Madison Gardens
Your Responsibilities
Daily
Use the Right Dish Soap
Do not use gel packs in the dishwasher. We recommend compressed powder packs, liquid or powder detergents.
ALWAYS Display Your Parking Pass
1st Choice Towing has a 24/7 contract with MVH, meaning that even if you park without a pass or in a fire lane for “30 seconds, just a minute, or run in real quick,” you run the risk of being towed at YOUR expense. Guests must park in a designated, stamped “VISTOR” space. You cannot save visitor spaces with your own vehicle or you run the risk of being towed at your expense. Visitor parking spaces cannot be guaranteed and operate on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Use a Washable Laundry Bag
Place socks, undergarments, and other small washable items in a washable laundry bag before you start your washing machine. These have the ability to clog the drain pump, preventing your washer from properly draining. The cost to remove the source of the clog would be a tenant charge, and appliance technician service calls begin at $80 (yikes!).
Take Out the Trash & Recycle
Be sure to take your trash to the on-site dumpster bins regularly. If grounds finds trash being stored outside your apartment, they’ll remove it at the cost of a $50/person fine. There are trash & recycling bins conveniently placed throughout the community – check out our map to find the one closest to your building.
Monthly
Change Your Air Filter
Keep your AC & heat functioning at optimum performance. You need a 24x24x1 disposable fiberglass or poly (flat) filter, NOT pleated. Locally, Rocking “R” Hardware or Airco keep the size & type air filter you need on their inventory, although they may not always have them in-stock – be sure to plan ahead. Home improvement stores (such as Lowe’s or Home Depot) can special order an air filter at your request to them. If all else fails, order in bulk through Amazon.
Pay Your Rent: Due 1st/Month Every Month
With the exception of your first months’ rent (your lease may not begin on the 1st/month), RENT IS ALWAYS DUE ON THE 1ST MONTH. Rent is late after the 1st. Our grace period extends through the 5th/month at 5pm. Late fees will be assessed at that time, which are 10% of the periodic rent due, or 10% of the outstanding balance, whichever is less. We accept check or money order payments at our onsite office year-round. Please make payments payable to Matchbox Realty. Unfortunately we cannot accept cash or credit card payments at our office locations. We do offer online payment options, including affordable automatic payment options!
Once your account is created through Matchbox Residential, you can login to your account and make an electronic payment online. For more information about online payments and setting up auto payments please see the Payment Options in Sample Forms.
Matchbox also accepts the following forms of payment:
1. Personal Check/Money Order/Cashier’s Check
2. Bank Bill Pay Check – (Monthly check payments to Matchbox set up through your bank)
Please make CHECKS PAYABLE TO MATCHBOX REALTY, write Unit Number and Account Number on memo, and mail to:
MATCHBOX REALTY, PO BOX 222312
CHANTILLY, VA 20153-2312
As Needed
If you’re unable to flush your toilet, please try to plunge it before submitting a work order. If maintenance finds that the toilet is functioning properly with the exception of the clog itself, you’ll be responsible for maintenance to plunge the toilet. As a friendly reminder: Please keep in mind that flushing paper towels, feminine products, “flushable” wipes, etc. WILL cause the toilet to clog.
If a large water puddle forms when you shower, or in your sink when brushing your teeth – your drain may be clogged. Please try an over-the-counter drain clearer and/or your drain snake first (such as Draino). If maintenance finds that the drain is clogged from hair, for example, you’ll have to foot the bill.
Keeping your apartment pest-free is a less common occurrence, but worth mentioning! If an issue arises with pests in your apartment, please attempt to treat the pests yourself before submission of a work order. If you would like our recommendation on a product, don’t hesitate to ask. Often times, these work orders result in tenant responsibly. For example: Maintenance finds that an ant infestation in your apartment is due to a tasty, sweet fruit punch split on the kitchen floor. An extermination treatment for this issue would result in tenant responsibility. For more Pest recommendations, see our Maintenance Troubleshooting page here.
If you hear a faint chirping in your apartment, you aren’t going mad! Chances are – you need to replace the smoke detector batteries in 1 or more of the smoke detectors in your apartment. These take a 9V battery. Maintenance personnel completed a smoke detector test prior to your move-in (new batteries were installed; detectors were tested). If the batteries die during your lease term, be sure to promptly change them as this is a tenant responsibility, per the Lease. Rest assured that the smoke detectors are indeed backed up electronically between the time the chirping begins and the time you change the battery. Unsure how to open the smoke detector to reach the battery? Let us know! Safety is our #1 priority, and fire safety is VERY important to us.
Be sure to take your trash and recyclable materials to the on-site bins regularly. If our grounds crew finds trash being stored on your patio or in the breezeway, they’ll remove it at the cost of a $50/person “Improper Trash Disposal” fine plus the cost of removal. There are trash & recycling bins conveniently placed throughout the community – check out our map to find the one closest to your building. Please note: The City of Harrisonburg’s Single Stream Collection Program does not apply to apartment communities.
Change Light Bulbs
Per the Lease, light bulbs must be replaced with the same or greater efficiency bulb (i.e. replace LED bulbs with LED bulbs, etc); light bulbs with same fixture MUST have the same color temperature and fixtures within the same room must match.
There are 2 different sizes/types of light bulbs in your Madison Gardens:
- Bathroom: These are vanity bulbs.
- Elsewhere: All other light fixtures in the apartment* take a standard bulb. Matchbox is a certified GREEN business under the Virginia DEQ – Please purchase LED bulbs prior to move-in.
*Please note that appliance bulbs (microwave, oven, fridge, etc.) may vary. We recommend you remove the bulb and take with you to the home improvement store to ensure you purchase the correct bulb with the correct wattage.
Pay Your Utility Bills
Water & electric must be kept ON and in your name(s) for the duration of your lease term. If you’ll be gone for the summertime or winter break, there are breakers you can shut-off in an effort to conserve energy & keep your bills low while you are away!
If, during your lease term, you shutoff utilities, the services can/will be transferred to Matchbox’s name, and our office will receive a bill – you and your roommates will each receive a $50 Utility Bill Processing Fee fine for each bill we receive, in addition to the cost of utility usage. To avoid the possibility of a fine, please ensure you have water and electric ON and in your name(s) for the duration of your lease term! This includes Winter Break, Summer Break and extended vacations.
If you dare to shut-off your electric, let us tell you a cautionary tale… There once was a group of young ladies who shut-off their electric for the entire summer – 3 months! Maggots made themselves a home inside the controls of the fridge. The entire fridge needed to be replaced at a cost of $1,015! No one lived happily ever after.
Basic Guidelines (as listed in the Lease)
The Lease provides invaluable information on payments, keys, maintenance and much more. We get a lot of questions about what you can and cannot alter in your apartment. Below are some common bullet points that will answer many of these questions. If you have any additional questions, please contact us!
- Tenant shall not remodel or make any structural changes, alterations or additions to the premises.
- Tenant shall not paper, paint or decorate, or install, attach, remove or exchange appliances or equipment.
- Tenant shall not use adhesives, tape, nails or poster putty on walls, ceilings, doors, etc.
- Tenant should use a limited number of tacks or small pushpins for hanging objects on the walls only in order to minimize damage.
- Tenant shall be responsible for any excessive damage to walls, and any damage to doors, woodwork, appliances, ceilings or fixtures caused by nailing, taping, or affixing in any manner pictures, posters, mirrors, hangers, or other items thereto.
- Tenants shall be responsible for any special cleaning/disinfecting needed due to any medical condition (i.e. allergies to dust, smoke, animals, etc.)
- Tenants understand that the numbers of telephone, cable and internet lines provided to the dwelling unit are provided in an “as is” condition.
- The current exterior & interior locks CANNOT be changed without written permission from Landlord/Agent. All lock changes must go through Matchbox and our Maintenance division. If Tenant changes the original locks without permission, Tenant will be charged for the cost of immediately removing the locks and installing the original or new lock as well as the cost of the new lock.
- Tenants shall use removable floor coverings (i.e. throw carpets) to cover 75% of any wood or other hard surface flooring in a unit.
Your Address
Input Your Correct, FULL Address for Online Orders
If you gave United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx or any other carrier an incorrect address, tracking down your package may be a hassle! Be sure to include your FULL address when ordering online.
Are you missing a package? We do not accept packages/mail at the onsite office. That being said, there are a couple different possibilities…
• If your order was shipped via USPS, they normally place the package (if it fits) inside your mailbox. If the package does not fit, they would have left a key inside your mailbox to open the larger compartment. Sometimes undeliverable orders are sent back to USPS’ main Harrisonburg office, which is located on Route 11 (3811 South Main Street; Harrisonburg, VA 22801). Have you checked there?
• If your order is shipped via UPS or Fedex, they would either leave the package at your door (if no signature is required) or have one of your roommates sign for the package. Fedex often offers residents the opportunity to pick-up shipments in the evening from their Ship Center – information on this option would’ve been left on a sticky note on your door.
• Do you have a tracking number? If so, have you called UPS, Fedex or USPS directly to locate your order?
Read Emails
You’ll often receive emails from the Matchbox Realty Team, including your Portfolio Manager & the Assistant Portfolio Manager but also from our Accounting Department Staff, Director of Marketing, Director of IT, Front Desk Receptionist & others! OUR INTENTIONS ARE NOT TO SPAM YOU; OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR OBLIGATIONS & OUR COMMUNITY.
Examples of email notifications you may receive during your tenancy are:
• The Official Renewal Notice: We would love for you to say with us year after year, so we always offer our current residents the first priority to renew. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your apartment.
• Community Events: Throughout the year, we’ll host a handful of community events for you & your friends. In the past, we’ve had a grab-n-go breakfast at the bus stop, an NFL game showing on a 50 foot projector in our clubhouse & a JMU tailgate. These events are always free & we always have d-e-l-icious food. Win-win!
• Past Due or Auto-Pay Notifications: If you paid rent online (or if you NEED to), Accounting will keep you in the loop.
• Showing or Inspection Notices: For any non-emergency entry, we’ll provide 24+ hours’ notice. Seasonal inspections include Winter Inspections (December) & Furniture Inspections (April).
The Golden Rule
Your lease, especially the Rules and Regulations section, outline all of your responsibilities. All of these can be summed up by the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you want to be treated.” This includes your dwelling – treat it as if it were your own valuable piece of real estate that you want to last forever. Keep your place looking nice year round. After all, it’s much easier to clean up once a week than once a year right before you move out.
