenance request. We get plumbers out as soon as possible, but they are not always immediately available during cold weather events because of demand.

Check your lease. Most of the properties we manage require the occupant to do their own snow removal, including the city sidewalk(s) adjacent to houses and townhomes. City ordinances require sidewalks to be cleared promptly, usually within 24 to 48 hours, or the city imposes fines that pass to tenants when the lease assigns them this work.

If you live in an office building or a complex with 3 or more units where snow removal is provided, contractors typically start after 2 to 3 inches of snow when it is safe for workers. If you see an unsafe condition, call us at (785) 841-7300, text the Location Properties team number previously sent to you, or submit a maintenance request.

If your lease requires you to remove snow but you would like to hire our crews to clear your driveway and walkways for a fee, submit a maintenance request and we will discuss it with you.

Kansas temperatures swing above and below freezing, and melting then refreezing creates hazardous walkways, driveways, and parking lots. Please:

• Stay inside when you can. Check Weather.com or local forecasts, and skip the trash run when conditions are icy.
• Walk carefully with small, deliberate steps, especially early morning and after sunset.
• Wear shoes with good traction, not smooth soles.
• Use cleared, treated paths wherever possible.
• Watch for black ice in shaded spots that look wet but are frozen.
• Report unsafe conditions in buildings where snow removal is provided, and we will schedule a maintenance person as soon as possible.

Recommended

• Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA): one of the safest for concrete and environmentally friendly, though less effective in extreme cold and more expensive.
• Magnesium Chloride: works down to -13°F and is gentler on concrete than traditional salts. Avoid overapplying.
• Potassium Chloride: safer for plants and concrete when used sparingly; effective to about 25°F.
• Urea-based products: safe for concrete and vegetation, but slower and less effective in deep cold.

Avoid

• Rock salt (sodium chloride): causes scaling and pitting in concrete.
• Calcium chloride: effective in cold but damages concrete and corrodes rebar over time.

Application tips

• Follow the label; overapplication harms concrete even with safer products.
• Shovel away slush promptly so it cannot seep into cracks and refreeze.
• Pre-treating before a storm reduces ice bonding and makes removal easier.

• Test your furnace before cold weather sets in. A burning or gas smell at first is normal and should go away soon; if it persists after 20 minutes to an hour, submit a maintenance request.
• Confirm your carbon monoxide detector is in place and working, and change smoke detector batteries; ask for help if you need it.
• Change the furnace filter (every 1 to 3 months; a medium grade filter keeps airflow strong).
• Report debris-clogged gutters promptly to prevent water intrusion.
• Pour water or a little vinegar into floor drains periodically to prevent odors and bugs. If you have a sump pump, test it now and then; if you have a floor drain with no sump pump, let us know.
• Prepare for freezing weather: remove hoses, keep the heat on when away, and see the frozen pipes question above.
• Fireplace? See the next question before using it.
• Leftover For Lease signs or lockboxes at your home? Let us know through the contact form or a maintenance request and we will pick them up.
• Fall bugs trying to move in are normal here; see the Pest Control section below.
• Holidays coming? Our maintenance contractors take some time off during the holiday season, so submit any maintenance requests as soon as possible before the holidays.

If your home has a fireplace and you have landlord permission to use it, you may have it inspected and cleaned at your expense by a chimney sweep before winter use. Area chimney sweeps our tenants have used:

• SR Chimney (Shane Roeder): (785) 331-6730
• Soot's Me Chimney Sweep: (785) 842-5348 or (785) 594-6792
• 21st Century Chimney Sweep (Jason): (785) 841-0123

Gas fireplaces: inserts with gas logs turn on like a gas grill, usually with a push-button igniter behind the panel after turning the gas knob parallel to the line. They start slowly after sitting unused because air builds up in the gas line, so it can take several attempts while the line bleeds.

Need lighting help? Search the manufacturer's site or YouTube for lighting instructions, call your gas company for help activating it, or ask us and our team will be glad to help.

Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Lead from paint, paint chips, and dust can pose health hazards if not managed properly, and exposure is especially harmful to young children and pregnant women. For pre-1978 rentals, your lease includes the federal lead-based paint disclosure, and every tenant receives the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home, which explains simple steps like cleaning up paint chips and dust promptly and washing hands and toys often.

If you see peeling, chipping, or deteriorating paint in a pre-1978 home, please submit a maintenance request so it can be addressed properly.

First, the reassuring part. Mold spores are everywhere and always have been. They are a normal part of the natural environment, floating in the air outdoors and indoors, in every building, all year. You cannot remove them from a home and there is no reason to try.

What matters is that spores only grow where there is moisture. Control the moisture and you control the growth, which is why most of these situations are handled quickly and easily with the steps below.

For cleanup instructions and prevention tips, the best source is the EPA's mold guidance at EPA.gov/mold. Here is what it comes down to day to day.

Dry the area out

• Run fans aimed at the damp spot, and open windows when the weather is dry enough to help.
• Run the bathroom vent fan during every shower and for 20 to 30 minutes after, and use the kitchen vent while cooking or boiling water.
• Run a dehumidifier in damp rooms and basements. Keeping indoor humidity below 50% discourages growth. An inexpensive humidity gauge takes the guesswork out of it.
• Replace the furnace filter with a HEPA filter and change it every week or two while you are drying an area out, then return to your normal schedule.
• Avoid adding moisture to the air: vent the dryer outside, skip drying laundry indoors, and use lids on pots.

Add a HEPA air filter

A portable HEPA air filter near the area helps while things dry out. You are welcome to buy your own, such as a Honeywell PowerPlus or equivalent, or you can request one from us by submitting a maintenance request or using the contact form. Tell us the room and what you are seeing.

Clean what you can see

Wash hard surfaces with detergent and water and dry them completely. The EPA does not require bleach for routine cleanup. Tenants report that regular laundry bleach carefully applied to grout or tile works well.

Do not use bleach on paint, carpet, or any surface it could damage, and never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners. Wear gloves, keep the room ventilated, and wash your hands well afterward.

Tell us right away if

• There is a leak, standing water, or a soaked carpet. The sooner we stop the water, the smaller the job.
• The area is larger than a few square feet, or it is coming from behind a wall, under flooring, or through a ceiling.
• It keeps returning after you dry and clean it, which usually means there is a moisture source we need to find and fix.

When you report it, we bring our own drying equipment, fans, dehumidifiers, and portable HEPA air filters, we find and repair the source of the water, and we clean up and replace any material that stayed wet.

Why we will not call it mold

This one is worth explaining, because it can sound evasive and it is not. We will not identify or refer to discoloration as mold without laboratory testing confirming that it is mold. Many kinds of staining and discoloration on drywall and other surfaces look very similar, and nobody can accurately identify mold by appearance alone.

Rather than guess in either direction, we focus on the part that actually matters and that we can fix, which is the moisture. Our response is the same either way: stop the water, dry it out, clean it up, and repair it.

If you would like certainty about the material itself, you are welcome to arrange independent laboratory testing at your own expense. We would simply ask for the chance to finish drying and cleaning first, so that anyone looking at it is seeing the finished condition rather than a repair in progress. For health questions, your own doctor is the right person to ask. submit a maintenance request and we will get moving.

If you do hire someone to test, hire someone who only tests

This is worth knowing before you spend money. Use an independent inspector who does not also sell mold removal services.

A company that tests and then bids the cleanup is writing its own work order, which is why Texas, New York, Florida, and Louisiana all make it illegal for one company to do both on the same project. Kansas does not license this work at all, so the choice is yours to make carefully. The Better Business Bureau's advice is to make sure a consultant and a contractor are not connected financially.

Two things also worth knowing about the results. There is no legal limit to exceed: the EPA states that threshold values for airborne mold spores “have not been set.” And a swab taken from grout, a basement corner, or a duct will find something in essentially any building, because spores are everywhere by nature.

An air sample from the living space compared against an outdoor sample taken the same day is far more meaningful than a swab, and if the indoor result looks like the outdoor result, that is what a normal home looks like.

Bathrooms are the most humid rooms in the home, and the fan removes that moisture before it condenses on walls, ceilings, and grout where mold takes hold.

• Turn the fan on before showering and leave it running 20 to 30 minutes after.
• Clean the vent cover periodically so dust does not choke the airflow.
• In rooms without a fan, open a window or run a dehumidifier; keeping humidity below 50% discourages mold.

Usually not, and that is genuinely good news. As air moves through ducts, friction builds static charges that make dust cling to vent covers and nearby surfaces, creating dark streaks that resemble mold. Candle soot makes it worse (see the next question).

Most of the time this cleans right off. Dust, soot, and everyday grime sit on the surface of a hard, non-porous vent cover, so soap and water usually take care of them. Even when there is some surface growth, a hard vent surface is one of the easier places to clean, and it does not mean something is wrong inside your walls.

Outside vents look different

Soffit, gable, and dryer vents on the exterior collect dust, pollen, road grime, and sometimes algae, all of which streak dark and can look alarming from the ground. That weathering is common on the shaded or damp side of a house and is generally a cleaning item rather than a problem inside the home.

When to just tell us

We would rather look than have you wonder. submit a maintenance request and our team will check it, clean the area, and look for anything causing moisture to collect there. Tell us sooner rather than later if the spot keeps returning after cleaning, is spreading, feels damp, or you notice a musty smell in the room, since those point to a moisture source worth finding. In the meantime it is nothing to lose sleep over.

Prevent it

• Replace HVAC filters every 1 to 3 months; quality filters capture fine dust.
• Keep indoor humidity around 40 to 50%, since dry air increases static.
• Dust and vacuum regularly, and wipe vent registers down.

Clean it

• Turn off the HVAC system, remove the vent covers, and wash them with soap and water.
• Vacuum the duct opening with a hose attachment, wipe the area with a damp microfiber cloth, and dry the covers before reattaching.

Professional duct cleaning is not necessary when filters are replaced consistently and registers are wiped down regularly.

Yes. Burning candles, especially paraffin and scented ones, releases fine soot that collects around vents, ceilings, and walls and can look like mold. Regular candle burning also adds volatile organic compounds to indoor air, which can aggravate allergies or asthma.

Candles are also a real fire hazard. Never leave them unattended, keep them away from flammable materials, and extinguish them before leaving a room or sleeping.

• Choose soy, beeswax, or coconut wax candles, which produce less soot.
• Trim wicks to about ¼ inch to limit soot and flame height.
• Burn away from vents, fans, and open windows; drafts increase soot.
• Battery LED candles or essential oil diffusers give ambiance without soot or flame.

Lawrence rentals are licensed and inspected by the City on a set cycle. When your home comes up, we will send you a notice with the scheduled date. It is routine and required, and it is not prompted by anything you have done.

There are three things we need from you:

1. Sign and return the acknowledgment. The City requires the resident to acknowledge the scheduled inspection in writing. We will send you the document - please complete it promptly so we can file it on time.
2. Allow access on the scheduled date. You do not need to be home; we can let the inspector in. But the inspection does have to happen on the date set, and a missed appointment means rescheduling for everyone.
3. Clear the way and secure pets. Please move stored items away from the furnace, water heater, and electrical panel before the visit, and let us know in advance if you have pets in the home.

You do not need to prepare anything else. Our property manager walks the home before the inspection and our maintenance team takes care of whatever needs attention. It is not an inspection of your housekeeping, and there is nothing for you to fix.

If something in the home needs repair, tell us now rather than waiting for the inspection date - a chirping alarm, a window that will not open, a leak, anything at all. Submitting a maintenance request is always the fastest way to get something fixed, whether or not an inspection is coming up. submit a maintenance request

License and inspection fees are the property owner's responsibility, not yours. If you have questions about a notice you received from us, reply on the task or call (785) 841-7300.

Stay away from any limb resting on a power line, and never try to move one. Call Evergy at 1 (800) 383-5908 and then tell us. A line can be energized even if nothing is sparking. The same goes for a tree leaning against the house or on a vehicle - keep clear of it and report it.

Tree work is ours, not yours. Removing fallen limbs, taking down or trimming trees, and clearing storm debris are handled by us through a licensed tree service. Please do not climb a tree, use a chainsaw, or hire anyone yourself.

Limbs growing into power lines - which line matters

This one is worth understanding, because for one of the three cases you can get it handled faster than we can.

• The utility's own power lines - the larger lines running along the back of the lot, usually on a utility easement. You can call the electric company you pay your bill to (for most of our homes that is Evergy at 1 (800) 383-5908), tell them you are the resident at the address, and report that trees are interfering with the power lines. The utility trims around its own lines and will often come out for this, especially along the easement. That is usually the quickest path, and there is no cost to you.
• The service drop - the single line running from the pole in the back to the house itself. The utility generally does not cover that one; it is a property owner expense, so we hire our own tree trimmer. Report it to us and we will schedule it.
• Limbs touching the house or roof - definitely ours. We schedule a tree service or send maintenance, because branches rubbing the roof wear out shingles and give squirrels and raccoons a way into the attic. See scratching in the attic.

Not sure which line you are looking at? Just tell us, or send a photo - we will figure out who owns it. To request tree work, submit a submit a maintenance request or use the contact form.

Report it right away if any of these are true, and we will treat it as urgent:

• A limb is on the roof, a vehicle, a fence, or a power line.
• A trunk is split, cracked, or leaning toward the house, a driveway, or a neighbor's property.
• A limb is hanging but has not fallen - a “widow maker.” Keep people and pets out from under it.
• Anything is blocking a walkway, driveway, or exit door.

Routine trimming - branches rubbing the siding or roof, overgrowth crowding the AC unit, limbs blocking a light or a path - is worth reporting too, just not as an emergency. Branches touching a roof wear out shingles and give squirrels and raccoons a way in, so we would rather hear about it early.

What you can do: pick up small sticks and normal yard debris as part of routine yard care, and photograph anything larger before it is moved. Photos help us and, when a storm is involved, help with insurance.

A note on neighbors' trees. If limbs from an adjoining property overhang your yard, tell us rather than trimming them yourself. Cutting a neighbor's tree can create a liability problem, and we will handle the conversation.

To report tree work, submit a maintenance request with photos and note whether anything is blocking access.

Fence repair is our responsibility, not yours, unless the damage was caused by you, your guests, or your pets. Please report it rather than repairing it yourself or hiring someone.

Tell us right away if the fence is a safety or containment problem:

• A section is down or has a gap, and you have a dog that could get out. This is the one we move fastest on.
• Posts are rotted at the base and the fence is leaning or wobbling - a leaning fence often becomes a fallen fence in the next storm.
• There are exposed nails, screws, or splintered boards where children or pets are.
• A gate will not latch or is hanging off its hinges.

What helps us most: photos of the damaged section and of the whole fence line, and a note on roughly how many feet are affected. Fence work usually needs a bid from a contractor, and good photos let us get that started without an extra trip out.

Please be realistic on timing. A small repair or a gate latch is usually quick. Replacing a full run of fence is a larger project that needs bids and the property owner's approval, so it can take longer. We will keep you updated in your maintenance task either way. If you have a dog and the yard is not secure in the meantime, please leash or supervise your pet outside until it is fixed.

Shared and boundary fences. If the fence is shared with a neighbor, or the property is in an HOA, the repair may involve them and that can add time. Please do not negotiate with a neighbor about a fence on our behalf - just report it and let us handle it.

To report fence damage, submit a maintenance request with photos.

Yes, please submit a maintenance request and list which windows are missing screens. With the property owner's approval, our team can install screens for you.

Check the garage, basement, and closets first. At many homes the screens exist but were taken down and stored on site. If you spot them, mention where in your request; installing existing screens is much faster than building new ones.

If no screens exist, new ones can be custom built to fit your windows. Measuring, ordering, and installing custom screens takes time, so we appreciate your patience.

Screens are for airflow with the window open, and for keeping bugs out. They are not a child or pet safety device, and they will not stop anyone or anything from falling through an open window.

Exterior window cleaning is not a service we typically offer. Routine window washing is a tenant responsibility, like other housekeeping.

One exception: if the exterior glass is genuinely so dirty at move-in that you cannot see out, submit a maintenance request with photos and we can arrange a one-time exterior cleaning shortly after move-in when it is really needed.

After that one-time cleaning, ongoing window washing is up to you. Interior glass is always tenant housekeeping.

Never try to fix a garage door spring. The springs above and beside the door are under extreme tension and have caused serious injuries. If a spring is broken - you may hear a loud bang, see a visible gap in the coil, or find the door suddenly far too heavy to lift - stop using the door entirely and report it. Same if the door is off its track or hanging crooked.

A few things that are safe to check first:

• The door goes down and comes right back up. That is the safety sensors. Look for the two small units near the floor on each side of the opening. Wipe the lenses clean and make sure nothing - a bike, a trash can, a broom - is breaking the beam. If one has been bumped out of alignment, its light will be off or blinking.
• Nothing happens at all. Check that the opener is plugged in and that the outlet has power, and try a fresh battery in the remote. Most openers also have a wall button - if the wall button works and the remote does not, it is the remote.
• The opener runs but the door does not move. The emergency release cord (the red handle) may have been pulled, disconnecting the door from the opener.
• Squeaking or grinding. Often just dry rollers and hinges. Report it - it is a small fix that prevents a big one.

Please report it, do not force it. Repeatedly running an opener against a door that is binding burns out the motor and turns an inexpensive service call into a replacement. If the door is stuck partway open and the house is not secure, tell us that when you report it and call (785) 841-7300 - we treat an unsecured home as urgent.

When you submit a maintenance request, tell us whether the door moves at all, whether the opener makes noise, and whether you have tried the wall button as well as the remote.

In this part of Kansas it is usually a mole or a vole, but several other animals leave similar ruts, holes, and torn-up turf. Identifying which one you have matters, because the fix is completely different depending on the answer. Look at the shape of the damage:

• Moles push up raised ridges or tunnels you can feel underfoot, along with cone or volcano-shaped mounds of loose soil. They are insect eaters, not plant eaters, so your grass is being lifted and disturbed rather than eaten.
• Voles leave narrow surface runways in the grass, roughly an inch or two wide, often with small open holes. They do eat plants, so you may also see gnawed stems or chewed bark near the ground on shrubs and young trees.
• Pocket gophers make larger fan or crescent-shaped mounds with the hole plugged shut. They are less common in town lawns.
• Skunks, raccoons, and armadillos do not tunnel. They dig small cone-shaped divots, or peel back patches of sod like loose carpet, and it usually appears overnight. They are hunting grubs. If the turf lifts easily when you tug it, grubs are the reason they keep coming back, and this is the one case where grub control genuinely solves the problem. Armadillos have been expanding into Kansas and root shallowly in much the same way.
• Ground squirrels and chipmunks leave open holes about the size of a golf ball with no mound around them, often along foundations, sidewalks, patios, and retaining walls.
• Crayfish build little mud chimneys in soggy low spots of the yard. They are a drainage signal more than a pest problem.
• Cicada killer wasps dig holes with a fan of loose soil in bare or sandy patches in midsummer. They look alarming and are essentially harmless.

Things you can try yourself

These are inexpensive, worth a try, and easy to find at any local hardware or garden store:

• Solar powered vibrating ground spikes, or electronic rodent and critter repellers. Push them into the ground near the active tunnels and space them out across the area.
• Grub killer applied to the lawn. This is the right answer when skunks, raccoons, or armadillos are digging divots, since removing the grubs removes what they are after. It helps the turf either way, but see the note below on moles.
• Castor oil based granules or sprays sold for moles and voles, applied per the label and watered in.
• Mow a little closer and keep weeds down, and pull heavy mulch back a few inches from the base of shrubs and trees. Voles need cover, and taking the cover away is one of the few things Kansas State Extension actually recommends for them.
• For voles chewing on young trees or shrubs, a hardware cloth or mesh guard around the trunk, set about three inches into the soil, keeps them off the bark.

Reimbursement, and when to hand it to us

If you buy repellers, spikes, grub killer, or similar products for the yard, you may request reimbursement from the property owner. Submit a maintenance task or use the contact form, tell us what you bought and what it cost, and attach the receipt. We will take the request to the owner for their decision. Please ask before spending a significant amount, since approval is the owner's to give.

If you have given it a fair try and the tunneling continues, ask our maintenance team to take a look. submit a maintenance request or use the contact form, describe what you are seeing and where in the yard, and photos help. We will evaluate it and, with the owner's approval, take further steps such as trapping or bringing in a wildlife control company.

Many leases prohibit working on vehicles at the rental entirely. Others require following city ordinances and code. Your lease may be stricter than the city, and lease provisions are enforced. Here is a summary of the City of Lawrence rules:

Generally allowed

• Changing oil, replacing batteries, brakes, headlights, and wiper blades
• Minor maintenance and repairs that can be completed in a day or two
• Washing and detailing vehicles

Not allowed

• Storing inoperable or unlicensed vehicles outside
• Vehicles on jack stands for extended periods, or missing major parts
• Long-term project cars, dismantling, or stripping outdoors
• Major work outdoors: engine replacement or rebuilds, body work, painting, major overhauls (these must be done indoors)
• Parking on grass or yards; vehicles must be on an approved driveway or parking surface
• Operating an auto repair business from a residential property

Code violations bring notices, fines, and enforcement action, and each day a violation continues may count as a separate offense. Multiple non-running vehicles or frequent repair activity can trigger code enforcement.

1. Safety sensors: make sure the sensors on both sides are aligned, unblocked, and clean. If a sensor light is blinking or off, that is often the issue.
2. Tracks and rollers: clear any debris, look for bent tracks, and apply garage door lubricant to rollers and hinges.
3. Opener settings: a door that starts closing then reverses may need its force setting adjusted; one that will not fully close may need its travel limits adjusted.
4. Remote and wall button: replace the remote battery, try reprogramming, and make sure the wall panel's lock mode is not engaged.
5. Springs and cables: a loud bang or a visible broken spring above the door, or frayed cables at the sides, means stop and request service.
6. Power: confirm the opener is plugged in and the breaker has not tripped, then try unplugging the opener for a minute and plugging it back in.

If you have checked everything and it still will not work, it likely needs a professional, so please submit a maintenance request.

Please keep noise, music, and sounds of any kind at a low enough level that they do not disturb your neighbors. Kansas law (the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, K.S.A. 58-2555(g)) prohibits a tenant from engaging in conduct that disturbs the quiet enjoyment of others, and the lease requires the same. That includes noise caused by your visitors and guests, so you are responsible for keeping them reasonable too.

Causing noise that keeps neighbors from the quiet enjoyment of their homes is both a lease violation and a violation of Kansas law. If we notify you of a noise complaint and the situation is not completely corrected, you can be deemed in violation of the lease and the law.

Easy ways to stay in compliance

• Lower music and TV volume at night, and watch the bass; it travels through walls and floors.
• Remember that city noise and disorderly conduct ordinances also apply, especially late at night.
• Move gatherings inside and bring the volume down as the evening goes on.
• Give your neighbors a heads-up before a gathering, and give them a way to reach you first.

Questions? Call (785) 841-7300 extension 0 or use the contact form. If you are on the receiving end of excessive noise, report it to the police, and let us know as well.

No. Smoking anywhere inside the buildings of the property is strictly prohibited by the lease. All forms and use of lighted or burning tobacco products are prohibited inside any building or interior of any portion of the property, and to be clear, that covers all types of smoking and tobacco: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs, vaping and e-cigarettes, and any other smoked or burned product.

The prohibition extends to all residents, their occupants, guests, invitees, and anyone else present on or in any portion of the property, and it covers, but is not limited to, garages, building interiors, hallways, and building common areas.

• Tenants violating this policy are subject to fines and possible eviction.
• Any form of illegal smoking or drug use will be reported to the police.
• If you see or smell smoking products being used, please report it through the contact form or submit a request through the tenant portal.

Trash and recycling bins must be brought back from the road after pickup and placed securely out of view from the road. Please also secure your bins so wind cannot blow them open or tip them over and scatter trash around the property. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the property looking good for everyone.

Please see your specific lease for details. If you live in a single-family home or townhome, your lease requires you to do the mowing, or to hire the mowing, trimming, and weed removal or spraying yourself and pay the contractor directly.

If you would like a referral to a nearby mowing service, ask us; we are happy to share names. Keep in mind the city or county imposes fines for lack of mowing, so regular mowing is required.

Weeds, volunteer trees, and other lawn care needs

If you see weeds, volunteer trees, or other lawn care needs, submit a maintenance request and we will talk with the property owner about a course of action. In some cases the landlord will handle the issue, consider reimbursing lawn improvements, or have the lawn treated for weed prevention.

If you prefer that no fertilizer treatment be applied, let us know and we will discuss that with the owner too. Some leases also require tenants to maintain and replenish mulch beds and other landscaping; check your lease or message us to double-check.

Larger multi-unit and office buildings

If you live in one of the larger multi-unit or office buildings we manage, mowing is likely paid for and coordinated by us or the landlord. If the mowing service has not been out yet this year or is not keeping the grass at a nice, clean level, submit a message through the tenant portal, use the contact form, or call (785) 841-7300 and we will discuss it with the property owner and schedule service as needed.

Where pets are allowed, you must disclose the number and type of pets so they can be added to the lease. For most leases, that means a $300 pet deposit plus $25 per month in pet rent. Contact us before bringing any pet home so the lease can be updated first.

Unauthorized pets are a lease violation. By signing the lease we both made a binding commitment: management promised a safe and clean residence, and you promised to live up to the terms of the agreement, including its pet clause. If a pet is found where the lease prohibits one, you will be required to remove the pet and confirm its permanent removal in writing, and fees, damages, or further lease enforcement can follow.

Service animals and emotional support animals are not pets

Two different laws matter here, and they work differently:

• Service animals are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): dogs individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability, such as guiding, alerting, or responding to a medical event. The ADA gives service animals public access rights, and Kansas law (K.S.A. 39-1101 and following) likewise protects the right to be accompanied by a trained service dog and makes it unlawful to misrepresent an animal as a service animal.
• Emotional support animals (ESAs) are not covered by the ADA because they are not task-trained; they provide comfort by their presence. In housing, however, the federal Fair Housing Act treats both service animals and ESAs as assistance animals, which is the law that applies to your lease.

How that affects your lease

• An approved assistance animal is not a pet: no pet deposit, no monthly pet rent, and breed or weight limits do not apply to it.
• Request the accommodation in writing. When the disability or the need is not apparent, we may request reliable documentation from a licensed healthcare provider or other reliable third party with personal knowledge of you. For task-trained service animals we may only ask whether the animal is required because of a disability and what tasks it performs. We never require ESA registration numbers, certificates, ID cards, proof of specialized training, a specific diagnosis, or medical records; note that certificates purchased online without an individualized assessment may not be considered reliable documentation.
• You remain fully responsible for the animal's behavior, waste cleanup, and any damage it causes, and an animal that poses a direct threat or causes substantial damage can lawfully be denied or removed.
• Misrepresenting a pet as a service or assistance animal violates Kansas law and the lease.

Yes. Both city ordinance and the lease require pet owners to immediately scoop their pet's waste and dispose of it properly in a sealed bag in an outdoor trash bin. If you own a pet, please do so every time.

What the City of Lawrence ordinance says: under Chapter 3 of the Lawrence City Code (Regulation of Animals), the city's published rules state plainly that "Pet owners must clean up their animal's excrement" and "You are responsible for removing your pet's excrement." The same chapter requires pets to be leashed and under control off the owner's property, and citations can be issued for violations. See the full city code chapter. Other area cities have similar pet waste ordinances, so this applies wherever you rent from us.

Because it is a city requirement, it is also a lease requirement: your lease obligates you to follow city ordinances, so failing to scoop is a lease violation in addition to a citable city offense. If you see someone violating this law and lease requirement, please report it through the contact form or the tenant portal so we can address it.

Trees provide shade and complement landscaping nicely, but they can cause disputes and misunderstandings when they fall due to acts of nature. When a tree or limb falls onto a neighbor's property or onto someone's vehicle, many people assume the owner of the property where the tree is rooted is liable. That is not true.

Whoever's home, vehicle, or personal property was damaged should submit a claim to their own insurance company immediately. Insurance treats falling trees and limbs much like hail: even though the hail traveled over the property next door, the coverage for that peril belongs to the owner of the damaged property or vehicle.

A tree that falls during a tornado, wind storm, or winter storm is not the responsibility of the owner of the property where it was rooted; nobody pushed it over, so nature is responsible. That is exactly the kind of peril your own renters, homeowners, or auto policy is designed to cover, which is why the claim goes through your own insurance agent.

For Lawrence, Kansas, see the city's schedule at lawrenceks.gov/swm/trash.

For other cities or rural areas, search online for your city or county and the type of service you need, or see our Utility Providers page for gas, electric, water, trash, and internet contacts by city.

In Lawrence, the trash and recycling carts belong to the City of Lawrence, not to us and not to the home. Each cart is assigned to the address it was delivered to and has to stay there, so a previous tenant should never have taken one with them when they moved.

Call the city directly. In most of our homes trash and recycling are billed on your own city utility account, so the city takes the request from you as the account holder.

Call them even if you share utilities. A few of our buildings have the utilities in Location Properties' name, and residents are invoiced for their share. In those buildings trash is included in the water bill, so carts are still part of the service and there is no separate cost to you for one.

You can still call the city yourself to report a missing cart or ask for one, and that is usually the fastest way to get it delivered.

• Solid Waste Cart Change Request form: lawrence.wufoo.com/forms/solid-waste-cart-change-request
• Solid Waste Customer Service: (785) 832-3032

Use the same form or number for any of these: a cart that is missing or was never delivered, a cart that is cracked or broken, a cart you believe was taken, a different cart size, or an extra cart.

Sizes and costs. Trash carts come in 95 gallon (holds roughly six or more standard kitchen bags) and 65 gallon (up to about four). The city allows one cart size change per address per calendar year at no charge; additional size changes carry a $31.75 service fee. An additional cart is allowed and adds a monthly charge to your city utility bill. Recycling uses a separate blue cart, and an extra 95 gallon blue cart can be requested on the same form.

Damage matters. The city maintains and replaces carts as part of normal service, but damage caused by abuse, misuse, or neglect is charged back at the cost of replacement. Melted or burned lids from hot coals and ashes are the most common example, so let ashes cool completely before they go in.

If the city will not help you, we will. If they turn you away because the utility account is not in your name, or you simply are not getting anywhere, submit a task in your Tenant Portal or use our contact form and we will call Solid Waste ourselves. Tell us what they said so we can pick it up from there.

Please also let us know if a cart went missing right after you moved in or you think one was taken from the property, so we have it on record. And once carts are back, remember they come back off the street after pickup.

The next time it is raining steadily, take a minute to look outside. Working gutters catch the water coming off the roof and send it out the downspouts and away from the house. A quick walk around the outside during a rain tells you if they are doing their job.

What to look for

• Water should run into the gutters, not pour or sheet over the top edge or out the seams. Water spilling over the front like a waterfall almost always means the gutter is clogged.
• Debris in the gutters - leaves, twigs, roof grit, or even little plants growing in them - or a downspout that gurgles or backs up.
• Follow each downspout to the ground. It should empty onto a splash block or extension that carries the water a few feet away from the foundation - not dump right against the house or puddle at the base of the wall.
• Other warning signs: streaks or stains running down the siding, water pooling against the foundation, or a downspout that is disconnected or pointed back toward the house.

Why it matters

Clogged gutters and downspouts that drain right at the foundation push rainwater into the basement, crawlspace, and foundation, which leads to leaks, dampness, mold, and expensive damage. Catching it early protects the home and your belongings.

What to do

Please don't climb a ladder or get on the roof to clean the gutters yourself - that is our job and it is a real fall risk. If you see any sign of overflowing, clogged, or debris-filled gutters, or a downspout that isn't routed away from the foundation, submit a maintenance request through the contact form in your tenant portal (or use the contact form), or call the office at (785) 841-7300. Tell us what you saw, and if you can do it safely from the ground, a quick photo helps.

Please tell us early, even if it seems minor. Water that comes in during heavy rain is usually a drainage problem outside the house, and those are far easier and cheaper to solve when we hear about them at the first sign rather than after a floor or wall is damaged. You will never be in trouble for reporting it.

What to tell us

The more of this you can answer, the faster we can find the cause without several trips out:

• Where exactly the water shows up - which room, which wall, and whether it is at the floor, in a corner, around a window, or coming down from above.
• When it happens. Only during heavy rain? Hours afterward? All the time regardless of weather? That one answer changes what we look at first.
• How much - damp to the touch, a small puddle, or actively running.
• Whether it has happened before, and roughly how many times.
• What the outside looks like during the rain if you can check safely from the ground - gutters spilling over the front edge, a downspout dumping right against the house, or water pooling next to the foundation. See what to check on gutters and downspouts.

Photos and video help a lot

A few pictures of the wet area, and a short video during the rain showing where water is coming in or overflowing outside, often tell us more than a long description. Photograph it while it is wet - once it dries there may be nothing to see.

What you can do right away

• Move belongings off the floor and away from the wet wall, especially anything on cardboard.
• Soak up standing water with towels or a wet vac if you have one, and keep air moving with a fan.
• If a splash block or downspout extension has been knocked out of place, it is fine to set it back so it points away from the house. See splash blocks.
• Please don't climb a ladder or get on the roof. Gutter cleaning is our job and a real fall risk.

How to report it

Submit a maintenance request through your tenant portal or the contact form, or call (785) 841-7300. Putting it in writing matters - it timestamps the report and keeps the photos, our updates, and the repair history together in one place.

Call right away, rather than waiting, if water is actively running in, is near an electrical outlet, panel, or furnace, or if a ceiling is sagging or stained and growing. Those are urgent. See also what to do about a water leak and mold concerns.

What happens next

We start outside, because that is where the cause usually is: clearing the gutters, extending downspouts, and adding splash blocks to carry water away from the foundation. If water still comes in after that, we move on to larger measures with the property owner, such as bigger gutters or regrading the ground along the foundation. Extensive foundation work is a last resort, and we will keep you posted as it moves along.

Every downspout should carry water a few feet away from the house and let it flow out onto the yard, using a splash block (the angled concrete or plastic tray under the downspout) or a downspout extension. The goal is to keep roof water from soaking into the ground right next to the foundation.

Splash blocks and extensions get bumped out of place by mowing, kids, pets, or storms. If one has been knocked aside and water is pooling at the foundation, it is fine to set the splash block back under the downspout so it slopes away from the house.

If a downspout is disconnected, crushed, missing its splash block, or draining right at the foundation - or you are not sure - submit a maintenance request through the tenant portal (or use the contact form) or call (785) 841-7300, and we will fix the routing so water stays away from the foundation. See also what to check on the gutters when it rains.

Not every home has one. If yours does, the sump pump sits in a pit (a basin in the floor) in the basement or crawlspace, and it pumps groundwater away from the house to keep the basement dry - especially during heavy rain and spring snowmelt. A little care keeps it from failing when you need it most.

Keep it plugged in

• The sump pump must stay plugged directly into its outlet at all times. Never unplug it (even if you hear it run at night), and don't put it on an extension cord or power strip.
• If it has a battery backup, keep that plugged in and charging too, so it still runs during a power outage.
• If the pump goes quiet, check the outlet first: sump pumps are usually on a GFCI outlet, so press Reset on the outlet and check the breaker (see resetting a GFCI outlet). A tripped GFCI is the most common reason a pump suddenly stops.

Check it periodically

• Every few months - and before and during heavy rain, storms, and the spring thaw - look in the pit. Water should not be pooling above the pump, and the pit should be reasonably clear of mud, gravel, and debris that could jam the float or the intake.
• Test it: slowly pour a bucket of water into the pit until the float rises. The pump should kick on, pump the water out, and shut off by itself. If it doesn't, submit a maintenance request.
• Outside, make sure the discharge line (where the water comes out) isn't blocked, crushed, or frozen, and that it drains away from the foundation, not right back against the house.

If anything looks or sounds off, submit a maintenance request through the tenant portal (or use the contact form) or call the office at (785) 841-7300. See the warning signs a sump pump is failing.

Watch and listen for these warning signs and report them right away, so we can repair or replace the pump before the basement floods:

• It doesn't turn on when you test it, or water is pooling in the pit and the pump won't run.
• It runs constantly, won't shut off, or rapidly cycles on and off.
• Grinding, rattling, clanking, or loud humming noises, or a burning smell.
• Water in the basement, or standing water in the pit that isn't being pumped out.
• Visible rust, a stuck float, or a pump that vibrates hard or shifts around in the pit.
• It's simply old - sump pumps typically last about 7 to 10 years.

These are not tenant repairs. Submit a maintenance request through the contact form in your tenant portal (or use the contact form) or call (785) 841-7300, and we'll decide whether it needs a repair or a full replacement. If water is actively coming into the basement, tell us it is urgent - and in the meantime, keep the pump plugged in and move belongings up off the floor.

Per the Rules and Regulations, what we can do depends on the time of day:

• During office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm): call (785) 841-7300 or come to our office at 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047. We can unlock the home at our earliest convenience, or with photo ID you may be able to borrow an office key if you agree to bring it back the same day.
• After hours: staff are not available for lockouts. You have two options: find another place to stay (friends, family, or a hotel) until the office opens the next business day, or hire a locksmith at your own expense, paid by you directly to the locksmith.

If you hire a locksmith, protect yourself first:

• Use a locksmith with a real Lawrence office. Many "Lawrence locksmith" search results are out-of-town dispatch services, and some of these companies gouge people who urgently need to get back in. We recommend not using out-of-town locksmiths.
• Verify all costs and fees before they come out - the trip charge, after-hours fee, labor, and any rekey or lock-change cost - so there are no surprises when the work is done.
• Local companies with Lawrence offices include Rueschhoff Locksmiths (3727 W 6th St, Suite B, (785) 843-1426), Lock Doctor LLC ((785) 764-9712), and Sam's Mobile Locksmithing Service ((785) 304-5618). These are options, not endorsements - do your own searching and vetting so you are comfortable with whom you choose.

If the lock is changed or rekeyed, you must bring a copy of the new key to our office the next business day so we can reach the home for maintenance and emergencies.

• Retrace your steps and check with roommates, coat pockets, bags, and your car before assuming the keys are gone.
• During office hours, call (785) 841-7300. With photo ID you may be able to borrow an office key to have a copy made at your expense, as long as you agree to return the borrowed key the same day.
• If the keys may have been stolen or were labeled with your address, we recommend having the lock rekeyed for your own safety - at your expense, paid directly to a local locksmith. See the lockout question above for local options and tips on avoiding overpriced services.
• Bring a copy of any new key to our office the next business day whenever a lock is changed or rekeyed.

If a property manager handed you a mailbox key at move-in and the box number was not written down, there are three easy ways to find your box:

• Try the key. At a cluster or panel of mailboxes, try your key in each box; only your own mailbox will open with it.
• Ask the post office. Call or stop by your post office (see below for which office serves your address); they can tell you which box goes with which unit or home in a neighborhood with a cluster box.
• Ask us. Send a contact request to the office or call (785) 841-7300 and we will look up your mailbox number.

Check the home first. Property managers sometimes leave the mailbox key inside the home at move-in, so before anything else, look through the kitchen cabinets and drawers.

Then ask your property manager. If you have not asked the property manager who did your check-in about a mailbox key, contact them next; there may be a mailbox key for your unit at the Property Management office. Call (785) 841-7300 or send a contact request. If no key turns up, move on to the Postal Service.

Most cluster and centralized mailboxes in Lawrence are owned and locked by the U.S. Postal Service, and only the current resident can have one rekeyed; Location Properties cannot rekey USPS boxes. The Postal Service's process:

• Go to your post office (see the next question) with a photo ID and proof that you live at the address. A PDF of your signed lease on your phone works; it is always available in the tenant portal under Documents.
• You will complete a short USPS form at the counter, and the Postal Service changes the lock and issues you new keys.
• Fees: for a brand-new tenant, the post office generally allows a one-time lock change at no charge on request. If a key is lost later during your tenancy, USPS charges a rekeying fee, typically in the $25 range; verify the current fee with your post office.
• A lock change can take a few business days, and the office notifies you when the keys are ready for pickup.

If your mailbox is attached to the house, or your building uses a privately owned panel of boxes, those keys come from Location Properties instead; call (785) 841-7300.

Lawrence has two retail post offices:

• Lawrence Post Office (Downtown): 645 Vermont Street, Lawrence, KS 66044. Generally serves homes in 66044 and 66049.
• Jayhawk Station: 1901 W 31st Street, Lawrence, KS 66046, (785) 843-2330. Generally serves homes in 66046 and 66047.

Boundaries are set by the Postal Service and can vary block to block, so before making a trip for a mailbox rekey, call ahead: your assigned office at the numbers above, or USPS at 1 (800) 275-8777. Bring photo ID and your lease PDF either way.

This is normal for the first few months at a new address. Here is what the Postal Service says to do:

• Write "Not at this address" on the front of the envelope. Do not cross out the person's name or the address, but do cross out the barcode with a pen or marker so the sorting machines don't just send it right back to you.
• Put it back in outgoing mail: in your mailbox with the flag up, the outgoing slot on a cluster box, any blue USPS collection box, or hand it to your carrier.
• Never open it or throw it away. Opening or discarding someone else's First-Class mail is a federal offense, even when it looks unimportant.
• Mail addressed to the prior tenant "or Current Resident" counts as addressed to you; keep or recycle it. Advertising flyers and other USPS Marketing Mail are not returned by the Postal Service either way, so those can simply be recycled.

If it keeps coming, leave a note inside or under the mailbox for your carrier listing who does live here now ("Only deliver for: ..."), or mention it at your post office counter and ask them to note it on the delivery record.

Do not file a change of address for the prior tenant; only they can do that. Location Properties cannot accept or forward a prior tenant's mail, so there is no need to bring it to our office.

Handle it the same way as the prior tenant's mail - return it to the sender. Utility companies and the City of Lawrence sometimes address a bill or notice to the property address instead of our management office, so a piece addressed to the owner or to Location Properties can land in your mailbox by mistake.

• Write "Not at this address" on the front and cross out the barcode so the sorting machines don't redeliver it to you.
• Put it back in outgoing mail: your mailbox with the flag up, a cluster-box outgoing slot, any blue USPS collection box, or hand it to your carrier.
• Never open it. Opening mail addressed to someone else is a federal offense, even a utility bill.

Returning it to the sender is what actually fixes the problem: it prompts the utility or the city to correct the mailing address to our office. There is no need to bring it to Location Properties, and please do not pay a bill that is not in your name. If the same misaddressed mail keeps arriving, let us know through the contact form so we can follow up on the account.

Spiders, ants, wasps, and other bugs try to find their way into even the most airtight homes and apartments in season. Do not be alarmed; this is typical for our area.

If pests are found during the first few weeks after move-in, contact us; the property owner might pay for pest control if requested. After that, our leases make ongoing pest control the tenant's responsibility, so each tenant can control the type and level of chemicals used in their own home.

Amazon and other area retailers carry pest control products for every sensitivity level, whether you prefer natural, organic, or full-chemical treatments; choose what fits your household, including children and pets, and always follow the label directions.

Prevention first

• Clean and vacuum thoroughly, remove crumbs and other food sources, and seal fresh food.
• If you have a fireplace, bugs may be coming in there. Opening the flue and burning a Duraflame or similar log can help clear birds, bugs, and wasps from the chimney.
• Keep floor drains filled by pouring in water or vinegar periodically; a dry drain trap gives spiders and other bugs a dry on-ramp into the home (see the sewer odor question above for details).

Products previous tenants recommend

• General bugs: Ortho Home Defense (Home Depot or other hardware stores), or a Hot Shot Fogger (best when nobody and no pets are home).
• Mice or rats: Tomcat brand killer or traps; Rat X is a pet-safe option worth considering.
• Always follow the directions on the product labels.

Common Kansas pests, including brown recluse spiders

Kansas is home to more pests than many states, and K-State Research and Extension entomologists note that brown recluse spiders are common throughout Kansas, including in clean, well-kept homes.

They are tan to brown, about the size of a quarter with legs extended, with a violin-shaped marking behind the head and six eyes instead of the usual eight. They are shy and active at night, hiding in dark, undisturbed places such as closets, storage boxes, basements, attics, and behind furniture.

• Bites are uncommon and usually happen when a spider is trapped against skin, so shake out clothing, shoes, towels, and bedding that have sat unused, and keep beds pulled slightly away from walls.
• Sticky glue traps along baseboards and in closets are the best way to monitor and reduce brown recluse numbers; reducing clutter and sealing cracks helps too.
• If you believe you were bitten, wash the area and seek medical attention.
• Other pests common in Kansas homes include ants, wasps, crickets, cockroaches, silverfish, and mice as the weather cools each fall.

If you see holes or exterior damage that lets pests enter, please caulk those areas or submit a maintenance request and we will schedule someone. If you see pests in the common areas of a multi-unit property, report it to us and we will contact the property owner about pest control there. And if these tips do not work for you, please contact us at (785) 841-7300 or submit a maintenance request.

Ants are one of the most common seasonal visitors in our area, especially in spring and summer. After the first few weeks of a new lease, ant control is the tenant's responsibility, and the good news is that it is usually cheap and easy to handle yourself with ant bait.

Use bait, not just spray

Spraying the ants you can see only kills those few foragers and leaves the nest and the queen alive - and some sprays actually make it worse by causing the colony to split and spread. Ant bait is what kills the colony. Worker ants carry the bait back to the nest and feed it to the rest of the colony and the queen, wiping it out over several days.

What to buy

• Ant bait is sold at any hardware store, grocery store, Walmart, or Amazon, usually for just a few dollars.
• Liquid, sweet baits such as Terro liquid ant baits (a borax-based bait) work for the small sugar or odorous house ants most tenants see. They come as pre-filled stations or as liquid drops.
• Enclosed bait stations or gels such as Combat, Raid, or Advion ant gel are good alternatives, especially around children and pets since the bait is contained.
• If the ants ignore a sweet bait, they may be after grease or protein - switch to a protein or grease bait (many brands sell both). Match the bait to what the ants want.

How to set the bait

• Follow the ants' trail to find where they are coming in (often a windowsill, baseboard, under the kitchen sink, or a counter near food).
• Put the bait stations or a few drops of liquid bait right on the trail and next to where they enter, not out in the open where no ants walk.
• Do not spray or wipe the trail with cleaner after you set the bait. You want the ants to keep walking to it and carrying it home; killing the foragers defeats the whole purpose.
• Expect more ants for a few days - that is normal and means it is working, as they swarm the bait to carry it back. Activity usually drops off within about one to two weeks. Replace empty baits until they stop.
• Keep bait away from children and pets and always follow the product label.

Keep them from coming back

• Wipe up crumbs and spills, and store food (including pet food) sealed.
• Take out the trash regularly and rinse recyclables.
• Fix drips and wipe up standing water; ants are drawn to moisture.
• Caulk obvious gaps around windows, doors, and where pipes enter.

Big black ants and little piles of sawdust? Those may be carpenter ants, which tunnel into damp wood and can point to a moisture or structural issue rather than a simple nuisance. Submit a maintenance request for those, or if ordinary baiting is not controlling an infestation, so we can help.

Kept at a proper distance, bats are very beneficial neighbors. According to Bat Conservation International, bats consume about 1,200 mosquito-sized insects an hour, and some species disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and eat crop-destroying beetles. The benefit is having them near, not in, your home.

If a colony gets into your attic, contact us right away and we will do our best to get a bat removal contractor to act fast. Use the contact form,submit a maintenance request in the portal, or call (785) 841-7300 ext. 0. Besides seeing them, the signs are the very pungent smell of guano or urine, and noise around dawn and dusk.

What to know about bat removal

• Bats cannot be removed with poison; in most states poisoning bats is illegal because of their contribution to the ecosystem.
• Pups are born from late April to early June and cannot fly yet, so removal cannot occur during the summer.
• Removal works by finding the entry and exit points (often marked by guano or urine stains) and installing one-way exclusion doors or excluders so bats can leave but not return. Entry points are never sealed while bats are inside; trapped bats are inhumane and create a serious odor problem.
• In cold winters bats migrate out when attic temperatures drop below about 35 to 40°F, which is the best time to seal cracks and entry points.
• Cleanup matters: droppings can cause health risks from resulting mold, so protective gear and a respirator are used to remove all traces of guano, urine, and hair.

Report it early. This is one of the few problems that reliably gets worse and more expensive the longer it waits. We see a wave of these every fall and winter, when squirrels, mice, and raccoons look for a warm place as the temperature drops.

What the sound tells us, so please include it in your request:

• Fast scurrying and light scratching, mostly at night, in walls - usually mice or rats.
• Heavier scampering and rolling or gnawing sounds during the day, overhead - usually squirrels. They are daytime animals, which is a useful clue.
• Slow, heavy thumping, especially at dusk or dawn - likely a raccoon or opossum. Raccoons in particular can do serious structural damage and should never be approached.
• Fluttering or chirping - birds, often in a vent or soffit.

What we do. Wildlife in the structure is handled by us through a pest and wildlife control company, and it is normally an owner expense. The work is two parts and both matter: removing the animals, and then finding and sealing the entry point so it does not simply happen again. That entry point is usually a gap in a soffit, a gable vent with torn screen, a rotted fascia board, or a spot where a tree branch touches the roof.

Please tell us if there is a tree branch touching or overhanging the roof. That is the highway most squirrels use to get in, and trimming it is often the permanent fix. See tree and limb requests.

What not to do:

• Do not go into the attic to look if you hear something large. Raccoons defend a nest, and attic footing is easy to fall through.
• Do not seal a hole you have found while animals may still be inside. Trapping them in leads to an animal dying in a wall, which is a far worse and more expensive problem.
• Do not set poison. A poisoned animal usually dies somewhere inaccessible, and poison is a risk to pets and children.

Also report any chewed wiring, insulation pulled down, droppings, or a strong ammonia smell. Rodents chewing wire in an attic is a genuine fire risk and moves this to the top of our list.

submit a maintenance request with the sound description, the time of day you hear it, and where in the house. Photos of any hole or gap you can see from the ground are very helpful.

Older Lawrence homes are drafty, and a cold room is worth reporting rather than living with. Some of it is fixable by you in an afternoon, some of it is ours, and telling the difference saves everyone time.

Check these first - they are the usual culprits:

• Closed or blocked supply vents. Furniture, rugs, and curtains over a vent will make one room cold while the rest of the house is fine. Closing vents in unused rooms does not save money and can unbalance the system.
• A dirty furnace filter. Same as with cooling, it chokes airflow. See changing the filter.
• Closed foundation or crawlspace vents. Some homes have vents that should be closed for winter.
• The thermostat fan setting. Leaving the fan on CIRCULATE or AUTO rather than ON evens out temperatures between rooms.

Tell us about these - they are our repairs:

• Failed or missing weather stripping around exterior doors, or a door you can see daylight around
• A door sweep or threshold that is torn, missing, or no longer touching
• Windows that will not latch or close fully, or have failed seals, broken sash cords, or gaps at the frame
• Storm windows or screens that are damaged or missing
• Visible gaps where pipes or wires enter, or around an outlet on an exterior wall
• One room that is dramatically colder than the rest, which can mean a disconnected duct in a crawlspace or attic - a real repair, not a comfort preference

Things you may do yourself without asking, since they are removable and leave nothing behind: draft stoppers at door bottoms, removable rope caulk, insulating outlet gaskets, heavy curtains, and clear window film kits. Please do not caulk windows shut, staple or nail plastic into trim, or use expanding spray foam - those can cause damage that becomes a move-out charge.

Space heaters: if you use one, never run it on an extension cord or power strip, keep three feet of clearance from bedding, curtains, and furniture, and never leave one running while you sleep or are away. Space heaters are a leading cause of home fires. If you need one to keep a room livable, that is a signal something needs repair - please tell us.

A drafty house also drives up your gas bill, so this is worth reporting for the savings alone. See high utility bills and winter preparation.

When it gets colder outside, bugs and wild animals like squirrels try to get into warmer structures. Please submit a maintenance request if you see any squirrel, bird, or other animal damage. In general, we can ask the property owner for permission to fix damage caused by wild animals.

If you have a pet or pets and there is pet damage, that repair is the tenant's responsibility.

Start looking 4 to 12 months before your move-in date. For an August (fall semester) move-in, that means beginning your search as early as the previous fall or winter. We continuously update the available listings on HomesForLease.org, so early lookers see homes the moment they post; get your roommate group settled and be ready to apply when the right one appears.

That said, not everything is listed early: current tenants are not required to give us non-renewal notice until 3 months before the end of their lease, so some properties only become available, and only get listed, about 3 months out. If you do not see the right home yet, that does not mean it will not exist; keep checking back.

Looking for a larger house? Properties with 6 or more bedrooms fill up fast, so keep checking our listings regularly if you need one. When existing tenants give us early notice on those homes, we post them as waitlist or available so you can get in line before they are gone.

Location Properties sends leases and lease renewals for electronic signature through our management software (Buildium) using its built-in eSign service, powered by Dropbox Sign. There are two easy ways to sign, and both lead to the exact same document:

1. From your email: click the Review & Sign button in the signature request email from Dropbox Sign (see the next question for step-by-step instructions).
2. From the tenant portal: log in at Location.ManageBuilding.com or in the Resident Center app and open the document waiting for your signature (see below).

Signing costs nothing, takes just a few minutes, and works on a phone, tablet, or computer. You do not need a Dropbox account or any special software. Each tenant and guarantor receives their own signature request, and the lease is complete once every party has signed.

Can't find the email? It is very common for signing emails to land in spam or junk folders; see I never received the signing email below.

Watch your inbox for an email sent on behalf of Location Properties by Dropbox Sign (formerly called HelloSign). Because the eSign service sends it, the sender shows Dropbox Sign and an email address ending in mail.hellosign.com, not Location Properties; that is normal and legitimate. The subject line says Location Properties has requested your signature.

1. Open the email and click the Review & Sign button. The lease opens in a secure page in your web browser.
2. Read the lease, then click Get Started (or the first highlighted field).
3. Click each highlighted signature, initial, and date field. The first time, you can type your signature or draw it with your finger or mouse; after that, each click applies it.
4. When every required field is filled, click Continue, then I agree to finish. You will see a confirmation that your signature was submitted.

• Do not forward your email to roommates. Each signer gets their own unique signing link tied to their name; roommates, co-signers, and guarantors each sign from their own email.
• If your link has expired or will not open, contact us at (785) 841-7300 or through the contact form and we will resend it.

You can also sign directly from your tenant portal (the Resident Center), which is handy if the signing email never arrived:

1. Go to Location.ManageBuilding.com in any browser, or open the Resident Center app for iPhone or Android.
2. First time? Click Resident Sign In, then Register Online, select your property, and enter your name exactly as it appears on the lease and your email address. Check your email for the temporary password.
3. After you log in, a lease waiting for your signature appears as an alert on your Resident Center home screen. Click it (or check the Documents tab) and follow the prompts: click each highlighted field, apply your signature, then click Continue and I agree.

Trouble logging in or registering? The software provider's help line is 1-888-414-1988, or call our office at (785) 841-7300.

Nine times out of ten the lease is fine and nothing is broken - the buttons are just being pushed off the edge of your screen. Two things cause it, and you can fix both in a few seconds.

Known issue on some newer iPhones: Dropbox Sign (the signing service) sometimes loads the document zoomed far out with the signing buttons missing entirely. The fix that works: tap the Zoom control in the upper corner of the signing screen and change it to Fit to Width. After that, the Next button and tapping to sign work normally. We have reported the issue to Buildium and Dropbox Sign.

If it still fights you, try turning the phone sideways, or in Safari tap AA in the address bar and choose Request Desktop Website - and the same signing link always works reliably on a computer.

1. The page is zoomed in too far

• Windows computer: hold Ctrl and press 0 (the number zero). That snaps back to normal size. Holding Ctrl and pressing − a few times zooms out step by step.
• Mac: hold Cmd and press 0, or Cmd and −.
• iPhone or iPad: put two fingers on the screen and pinch them together to zoom out. In Safari you can also tap AA at the left of the address bar and choose 100%.
• Android: pinch two fingers together to zoom out.

2. Your text size is set large

If your phone or computer is set to show bigger text, the words grow but the window does not - so the buttons slide off the bottom. Turning it down while you sign, then back afterward, usually does it.

• iPhone: Settings → Display & Brightness → Text Size, and slide it toward the left. If that is not enough, Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size and turn off Larger Text.
• Android: Settings → Display → Font size and Display size. Move both toward the smaller end.
• Windows: Settings → System → Display → Scale, and set it to 100%.

Two quick things to try first

• Turn your phone sideways. If the buttons show up in landscape, it is definitely a size problem and the steps above will fix it for good.
• Try a computer instead. Signing works most reliably on a laptop or desktop. The same signing link in your email will open there.

Still stuck? Call us at (785) 841-7300 or use the contact form. Please do not just leave it - an unsigned lease holds up your move-in or your renewal, and this is our problem to solve, not yours. If you would rather sign on paper in our office, that is fine too.

Signature request emails are sent by Dropbox Sign rather than directly from Location Properties, so leases and lease renewals frequently end up in spam or junk email folders. Before assuming it was never sent:

• Check your Spam and Junk folders, and in Gmail also check the Promotions and Updates tabs.
• Search your mail for "Dropbox Sign", "hellosign", or "Location Properties".
• If you find it in spam, mark it Not Spam and add the sender to your contacts or safe senders list so future documents come through.
• Confirm we have your current email address; a typo or an old address is the other common cause.

You can skip the email entirely by signing through the tenant portal instead. Still stuck? Call (785) 841-7300 or use the contact form and we will resend the request.

Once all tenants, guarantors, and the manager have signed, the eSign service emails everyone a completed copy automatically, and the fully signed lease also appears in your tenant portal under Documents in the eSignature Documents folder, where you can view or download it any time.

For a brand-new lease, the next step is paying the security deposit, due in full within ten (10) days of signing; until it is paid, the property may remain available to other approved applicants. See how to pay the deposit and set up your account below, and what to expect on Move-In Day.

It happens, and it is fixable. If your lease is already signed, we do not tear it up and start over. The signed lease stays in place and we add a short amendment or addendum covering the missing piece. Everyone on the lease signs the amendment, and it lives alongside the lease in your portal.

Common things we add this way:

• A roommate or co-signer who was left off. This is the most common one. It often happens when a renewal is re-sent only to the people who had not signed yet, and someone already on the lease drops off the list by mistake.
• A pet that was approved but never made it onto the lease, along with the pet deposit and monthly pet charge.
• Appliances, including anything you brought yourself. Getting your own washer, dryer, or refrigerator listed protects you at move-out by making it clear the appliance is yours to take with you.
• Utilities, lawn or snow arrangements, or any other term that does not match what you agreed to.

How to ask: submit a request in your tenant portal, use the contact form, or call (785) 841-7300. Tell us which property and unit you are in and exactly what needs to be added or corrected. If it is a person, include their full name and email address so we can send them their own signature request.

Do not worry if your lease looks short a name. A missing signature on the paperwork does not remove anyone from the home, change what you owe, or put your tenancy at risk. Tell us and we will paper it correctly. If someone is actually joining or leaving rather than simply being corrected onto the lease, see changing roommates mid-lease, which has its own procedure and fee.

Occasionally a home is not finished by the start date, usually because cleaning or repairs ran long, a vendor was delayed, or something turned up during the turn such as a water leak or an appliance failure. When that happens we contact you as soon as we know rather than letting you find out on move-in day.

What we do: we move your lease start date to the day the home is actually ready and prorate your rent to match. You are not charged for any day you cannot move in.

The new start date goes into a short written lease amendment that you and your roommates sign, so the change is on the record and your rent, your first payment, and your lease end date all line up with the new date. If you already paid rent covering days you could not occupy the home, that amount is credited or refunded to you.

In nearly every case that is the entire solution: the same home you chose, at the rent you agreed to, starting a few days later with those days taken off your bill. Your security deposit, your approved application, and your place in the home are unaffected.

While you wait, please do not move belongings in early or pick up keys before we release the home. If work is still in progress the home is not finished or safe to occupy, and partial move-ins make the remaining work take longer. We will keep you updated on a regular schedule until you are in, including on days when there is no change.

If a delay turns out to be a long one rather than a few days, call us at (785) 841-7300 and we will work through it with you directly, including looking at other homes we have available if it comes to that. Please call us before making other arrangements; we would much rather solve it with you than have you scrambling.

Seeing Canceled on a document you already opened or signed is almost never a problem with you, and it does not mean your home, your renewal, or your application went away. It means we pulled that signature request back so we could correct something and send a clean one.

The usual reasons, most common first:

• Not everyone signed. This is by far the most common one. A lease is not finished until every tenant, every co-signer, and the manager have signed. When a request sits unsigned, we cancel it, confirm we have the correct email address for whoever still needs to sign, and send it again.
• A typo or a wrong term. A misspelled name, a wrong rent amount, an incorrect start or end date, a missing pet or appliance detail. Because a signed document cannot be edited after the fact, the only way to fix it is to cancel and reissue the corrected version.
• A newer version already went out. If your renewal was re-sent on an updated form, the older request is canceled so there is only one document in play and nobody signs the wrong one.
• Something changed. A roommate was added or removed, or the term changed after the first version was sent.

What canceling actually does: the old signing link stops working, so if you click the original email again it will tell you the document is no longer available. That is expected.

Nothing you signed is lost, and you are not being asked to sign the same thing twice for no reason. A brand new signature request arrives from Dropbox Sign, and that is the one to sign.

Roommates and co-signers, please read this part. One missing signature holds up the entire lease for everyone on it. If you have signed and the lease still is not complete, the fastest thing you can do is text your roommates and your co-signers and ask them to check their email, including spam and junk folders. Co-signers and guarantors are separate signers with their own emails, and they are the ones most often overlooked.

If the new request has not shown up, first check spam and junk, then look in your tenant portal, where any document waiting on you also appears. If it is still not there, call (785) 841-7300 or use the contact form and confirm the exact spelling of every signer's email address so the next one reaches everybody.

Congratulations! The next step to hold the property is to pay the security deposit within a few days of signing the lease. Until the deposit is paid, the property may remain available to other approved applicants, so please submit it as soon as possible.

Register for the tenant portal

1. Go to Location.ManageBuilding.com and click Resident Sign In.
2. Select Register Online under the First Time Visitor section.
3. Select your property.
4. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your lease and your email address.
5. Check your email for a temporary password and follow the instructions.

Our system requires a valid email address before online payments can be made, so make sure we have a current email and phone number for each occupant. Recurring or future-dated payments cannot be scheduled until the first day of your lease, but you can make same-day payments online before your lease begins to pay the security deposit and first month's rent.

Ways to pay

• Online (fastest and safest): ACH bank transfer with your checking and routing numbers, or credit/debit card (cards carry a third-party processing fee). Online payments post directly to your account.
• By check: payable to Location Properties Management L.C., mailed to 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047, or dropped in the labeled DROP BOX slot on the wall by the office entrance at the same address.
• We do not accept cash. Money orders are strongly discouraged because they are difficult to replace if lost or stolen.

Rent is due on the 1st of each month, and late fees may apply if it is not received on time. If you use your bank's bill pay service, allow mailing time; those payments are usually mailed as paper checks.

Tell us and we will fix it. Rent should post once per month, on the 1st. If your ledger shows two rent charges in the same month, or a rent charge dated the 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st or any day other than the 1st, that is a billing setup issue on our end, not something you did.

Why it happens:

• The most common cause is a renewal whose rent schedule was started on the day the old lease ended instead of the 1st. The new rent then keeps posting on that same day every month.
• It can also look like a double charge when next month's rent posts a few days early, landing in the same calendar month as the rent you already paid.

How to report it: submit a request in your tenant portal, use the contact form, or call (785) 841-7300. Tell us which property and unit you are in and the dates and amounts of the charges you are questioning. Screenshots of your ledger help.

We will correct the billing: remove or re-date the extra charge, reset the recurring rent so it is invoiced on the 1st going forward, and reverse any late fees that were triggered by the wrong date. Your late fee terms do not change.

Do not pay a charge twice to be safe. Pay what you actually owe for the month and let us correct the ledger. If a duplicate charge pushed your balance up right before the late fee date, say so in your request and we will make sure no late fee is assessed while we sort it out.

If we receive a utility bill for a time period after your lease started, that amount is added to your statement, and the lease adds a $25 service charge per utility bill, per month, for each utility that rolls over into the landlord's name until you get it switched. Switch your utilities now to avoid the fee going forward; our Utility Providers page lists who to call for each city.

What the lease requires:

• All utilities, including gas, water, sewer, electric, and trash (unless otherwise agreed in writing), must be in your name on the lease start date and stay in your name until the lease ends.
• Keep the interior temperature between 60 and 78 degrees at all times, including when you are out of town, and never turn utilities off during the lease.
• Utilities may be used only for normal household purposes and must not be wasted. If the landlord pays a utility and detects abuse, waste, or a rate increase, rent can be increased after notice.
• Internet and television are optional and paid by the tenant, including setup, wiring, and subscription fees; any additional wiring requires prior written approval.

Usually, yes. The gas company and the city water department typically require the tenant to be at the home to meet them when they activate service: the gas technician needs inside access to check appliances and relight pilot lights, and the water department wants someone present when the meter goes on. Due to logistics, Location Properties does not send property managers to meet utility activations, so plan to be there yourself, or arrange for another adult on your lease to be there, when you schedule the appointment.

Water activation tip: we strongly encourage you to turn off the main water shutoff valve inside the home before the water department activates the meter (here is how to find your main shutoff valve). If the meter starts running the moment it is turned on, the water department may shut it right back off because that looks like a leak, and if something really is leaking or a faucet was left open, water could flow unchecked while no one is there.

With the valve closed, the meter starts still; then open the valve slowly, walk the home to check faucets, toilets, and the water heater, and stay home for a while to monitor.

Gas activation tip: while the technician is there, ask them to light and check the pilot lights on your water heater and, if you have one, your fireplace so you know both work before they leave.

Your tenant portal is the Resident Center, powered by Buildium. Log in at Location.ManageBuilding.com in any browser, or download the Resident Center app for iPhone or Android and do everything from your phone. It is available 24/7:

• Payments: make a one-time rent payment, set up autopay, and view your full payment history.
• Requests: submit maintenance requests with photos or videos, see when a request is assigned to a staff member or vendor, track its status, and message us about it.
• Documents: view and download documents we have shared with you, including your signed lease in the eSignature Document folder.
• Insurance: post your renters insurance policy number and end date (or buy a policy), which stops the automatic insurance reminders: see how to post your policy.
• Announcements: read news and updates from Location Properties in one place.
• Contacts: reach your property manager any time.
• My Account: update your email and phone number, manage payment methods, and set up refund settings for your security deposit.

Trouble logging in? See what to do when you cannot log in. The software provider's help line is 1-888-414-1988.

Usually nothing is wrong with your account. Buildium (the software behind our portal) periodically expires your multi-factor identification (MFA), also called two-factor authentication (2FA). When that happens, the login page asks you to verify your identity again with a one-time code before it lets you back in, and it can happen on any device, even one that logged in fine yesterday.

To get back in from any device:

1. Go to Location.ManageBuilding.com and enter the email address we have on file for you.
2. If your password is not accepted, click Forgot Password to request a reset email.
3. Use the newest reset email only; older reset emails stop working as soon as a new one is sent. Portal emails come from donotreply@managebuilding.com, so check spam and junk folders too.
4. When the page asks you to verify your identity, enter the one-time code it sends (by text message, phone call, or email, or from an authenticator app, depending on how your account was set up). Again, use the newest code. Checking Remember this device cuts down how often you are asked.

Still locked out? Try a private browsing window and repeat the steps above there: in Safari click File, then New Private Window; in Chrome, New Incognito Window; in Edge, New InPrivate Window. A private window skips the stored site data that causes most blank pages and login loops.

If none of that works, request a password reset from us through the contact form, or call (785) 841-7300. We can confirm the email address on your account, re-send your welcome email, and clear the identity check so you can set it up again. The software provider's help line is 1-888-414-1988, but for account access Buildium usually refers tenants back to us.

Yes, your rent can count, and there are a handful of other things that move a score more than most people expect. None of this is fast, but all of it works.

1. Get your rent payments reported

Rent is normally not reported to the credit bureaus at all, so years of paying on time do nothing for your score. We have Rent Reporting turned on in your Resident Center so you can change that.

• Sign in at Location.ManageBuilding.com and look for Rent Reporting.
• It costs $4.99 per month, paid by you, and enrolling is entirely your choice. We do not require it and we are not paid for it.
• It reports the rent payment history you are already building, so it works in your favor when you pay on time. Get current before you enroll.

2. Pull your actual credit reports at no charge

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only federally authorized source for your reports from all three bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can pull them weekly at no cost. Be careful with lookalike sites that ask for a card number.

One catch worth knowing: that site gives you your reports, not your scores. The report is what matters most, because it shows what is actually being reported about you. Many banks and card issuers show your score at no charge inside their app.

Read every line and dispute anything wrong. Errors are common, and removing one that does not belong to you is the single fastest improvement available. Disputes are filed directly with the bureau at no cost.

3. What actually moves the number

The bureaus publish roughly how a FICO score is weighted, so you can spend your effort where it counts:

• Payment history, about 35 percent. Pay everything on time, every time. A single payment reported 30 days late can follow you for years. Put at least the minimum on autopay so a busy month cannot hurt you.
• Amounts owed, about 30 percent. This is your balance compared to your limit. Under 30 percent is the common guidance and under 10 percent is better. This is the fastest lever you have, because it can change within one statement cycle.
• Length of history, about 15 percent. Do not close your oldest card. Age helps you.
• New credit, about 10 percent. Several applications close together can knock your score down. Space them out.
• Credit mix, about 10 percent. A small mix helps a little. Never take on a loan just for this.

4. If you have little or no credit yet

A thin file is not the same as bad credit, and it is usually quicker to fix. Students and first-time renters are often in this spot.

• One small credit card, paid off in full every month. Put a single small recurring bill on it and set autopay for the full statement balance. You build history and pay no interest.
• A secured card if you cannot get approved for a regular one. You put down a deposit that becomes your limit, and many convert to a normal card later.
• Become an authorized user on a parent or family member card that is long-standing and paid on time. Their history can help yours.
• Credit-builder loans offered by many credit unions are designed for exactly this.

Carrying a balance does not help your score. That is a myth, and an expensive one. Pay in full.

If you were turned down for a rental

When an application is declined because of a screening report, you are sent an adverse action notice. That notice is worth reading rather than filing away, because it tells you which reason applied and it carries two rights:

• You can request a copy of that report at no charge from the agency that produced it, as long as you ask within 60 days of the notice. That is on top of your weekly reports from AnnualCreditReport.com.
• If anything in it is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to dispute it with that agency directly.

The three bureaus can be reached at Equifax 1-800-685-1111, Experian 1-888-397-3742, and TransUnion 1-800-888-4213. The screening company made no decision about your application; it only supplied the information.

A few other myths

• Checking your own credit does not lower it. That is a soft inquiry.
• Closing a card usually hurts, because it shortens your history and raises your utilization.
• Your income is not part of your credit score.
• You never need to pay a credit repair company. Everything above you can do yourself at no cost, and nobody can lawfully remove accurate information.

Be patient with it. Utilization can improve within a month, but payment history and account age take time by design.

Our portal is a secure way to pay like a check using your bank routing and account numbers (the numbers at the bottom of your checks), or by credit card. After you log in:

1. Click the green "Make payment" button to pay manually each month, or the white "Set up autopay" button to pay automatically on the same day every month.
2. The payment method defaults to "Credit card." Click the words "Credit card" and switch the choice to "Bank account."
3. Choose "Entire balance" to pay the full rent each month, or "Fixed amount" to pay only a set amount.
4. Enter your routing number (the number between the two "sideways smiley face" symbols at the bottom of a check) and your account number (the rest, except the final group of digits, which is just that check's number). Call your bank to verify if needed.
5. Confirm your name exactly as spelled on the bank account, confirm the account number, select a start date and frequency, and click the green "Next" button to save.

If it does not work or you need help, our software provider has a help line at 1-888-414-1988 and they will guide you through it.

Roommates: if you are not splitting rent, select Entire balance so the full rent is paid even if the amount changes. If you share rent with roommates or co-signers, each person should use Fixed amount only, not Entire balance.

Almost every double payment comes from one of two things: a payment was started twice in the same month, or a new autopay was added without deleting the old one, so both ran. Nothing is wrong with your account and the extra money is not lost.

Step 1: fix the autopay so it does not happen again

Log in at Location.ManageBuilding.com, click Payments, then Edit next to the payment you want to change.

• To remove an autopay entirely - click Delete Autopay in the bottom right corner.
• To change how much it pays - adjust the Fixed amount and click Next to save.

Which setting should I use?
Paying the whole rent yourself: choose Entire balance, so the full amount is paid each month even when it changes.
Splitting rent with roommates or a co-signer: use Fixed amount only. Do not select Entire balance - if two people both pay the entire balance, you get a double payment.

Step 2: decide what happens to the extra money

If you have already paid twice this month, you have three choices:

1. Leave it on your account and let it cover next month's rent. On the same Payments page, move the Payment start date forward one month so autopay skips next month.
2. A refund by mailed check.
3. An electronic refund straight to your bank - see below.

Setting up an electronic refund

1. Log in and click your name in the upper right corner.
2. Choose My Account, then Payment methods.
3. Add the routing and account number for the bank account the refund should go to. If it is the same account you pay rent from, it may already be there - just move on.
4. Choose Refund settings & move out, then Direct deposit refunds.

Tell us which of the three options you want - reply on your task in the portal or use our contact form - and our accounting team will take care of it.

Yes. You can pay your rent early any time you like in the tenant portal. Pay as much as you want ahead of time - a partial amount, a full month, or several months - there is no limit.

When you pay before rent is due, our system holds it as a prepayment and then automatically applies it toward the amount due on the 1st of the month. Paying early is completely optional - you are never required to - but it is an easy way to stay ahead or budget on your own schedule.

Prefer to set it and forget it? The tenant portal also lets you log in and set up automatic payments (autopay), so rent is paid on the same day every month without having to remember. Log in to set up autopay, or see how to pay rent online and set up autopay for step-by-step instructions.

Rent is due on the 1st of the month. That is the date in your lease and the date to plan around.

We do build in a short grace period before any late fee is applied, so a payment that lands a day or two after the 1st does not trigger a fee. If you know rent is going to be a couple of days behind, tell us - a short delay you have told us about is not something to worry over.

We would still rather you pay on the 1st. Paying on time keeps your ledger clean, and it is the habit that protects you if a month ever gets genuinely difficult.

The exact terms are on your lease and your statement

Late fee amounts, when they begin, and any daily fee are written into your specific lease, and the terms are also shown at the top of your ledger in the tenant portal. They vary by property, so please read yours rather than assuming. If you want us to walk you through exactly how it works for your lease, call (785) 841-7300 or use the contact form and we will lay it out plainly.

If rent is going to be more than a few days late

Tell us early. That is the single most useful thing you can do. We would much rather hear from you before the 1st than find out when the payment does not arrive, and there is a lot more we can work with when we have notice. Call (785) 841-7300 or use the contact form.

You can also pay early or in partial amounts any time, which is an easy way to get ahead of a month you already know will be tight.

Yes. There is a dedicated DROP BOX at 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047- a metal slot clearly labeled “DROP BOX” mounted on the wall by the office entrance, just below the Location Properties sign and beside the Ring doorbell camera. It works as a secure drop box day or night, so you can drop off rent checks, keys, and other paperwork even when the office is closed. The area is monitored by security camera.

• Make checks payable to Location Properties Management L.C. and write your rental address on the memo line. No cash, ever.
• For keys, use a labeled envelope with your name and rental address so we can credit the right account.

Fastest option: paying online in the tenant portal is preferred. Payments post to your account automatically, you get a confirmation, and there is no risk of a check arriving after the late-fee cutoff.

Yes. Under Part 12 of the Rules & Regulations renters insurance is required for the entire lease term, with proof of coverage before taking possession or within 15 days of signing, whichever is sooner.

The policy must carry at least $100,000 in personal liability coverage and list the Landlord and Location Properties as an Additional Interest (sometimes called an Interested Party) so we are notified if it cancels or lapses. Ask your agent to add it; it costs nothing.

Here is the part many tenants do not realize: the property owner's insurance covers only the building, never you. Without your own policy:

• Your belongings are completely unprotected. If a fire, burst pipe, storm, or break-in destroys your furniture, electronics, and clothing, the landlord's policy pays you nothing, and the lease releases the landlord from claims for damage to personal property. You would replace everything out of pocket.
• You are personally on the hook for accidents. If a guest is injured at your home, or a kitchen fire or an overflowing tub damages the building or a neighbor's unit, you can be held personally liable for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Liability coverage is exactly what defends and pays for that.
• You would pay for your own displacement. If the home becomes uninhabitable after a covered loss, loss-of-use coverage pays for a hotel and meals; without it, those costs are yours while you still owe your bills.

A typical policy runs about $15 to $25 a month, less than a single dinner out, for protection against losses that could otherwise wipe out savings. Keep it active the entire lease: if it lapses mid-term, renew it immediately and post the new policy in the tenant portal.

Two different protections, and you need both

A renters policy bundles two coverages that do completely different jobs:

• Personal property coverage protects your things. If fire, smoke, theft, or a burst pipe destroys your furniture, electronics, and clothing, this is what pays to replace them. The amount here is your choice: pick a limit high enough to re-buy everything you own, whether that is $15,000 for a modest apartment or far more for a full house.
• Liability coverage protects your wallet from other people's claims. If a guest is injured at your home, your dog bites someone, or a kitchen fire or overflowing tub damages the building or a neighbor's unit, liability coverage pays your legal defense and what you legally owe.

Neither substitutes for the other: property coverage will never pay an injured guest's claim, and liability coverage will never replace your couch. That is why both are part of the policy.

And while the property amount is yours to choose, the lease requires at least $100,000 of liability coverage, because accidents involving a building get expensive fast: a single kitchen fire can gut a unit and damage its neighbors, and a serious injury can mean surgery, lost wages, and legal costs that together run well into six figures. $100,000 is the practical floor, and raising it to $300,000 typically costs only a few extra dollars a month.

Choosing your amounts

The right amount depends on the value of your belongings, your liability needs, and living expenses if you were displaced:

• Personal property: most policies range from $15,000 to $100,000. Inventory your furniture, electronics, and clothing with an app or spreadsheet, and choose replacement cost value (RCV) rather than actual cash value, which deducts depreciation.
• Liability: at least $100,000 is common; $300,000 to $500,000 is better if you have significant assets or risk factors such as pets. This protects you if someone is injured at your rental or you accidentally damage someone else's property.
• Loss of use: covers hotel stays and meals if the rental becomes uninhabitable after a covered event. Policies typically include 20 to 30% of your property coverage.
• Medical payments to others: a small coverage, usually $1,000 to $5,000, that pays a guest's minor medical bills regardless of fault, often heading off a bigger liability claim.
• Water and sewer backup: many base policies exclude damage from a backed-up drain or sump; this inexpensive add-on covers your belongings when that happens, worth having in Kansas basements.
• Optional add-ons: flood or earthquake coverage (usually separate policies) and riders for jewelry, collectibles, or expensive electronics.

Too little coverage means paying out of pocket after a loss; too much means higher premiums with no added benefit. Adequate liability protection guards against expensive lawsuits. Remember the lease minimum: at least $100,000 liability, with Landlord and Location Properties listed as an Additional Interest (see the requirement above).

Once you have a policy, enter it in the tenant portal rather than emailing it in. The portal sends automatic renters-insurance reminder notices until a current policy is on file; posting your policy is what turns those reminders off (they return only when your policy's end date approaches, as a nudge to renew).

1. Log in at Location.ManageBuilding.com or open the Resident Center app; see how to log in to the tenant portal if it is your first time.
2. Click Insurance in the menu.
3. Choose the option saying you already have insurance (rather than purchasing a new policy) and add your policy details: the insurance company, your policy number, and the policy's start and end dates.
4. Save. Your coverage now shows on your account, and the automatic reminders stop.

No policy yet? Two easy ways to get covered

• A local Lawrence-area insurance agent. Any insurer works as long as the policy meets the lease minimum ($100,000 liability, Landlord and Location Properties as Additional Interest). Bundling with your auto insurance is often the cheapest route, and an agent can tailor higher property limits and add-ons like water backup. Then post the policy number and end date in the portal as above.
• Right in the tenant portal. The same Insurance page offers Buildium's renters insurance, powered by MSI: every resident is pre-approved, sign-up takes a few minutes, and plans currently offer $10,000, $15,000, or $30,000 in personal property coverage with $100,000 liability, guest medical, and emergency living expenses, starting around $12 a month. Policies run one year and auto-renew, and coverage bought in the portal is recorded automatically, so there is nothing to post and the reminders stop on their own.

If your belongings are worth more than $30,000 or you want higher liability limits, a local agent's policy is usually the better fit. Whichever route you choose, when you renew each year make sure the new end date is in the portal so the reminders stay off.

Either of these routes is all you need to do. Buying through the portal, or entering your own policy's details there yourself, means there is no need to also email your policy or send it through the contact form; the portal record is what our system checks. Treat the contact form as the last resort, only if you are genuinely unable to get your policy entered through the better options above.

Upload documents as attachments in the portal or send them through the contact form.

On an iPhone, you can scan paperwork as a PDF with the Notes app (video walkthrough):

1. Open Notes and create a note.
2. Tap the Camera button, then tap Scan Documents.
3. Hold the document in view (Auto mode scans it for you).
4. Tap Save and share the PDF.

Yes, on most of our leases. Please review the automatic renewal clause in your own lease, because the details control. In general:

• The lease automatically renews each year on its anniversary date unless the tenant(s) or landlord gives notice of non-renewal within the notice period stated on the lease summary page: 3 months on most leases.
• Unless a renewal offer states otherwise, the lease renews at a monthly rent 2% higher than the prior year, with other terms unchanged. A renewal offer from the landlord or manager supersedes the automatic 2% rate.
• A renewal offer is not guaranteed and is at the owner's discretion. Verbal discussions about renewal are not binding; only a signed amendment or new written lease is.

The full renewal terms are in Part 5 of the Rules & Regulations, which are incorporated into the lease. Your signed lease is always available in the tenant portal under Documents.

We know a rent increase is not welcome news, and you deserve a straight answer rather than a form letter. On most of our leases the rent rises 2% at each renewal unless a renewal offer says otherwise. Your own lease controls, so check the automatic renewal clause and the summary page for the number that applies to your home.

It is not about you. An increase at renewal is not a reaction to how you have kept the place, how often you have called us, or anything else about you as a tenant. We would much rather keep a good tenant than fill a vacancy.

What is actually driving it

The cost of owning the home you live in goes up every year, and two of those costs move a lot:

• Property taxes. Douglas County sends the property owner a valuation and tax notice every year. Across the properties we manage, we have generally seen property taxes rise somewhere around 5% to 8% a year. That is charged on the home whether or not the rent changes.
• Insurance. When the county raises the value of a property, the replacement cost the insurer prices against tends to rise with it, so the premium goes up too. One valuation increase can turn into two cost increases in the same year.

Set the usual 2% renewal against taxes and insurance climbing faster than that and you can see the shape of it: in most years the increase is closing a gap rather than getting ahead of one.

Who decides the amount

The renewal rate is the owner's decision. We manage the property on their instructions and we pass along the terms they set. If the increase is a genuine hardship, tell us before you sign or before the notice deadline passes rather than after. We cannot promise an outcome, and we will not pretend otherwise, but we can take a specific request to the owner and give you their answer. Timing matters more than most tenants realize, so see the renewal timeline.

If rising rents concern you, the taxes are worth a letter

Renters carry property tax increases too, just indirectly, and the people who set those numbers are elected and reachable:

• The county appraiser sets the value the tax is calculated on.
• The county commissioners, with the other taxing bodies, set the levies applied to that value. They hold public comment periods, and letters and emails from residents are a normal part of that process.
• The county treasurer bills and collects.

In Lawrence that is the Douglas County Commission, the Douglas County Treasurer, and the Douglas County Appraiser. If you rent from us in a different county, write to that county's commissioners and treasurer instead. Current contact details are on the county's own website.

We are not telling you how to vote and we do not take positions in local elections. Tenants ask us where the increases come from, and this is the honest answer along with who actually decides it.

On most leases the automatic renewal decision point is 3 months before the lease anniversary date, so the renewal season for your home starts a few months before that. Here is the typical sequence:

1. Renewal offer: prior to the 3-month automatic renewal deadline (on most leases), a property manager sends you a renewal offer, usually by email or a message through the tenant portal, with the proposed rent and any updated terms for the next year.
2. Your response: reply to accept, ask questions, or discuss terms. If you do not plan to stay, this is the time to give written notice of non-renewal (see below).
3. Renewal lease by eSign: the property manager then sends the renewal lease (or renewal amendment) for electronic signature through our software's eSign service, which is powered by Dropbox Sign. Every adult tenant (and any guarantor) receives their own signature request email.
4. Completion: once everyone has signed, all parties automatically receive the completed copy by email, and it appears in the tenant portal under Documents. Your security deposit carries forward to the new lease term.

Renewal offers and renewal leases are emailed, so check your spam and junk folders during renewal season, and make sure we have your current email address. If your anniversary date is approaching and you have not heard from us, call (785) 841-7300 or use the contact form rather than letting the deadline pass.

Exactly the same two ways you signed your original lease:

• From the email: click Review & Sign in the signature request email from Dropbox Sign, click each highlighted field, apply your signature, then click Continue and I agree. The sender address ends in mail.hellosign.com because the eSign service sends it on our behalf; that is normal. Full steps are in How do I sign the lease from the eSignature email?
• From the tenant portal: log in at Location.ManageBuilding.com or in the Resident Center app; a document waiting for your signature appears as an alert on your home screen. See How do I log in to the tenant portal to sign my lease?

Each roommate and guarantor signs from their own email or portal login, and the renewal is complete once everyone has signed. Have not received the renewal signing email? Check your spam and junk folders first: see I never received the signing email, or sign through the portal instead. For login help, the software provider's line is 1-888-414-1988.

Give written notice of non-renewal within the notice period stated in your lease: on most leases, that means no later than 3 months before the anniversary date. Notice by email or a message through the contact form is sufficient; include your name and the rental address, and we will confirm receipt in writing.

Without timely notice from you or the landlord, the lease renews automatically for another year under the automatic renewal clause. Once your notice is in, see Moving Out & Security Deposits below for the move-out checklist, key return, and how to get your deposit refunded by direct deposit.

We understand the excitement of shopping for a home to buy, but no: we do not allow month-to-month tenancies or flexible lease ending dates. The lease is a binding contract with a fixed end date, and we must enforce the lease contract as written.

Please do not rely on conversations about this: no verbal discussion or email discussion with a property manager or property owner is agreeable or in force about ending a lease on a different date. The only way a lease ends early is a signed amendment that ends the lease the day prior to a replacement tenant moving in, under the Finding a Replacement Tenant procedures outlined in your lease, in How do I end my lease early and get a replacement tenant? below, and in Part 5 of the Rules & Regulations.

So while home hunting, plan your offer and closing dates around your lease end date, or budget for some overlap. If you do not plan to stay past your anniversary date, give written notice of non-renewal within the notice period (see the FAQ above). Buying instead of renting again? Bryan Hedges can help you buy instead of rent at BryanHedges.com.

No. Emails, text messages, phone calls, and in-person conversations with a property manager or the property owner do not amend or change a lease, no matter how the discussion was worded or who it was with.

Discussing a possible change is never the same as making one. If anything said or written in a conversation differs from your lease, the written lease document prevails.

The only way to change a lease contract is a written amendment signed by everyone involved: all tenants, any co-signers, and the landlord. Until that document is fully signed by every party, nothing has changed, and the lease stays in force and is enforced exactly as written. This protects you just as much as it protects the owner: no one can claim you agreed to something you never signed.

If you believe a change has been agreed to, the test is simple: is there a fully signed amendment in your tenant portal under Documents? If not, there is no change yet.

This applies to lease ending dates, rent, move-out dates, roommate changes, pets, and every other lease term. See also Can my lease end or renewal date be flexible? and Part 5 of the Rules & Regulations.

All leases end at noon on the final day of your lease. We cannot grant extensions past noon of your move-out date, and any time after noon may be considered holdover time and result in rent charges.

By that time, you must surrender the home in as good order, condition, and repair as when you received it (ordinary wear and tear excepted), remove all personal property and debris, clean the home thoroughly, and have the carpet cleaned by a professional cleaning company. The items below walk through each requirement.

We understand that plans change, and sometimes it becomes important or necessary to end a lease early. As property managers, we are not allowed to end a lease early unless someone else agrees to take on the obligations under the lease. That means finding a replacement tenant who signs a brand-new lease. This is not a sublease; it is a full replacement with a new lease.

The terms below are signed as a lease amendment sent through Dropbox Sign. To start the process, contact us through the contact form or the tenant portal.

The cost, in summary

• $100 administrative fee, non-refundable, due before we list the home for rent; it covers marketing and advertising.
• One-half month's rent, non-refundable, due once a replacement tenant signs a lease and pays their security deposit; it covers leasing and administrative costs.

Your obligations until the replacement starts

• You remain responsible for rent, utilities, and all other lease obligations until the replacement tenant's lease starts or your original lease expires, whichever comes first.
• Keep utilities on until the day the new tenant moves in. If they are shut off early, you will be charged the utilities plus administrative fees for turning them back on.
• You are not entitled to any proration or refund for days the home sits vacant between your move-out and the replacement tenant's move-in.
• For single-family homes and townhomes, you must continue mowing and snow removal until the replacement lease begins, or those services will be arranged and billed to you.

Move-out requirements

• You must fully vacate at least 5 days before the replacement tenant's scheduled move-in date.
• All normal move-out requirements still apply: professional carpet cleaning with a receipt, full removal of belongings and trash, thorough cleaning, and return of all keys and remotes.
• If extra cleaning or repairs beyond normal wear and tear delay the replacement tenant's move-in, you pay daily prorated rent until the home is rent-ready.

Other terms

• If 6 or more months remain on your lease, we may advertise the home at a higher, current market rate; that does not change what you owe during the vacancy period.
• There is no automatic release. You are released from the lease only when an approved replacement tenant signs a new lease and you receive written confirmation of your termination from Location Properties.
• Your end date is set by the amendment only. The signed amendment ends your lease the day prior to the replacement tenant's move-in, and your rent responsibility runs through that date. No verbal or email discussion with a property manager or the property owner changes your lease end date, and there is no month-to-month or flexible-date option: see Can my lease end or renewal date be flexible?
• Your deposit is handled through the normal move-out process; the Security Deposit Itemization Form is postmarked within 30 days of the lease end date, as required by law.

In short: $100 upfront plus half a month's rent, keep utilities on until the new tenant moves in, and move out at least 5 days before their lease starts. Contact us and we can start the process right away.

We understand that plans change, and sometimes it becomes necessary to find a replacement roommate before the end of a lease. Keep in mind that releasing a roommate from the lease is rarely approved: it happens only when the conditions described in What if one roommate moves out and the rest of us are staying? are met, approval rests with the property owner and Location Properties, and the departing roommate remains fully responsible until every step below is complete. If a request is approved, the process:

1. The new roommate applies and is approved.
2. A Roommate Change Amendment is signed by the departing, remaining, and new tenants, sent through Dropbox Sign, and the $100 administrative fee is paid. The account must be current on rent and charges, and the change takes effect on the first day of a month.
3. A new deposit is charged and paid by the new tenant, and the former tenant's deposit is refunded.

How the deposit works

• A new deposit is charged to the ledger when the new lease starts, and the new tenant must pay it.
• The former tenant's deposit is sent only after the new deposit is paid. We need the forwarding address of every tenant who is leaving, or they can sign up for an EFT refund in the portal.
• New deposits that go unpaid can result in eviction of the current tenants.

What all tenants agree to

• The original move-in inspection carries over to the new lease; there is no new inspection, and the original is available on request.
• Damage, cleaning, and repairs charged when the lease finally ends are not charged against former tenants or their deposits; once the new lease is in effect, they are no longer responsible for the property's condition.
• We cannot record the condition of individual rooms or areas to settle damage claims between roommates.
• The current tenants are responsible for the key exchange.
• No one may move in sooner than the agreed move-in date on the new lease or renewal.

Every person who signed the lease is jointly and severally liable for the entire rent and all lease obligations until the lease ends, no matter who actually lives in the home. Moving out does not release anyone, and rent is never prorated or divided by rooms. A roommate who leaves without a signed amendment is still fully responsible, right alongside the roommates who stay.

We generally do not approve removing a roommate from the obligations of the lease, so it should never be assumed that a roommate who moves out will be released.

Requesting a release (rarely approved)

Your household can apply for that rare possibility by submitting a written request for the property owner and Location Properties to consider. A request is considered only through one of two paths, and meeting a path's criteria does not guarantee approval:

1. Replacement roommate - an approved applicant joins the lease through the roommate change process above.
2. Release without replacement - the remaining roommates requalify for the full rent on their own under our standard screening criteria (income, credit, and rental history), or add an approved guarantor. If the remaining roommates do not qualify and no replacement is found, the departing roommate stays on the lease through the end of the term.

If a request is approved: a $100 administrative fee applies, the account must be current on rent and charges, the amendment is signed by the departing roommate, all remaining roommates, and any new roommate, and the release takes effect on the first day of a month. Until all of that is complete, nothing changes.

What happens to the security deposit

The deposit belongs to the tenancy, not to individual roommates, and is held intact until the lease finally ends. We do not refund partial deposit shares mid-lease, so a departing roommate collects their share directly from the roommates who stay.

The exception is a replacement swap: the new roommate pays a new deposit, and the former roommate's deposit is refunded after it is paid. If the departing roommate has an approved pet, the pet leaves with them unless a remaining roommate gets written approval to keep it; any pet deposit stays in the pooled deposit until move-out.

In short: everyone who signed stays responsible for the whole lease, and releases are rare and never assumed. Your household can submit a written request for the owner and management to consider - supported by a replacement roommate or by the remaining household qualifying on its own - and if approved, the release costs $100 and takes effect the first of a month. Full details are in Rules and Regulations Part 5.4.

Immediately upon move-out, provide your forwarding address in writing: use the contact form, give written notice to the office, or use the tenant portal. We cannot take new addresses over the phone; they must be in writing to be tracked properly.

Enter it in the tenant portal

1. Log in to the tenant portal.
2. Click your name in the upper-right corner.
3. Click My Account.
4. Click Refund Settings.
5. Add your forwarding address and click Save.

If no current or correct address is provided, your refund is mailed to your last known address, which may be the rental itself, and you will be responsible for any bank, check, or stop-payment fees before a lost check is reissued.

Refunds are sent by EFT (preferred) or by mailed check (allow up to 2 weeks for delivery). To receive an EFT, sign up in your portal before the lease ends:

1. Log in to the tenant portal with your email address and password.
2. Click your name in the upper-right corner.
3. Click My Account, then Refund Settings.
4. Add your forwarding address.
5. Click Direct Deposit Refunds and follow the prompts to enter your bank information.
6. Click Save.

If you have trouble logging in or cannot enter your information through the portal, send your forwarding address and refund instructions through the contact form or submit a task through the portal.

Expecting a mailed check that never arrived? See my refund check was lost in the mail below.

Work through these steps in order; most "lost" checks turn up in the first three:

1. Check your email for the amount sent. When your refund is processed, the Security Deposit Itemization is emailed to you showing the exact amount and date. Knowing what was sent, and when, tells you what you are looking for and when it should arrive.
2. Go back through your mail for a plain white window envelope. The refund is a printed check inside an ordinary white windowed envelope. It looks like routine business mail, so it is easy to set aside or toss with junk mail; check any unopened pile before assuming it is lost.
3. Make sure your mail is being forwarded. If you have not filed a change of address, the check went to your old address. File or verify forwarding to your current location at USPS.com. Note that forwarded mail commonly adds another 3 to 10 days on top of normal delivery.
4. General lost-mail steps: allow about two weeks from the processed date before assuming the worst; sign up for USPS Informed Delivery so you can see envelope scans of mail headed your way; ask the current residents of your old address to watch for it; and if more than two weeks have passed, file a Missing Mail search with USPS.

If all of the above fails: we can place a stop payment on the original check for a $35 fee at the tenant's expense (the bank's charge, deducted from the reissued amount) and reissue the refund as a new check or an EFT direct deposit through the tenant portal (see setting up direct deposit refunds).

To request the stop payment and reissue, put the details in the contact form: if the refund involves roommates, include each tenant's name and what percentage of the refund each person should receive (see how multi-roommate refunds are handled).

By default, one deposit return check is made payable to all tenants on the lease, along with a statement of any deductions, mailed or emailed to the last known addresses. Cashing it requires all signatures, and the group decides how it is split; we will not judge which individual gets which share.

One designated recipient: we prefer to issue one refund payable to a designated roommate or co-signer who then distributes the funds. For this option, all roommates and co-signers must confirm in writing through the contact form who is authorized to receive the refund.

Separate checks (divided deposit): tenants or roommates who want the deposit divided up should submit that request through the contact form, stating the amount or percentage due to each person, with a forwarding address for each individual. If the split is not equal (for example, because of a pet deposit or another agreement), specify the dollar amount or percentage for each recipient.

Whichever option your group chooses, each roommate expecting a share should also log in to the tenant portal and add their EFT (direct deposit) information and their forwarding address, so their portion can reach them without waiting on a mailed check: here is how to enter both in the portal.

If a mailed refund check never arrives, see my refund check was lost in the mail: after the search steps, a $35 stop payment (at the tenant's expense) and a reissue can be requested through the contact form, listing each tenant's name and the percentage each should receive.

Deliver the house keys and mailbox keys (if applicable) in an envelope labeled with the property address to the Location Properties office at 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047. Use the labeled DROP BOX slot on the wall by the office entrance (below the Location Properties sign) any time, day or night. Garage remotes stay at the property.

• Do not leave keys at the home. They must be turned in to the office. If keys are left at the house without letting the office know, any delay in gaining entry is charged as maintenance at $50 per hour.
• If you do not have the keys, notify the office at (785) 841-7300 before the end of your lease. Keys not turned in, or turned in unlabeled, result in a lock replacement charge; missing remotes are charged for replacement.
• Entering the property after keys are turned in is considered trespassing, and you may not come back to finish cleaning or collect items.

• Remove all scheduled payments in your portal before you move out, or they will go through, and the extra rent can only be refunded when the deposit is processed. We cannot adjust or cancel them for you, and overpaid rent cannot be refunded faster than 7 to 10 days.
• Keep an updated email address and phone number in the system so we can reach you about your deposit or anything found after move-out.
• File your change of address with the postal service at USPS.com or a local post office. If your deposit check is mailed to your old rental, we cannot access that mailbox for you, and a returned letter causes delays.

The home, including fixtures and appliances, must be thoroughly or professionally cleaned before the move-out inspection. That includes detail cleaning of all floors, bathrooms, the kitchen, appliances inside and out, drawers, cabinets, dusting, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and so on.

• Any damage to walls, doors, ceilings, or scuffed paint must be professionally repaired and repainted to match the existing walls. If you are unable to do this properly, please do not patch the holes.
• You are responsible for keeping utilities on for cleaning.
• You may not come back after keys are turned in to complete additional cleaning or collect items.

Tenants are required to have all carpet professionally cleaned before or on the last day of the lease (before noon on the final day). After your lease end date, no services can be allowed in on your behalf; carpet cleaners will not be able to enter. Keep your receipt as proof of professional service.

Professional cleaning is required at the tenant's expense regardless of whether you move out early, the carpets seemed dirty at move-in, the home is being sold, the carpets are being replaced, or any other reason not agreed to by the landlord.

• Renting equipment such as a "Rug Doctor" does not count as professional cleaning. If carpets are not professionally cleaned, Location Properties charges a $50 admin fee plus the cost of the professional cleaning.
• If pets lived in the property: use pet odor-removing carpet powder and vacuum, then have a professional company clean the carpets with an enzyme pet odor remover, and provide receipts showing both treatments.
• If cleaning does not restore the carpet to the required condition, the landlord may replace it, and both the cleaning and replacement charges can be assessed.
• Utilities must be on for carpet cleaning.

Remove all alterations or additions you made and, at your expense, restore the home to the same condition as at the beginning of the lease (or as improved), subject to normal wear and tear.

Tenants must repair or pay for all damage to the home and its contents caused by tenants, guests, or visitors, including broken windows, doors, fixtures, flooring, cabinets, counters, appliances, walls, ceilings, stairs, decks, and driveways.

• Yard: if applicable, the yard must be cleaned up and mowed before keys are turned in.
• Belongings: remove all personal property and trash from the home, outbuildings, and property. Anything left behind is considered abandoned and will be disposed of; the landlord does not store left items, and all removal and trash costs are charged to the tenant. Animals or pets may never be left at the property after move-out.
• Trash: the city will not pick up piles of trash left at the curb. Remove it yourself or arrange a special city pickup, which cannot be scheduled after your lease ends. Nothing may be left at the curb except the trash cans; anything else results in labor and travel charges for removal.

Keep all utilities on in your name until the last day of your written lease, even if you move out early, to avoid the fees and penalties described in the lease for early shutoff. Utilities are also needed for cleaning and carpet cleaning.

Keep in mind that utility companies often disconnect the morning of the scheduled date. If you schedule shutoff for the last day, you may have no utilities on the final day of your lease, so it is safest to schedule disconnection for the day after your lease ends.

Our property managers inspect each property as soon as possible after keys are turned in, during hours determined by the landlord's agent. All cleaning and removal of items must be complete before the inspection.

• You do not need to wait to walk through with us, but you are welcome to come when we do the inspection. It takes between 15 minutes and 3 hours depending on the size of the home.
• Before, during, and after the inspection, the agent cannot discuss results or deposits; those are worked out later by comparing the move-in and move-out inspections.
• If you attend, no repairs or adjustments to the home may be made, and the inspection will not be stopped or rescheduled.

No. Condition that existed before you moved in is never charged to you at move-out. Your security deposit is settled by comparing the home's condition at move-in with its condition at move-out, so the protection comes from the record, and that record starts before you ever get keys.

Here is some reassurance: we documented the home before you moved in. Location Properties photographs the home and makes written condition notes as part of our move-in inspection, before every new tenancy begins. Existing wear, dated finishes, and imperfections are already on file with dates, and none of that is held against you later.

Your part: add your own documentation in the first few days. It makes the record even stronger, and we genuinely welcome it.

• Note everything on your move-in condition report, including small things.
• Take your own photos or video of each room before your furniture goes in. Your phone dates them automatically.
• Send us each item so it lands in the home's permanent file: submit a maintenance request in your tenant portal and attach the photos, or use the contact form on our website.

You choose what happens next with each item. It is completely fine to say “documenting only, this does not need to be repaired.” If something is broken or affects your daily use of the home and you would like it looked at, say so in the request and we will review it and follow up with you.

For the full step-by-step on protecting your deposit, see how to document something that was already broken and how deposit deductions are handled.

Report it in writing, with a photo, as early as you can. A dated record created at move-in is the single best protection your security deposit has. A conversation with someone during a walkthrough is not enough on its own - if it is not written down somewhere we can find it later, it is very hard to prove months or years afterward.

How to do it:

1. Complete and return your move-in condition report within the time stated on the form. Note everything, including small things - a chipped countertop, a broken blind slat, a stained carpet, a cabinet door that will not close, a missing shelf or refrigerator bin.
2. Take photos and video of every room before you move furniture in, and keep them. Your phone timestamps them automatically.
3. Also submit a maintenance request for each item and attach the photos. That puts it in the property's permanent record with a date, where any of our staff can find it later. This is the step people skip most often.

You do not have to want it fixed. It is completely fine to submit a request that says “documenting only, this does not need to be repaired.” We would rather have the record than not. If you do want it repaired, say so and we will schedule it.

Missed the move-in window? Report it anyway, as soon as you notice. A record created in month two is far better than none at move-out, and we take context into account - for example, wear that clearly predates your tenancy.

What this does not cover. Documenting damage does not extend to things that get worse because they were not reported. If a small leak or a soft spot in the floor was pre-existing but you noticed it worsening and did not tell us, the additional damage can still be your responsibility. When in doubt, report it.

See also how deposit deductions are handled.

Deductions for damages, needed repairs, and needed cleaning of the home and its contents are taken from the security deposit at the approximate cost of repair or replacement, plus an administrative fee to coordinate the repairs.

• The Security Deposit Itemization Form is sent, emailed, and postmarked within thirty (30) days of the end of the lease, as legally required (postmarked within 30 days, not in-hand).
• The deposit is not processed until the inspection is done, repair estimates are created, and move-in comparisons are complete. No information about the deposit is available until you receive the statement.
• Disputes must be in writing within thirty (30) days of the date on the security deposit statement. The easiest way is our Security Deposit Appeal form, which walks you through stating what you agree and disagree with; a message through the contact form also counts. Include the property address you are writing about. Deposits are never discussed by phone, in person, or by text, and late dispute letters will not receive a response.
• The security deposit is not the limit of tenant liability. If charges exceed the deposit, the balance is due within thirty (30) days of the transmittal form date; unpaid balances are subject to collection remedies against tenants and guarantors plus interest at the legal Kansas rate.

Time-sensitive: A past-due balance must be settled within two months of moving out. After that, it is turned over to a collection attorney or collection service, and at that point it can no longer be paid to, or discussed with, Location Properties directly. Please take care of it right away.

While your balance is still with Location Properties (before it goes to collections), you can pay one of two ways:

• Online through the tenant portal. Log in to the tenant portal and pay your balance. Portal access is automatically turned off 30 days after your lease expires. If it has already been turned off and you would like to pay online, just let us know through our contact form and we can reactivate your access on request.
• By check. Mail a check to:Location Properties
  3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110
  Lawrence, KS 66047

Once it is in collections - if it has been more than a few months and you have started receiving collection notices from a third-party attorney or collection service - Location Properties can no longer accept payment or communicate with you directly. You must pay the collection provider handling your balance:

• Local collections are handled through the Graves Jilka Law Firm.
• National collections are handled through Hunter Warfield at (866) 494-9902.

Your collection notice will list the contact information for the agency handling your account.

No. The Kansas Landlord/Tenant Act says that if you do, you could not only lose your security deposit, but you would still owe the rent or the other charges you were trying to use it for.