Current Residents Resources

Prior to move in, you need to procure renters insurance.

Per the Lease, Section 18a:

All personal property placed in the Dwelling Unit, storage rooms, or in any other part of the Landlord’s property, shall be at the sole risk of Tenant(s) or the parties owning the same, and Landlord shall not be liable for the loss, destruction, theft of, or damage to such property. Tenant(s) are required to secure a renter’s insurance policy that can cover the cost for repairs for damages to the Premises caused by the Tenant(s) as well as damages to personal property which shall meet the minimum coverage limits and other terms specified by Landlord for the duration of the Lease term and any renewal term(s), and shall list Landlord and Agent as additional insureds on such policy. Landlord’s minimum coverage limits shall be as follows: adequate amounts to insure the value of Tenant’s personal property, and $100,000 per occurrence for liability. Tenant(s) shall provide Agent a certificate of insurance evidencing insurance coverage meeting the provisions of this subsection at or prior to the Commencement Date of this Lease, and on or before any Lease renewal thereafter. In the event Tenant(s) shall fail to acquire renter’s insurance and provide the required certificate of insurance, or if Tenant(s) allow any coverage to lapse during the term of this Lease, then Landlord may, but shall not be obligated to, secure liability coverage which shall name Tenant(s) as an insured and the premium for which shall be reimbursed to the Landlord with the next monthly installment of Rent after Landlord sends its premium invoice to Tenant(s) and shall be considered Rent for all purposes. Landlord further reserves the right to require Tenant(s) to pay for the cost of renter’s insurance obtained through Landlord.

If you have any questions about these requirements, please reach out to your Property Manager.

In order to pick up keys and move in, everyone on the lease must have a $0 balance and guarantor requirements met (or self-qualified). If you arrive at the office on or after your lease start and balances have not been paid or guarantor requirements have not been fulfilled, you will not be able to pick up your keys.

Balance includes (per person) all fees and charges per your lease, including, but not limited to:

• Routine Systems Maintenance Fee
• Security Deposit
• Key Fee
• Administrative Fee (if applicable)
• Parking (if applicable)
• Common Area Maintenance Fee (if applicable)
• Animal Rents/Deposits/Fees (if applicable)
• First Month’s Rent/RLL

You can login to your Tenant Web ACCESS account and make an electronic payment online or you can mail your checks/money orders (fee-free) to:

MATCHBOX REALTY
PO BOX 222312
CHANTILLY, VA 20153-2312

For more detailed instructions, please see Making Payments.

Your initial balance, including the first Rent/RLL charge, is due by your lease start date. After your lease starts, rent is always due on the 1st of every month and is considered late any time after the 1st. ‘Slow Mail’ and ‘Weather’ do not qualify as exceptions. Matchbox is not responsible for late payments due to delays in the postal service system. If the rental payment is not received by the 5th of the month at 5PM, a Late Fee will be assessed against you.

A Late Fee, as specified per your lease, is 10% of the periodic rent due, or 10% of the outstanding balance, whichever is less. You will also receive a notice via email notifying you that you are in breach of your lease and payment must be made promptly. If you do not make payment in a timely manner, then an Unlawful Detainer or Warrant-in-Debt will be filed against you in the local court of jurisdiction in order to collect the debt due.

Many tenants appreciate the convenience of autopay to make sure rent payments are always on time. When you enroll, set an end date 60 days after your lease end date to enable autopay to process your last month’s rent and any potential move-out related charges.

If you have any questions regarding your guarantor requirements, please review your lease summary or reach out to us at info@matchboxrealty.com or at 540-434–5150

The resident is responsible for placing all utilities in their name and pay all utility bills due for services to the premises for which resident is responsible (unless otherwise agreed to in the lease). At the termination of the lease, the resident is responsible for having all utilities services disconnected. If you are a JMU student, we recommend contacting JMU’s Utility Deposit Assistance Program PRIOR to contacting utility companies.

Most utility providers will only put an account in one person’s name. Please work this out with your roommates/significant others.

If a utility is billed through Matchbox, as outlined in the lease, the bill will be sent electronically to the tenant whose last name is alphabetically higher. The bill will not be split between roommates and this will need to be worked out between the occupants.

Learn more about utilities here.

Your lease begins at 12PM (noon) on your lease start date. Beginning at that time you may collect your keys at:

Matchbox Realty Office
202 N Liberty Street, Suite 101
Harrisonburg, VA 22802

To ensure prompt service, you’re welcome to schedule your pickup time in advance. Our office is open Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM. Keys will not be released until 12PM on your lease start date.

If you need to pick up your keys after hours, on a weekend, or on a holiday, please contact your Property Manager to arrange self-check-in using our secure key lockers.

• For weekend pickup, you must contact your Property Manager no later than 3PM the preceding Thursday.
• For weekday after-hours pickup, please reach out at least two business days in advance.

Important: If you arrive outside of business hours without pre-arrangements and a representative is called in, a $75 cash fee will be required at the time of service.

At pickup, you may be asked to present a government-issued ID. We’ll have your keys, fobs, parking stickers, and guest passes ready for you.

Please place your parking sticker on your vehicle immediately. If friends or family are helping you move, ensure they park in visitor spaces, use street or city parking, or display a visitor pass.

If you experience any issues during after-hours pickup, call 540-434-5150 ext. 7 for assistance.

On your lease start date, your lease begins at 12pm. We work up until the last minute to ensure your apartment is ready.  Therefore, keys cannot be issued early – NO EXCEPTIONS. Please plan accordingly.

If you aren’t able to collect your keys during normal business hours and do not want to set up a key locker box, you have two options:

1. If there’s an individual who you trust to pick up your keys on your behalf, please notify your Property Manager with your approval. A simple “I approve for [Jane Doe] to pick-up my key” is perfect. We’ll make a note on your account to allow the release of your key to that person when they present their ID at the main office.

Please note that if you also wish for this individual to pick-up your permanent parking sticker, you must also provide us with your acknowledgment that you’ve read and agree to the community Parking Policy. The individual will need to know your vehicle’s auto make/model, license plate # and whether or not you have dark tint on your rear view window.

2. We have an employee on call 24/7. If you’re willing to pay a $75 cash charge (equal to our lockout fee), they will meet you at the Main Office to get your key(s). The time frame for providing your keys may vary as this person is on call for other emergencies and may have extended transit time to get to the office. If you would like to go this route, dial 540-434-5150 and press extension 7.

The first tenant to check-in for your unit will be given the move-in inspection, which is due back within 5 days of the lease start date – NOT your move in date. We need 1+ signature(s) on the bottom of the move-in inspection; not all residents need to sign the move-in inspection.

The move-in inspection is your and your roommates’ opportunity to document any existing cosmetic damage to your unit/house to ensure you are not held liable for those preexisting damages at your move-out. There is one move-in inspection for the entire unit. If you see something and don’t want to be charged for it, WRITE IT DOWN! In addition, you must document these issues with photographs and submit them via email to your Property Manager. Move in inspections will not be accepted without pictures! If there are any functional damages you notice upon your move-in, your property manager will submit a work order.

The exception to the move-in inspection process is if you signed an “as-is” lease. Keep in mind that since there is no turnover period with an as-is lease, there is no formal move-out/move-in inspection procedure (and thus no move-in inspection). Tenants who sign an as-is lease are given (per Specific Provisions) 5 days from commencement date of their lease to report any preexisting damages.

This is outlined Per the Lease, Section 9:

Tenant(s) will make an inspection of the Dwelling Unit, and Tenant(s) will agree that the Dwelling Unit is in a fit and habitable condition, except for such damages as have been itemized in a written “Move-In Inspection Report,” a copy of which will be submitted by Landlord to Tenant(s) within five (5) days after the Commencement Date of the Lease. The Move-In Inspection Report will be deemed correct unless Tenant(s) object to it in writing within five (5) days after Landlord has provided same to Tenant(s), and Tenant(s)’ response must include photographs of any items to which Tenant(s) object. Tenant(s) agree that if the Move-In Inspection Report is not timely returned, Tenant(s) are deemed to accept the Dwelling Unit in perfect condition. Notwithstanding the preceding, if this Lease is an “AS-IS” Lease, then Tenant(s) shall be required to submit to Landlord a Move-In Inspection Report within five (5) days after the Commencement Date of the Lease, including photographs of any items noted, which Report shall be deemed correct unless Landlord objects thereto within five (5) days of receipt. If Tenant(s) under an “AS-IS” Lease fail to timely deliver to Landlord a Move-In Inspection Report, Tenant(s) are deemed to accept the Dwelling Unit in perfect condition. Landlord is not required to make repairs to address damages noted on the Move-In Inspection Report unless required by law. Tenant(s) hereby acknowledge that the Move-In Inspection Report reflects that there is no visible evidence of mold in the Dwelling Unit or that portion of the premises which is occupied by Tenant(s). If the Landlord’s Move-In Inspection Report states that there is visible evidence of mold in the Dwelling Unit, Landlord will remediate the mold prior to delivering possession of the Dwelling Unit to Tenant(s). Upon completion of such remediation, Landlord shall re-inspect the Dwelling Unit to confirm there is no visible evidence of mold in the Dwelling Unit, and shall state on a new Move-In Inspection Report that there is no visible evidence of mold in the Dwelling Unit upon re-inspection. Upon completion of such remediation, Landlord may deliver possession of the Dwelling Unit to Tenant(s).

Check your mailbox during move-in to ensure your key works and you are able to locate the appropriate box. If you open your mailbox to find mail from the previous residents, please write “RETURN TO SENDER” or “DOES NOT LIVE HERE ANYMORE” on each individual piece of mail and deposit the mail in the outgoing mailbox. The mail carrier will redeliver the mail to the previous tenant at the forwarding address they provided the United States Postal Service. Be sure to provide your new address to USPS as a forwarding address if applicable.