Current Residents Resources

In order to pick up your keys and move in you need to be sure that your account reflects a $0 balance. If you arrive at the office on or after your lease start and have not paid this balance, you will not be able to pick up your keys.

This includes (per person):

• Routine Systems Maintenance Fee

• Security Deposit

•  Key Fee

• Administrative Fee
• Common Area Maintenance Fee (if applicable)
• Any Animal Rents/Deposits/Fees

• 1st Months’ Rent

Please make payments payable to Matchbox Realty.  Unfortunately, we cannot accept payments at our onsite office – check payments must be mailed to MATCHBOX REALTY, PO BOX 222312, CHANTILLY, VA 20153-2312. We do offer online payment options!

Rent is always due on the 1st of every month, and is considered late anytime after the 1st. ‘Slow Mail’ and ‘Weather’ do not qualify as exceptions. 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 on page 1 of 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 we will file an Unlawful Detainer or Warrant-in-Debt against you in the local court of jurisdiction in order to collect the debt due.

Signing up for auto pay online keeps you from having to remember one more thing to do every month!

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 whos 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.

Prior to your Move-In date, which is the start date of your lease, you may pick up your keys in our office or arrange keys to be picked up in our exterior key locker boxes.

You need to contact your Property Manager to set up key pickup in the key locker boxes. If picking up in office, it is best to schedule a pickup time so that we can ensure you are helped in a timely manner. Our office is open Monday through Friday (9am-5pm). We do offer key pickup after hours and on the weekend through our key lockers, but you MUST be sure to arrange this prior to your move in date. If picking up on the weekend, the pickup date must be chosen no later than the Thursday at 5pm prior to the weekend you are choosing to pick up your keys.

Prior to or at the time of pickup, you may be asked to provide a government-issued ID. We’ll have the appropriate keys/fobs, parking stickers, and guest passes ready!  Place your parking sticker on your car immediately. If you have friends or family helping you move, please be sure they park in appropriate visitor spaces, street/city parking, or use a visitor pass.

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

If you aren’t able to come pick-up your keys during normal business hours and do not want to set up a key locker box, you have 2 options:

1. If there’s an individual who is in town and you would 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 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 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 move-out. There is 1 move-in inspection for the entire unit. If you 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 any functional damages you notice upon your move-in, such as a broken toilet seat,  submit a maintenance request.

The exception to the move-in inspection 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.