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Leasing & Move-In

Step 1 – How We Do Things

  • We have heard the same questions for 10+ years, so we created a single page to answer them all.

  • When you have a question or in the future, always start here:

How We Do Things

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Step 2 – Tour the Home

If you haven't already, tour the home in-person before requesting a lease. 

  • Homes are rented as-is. What you see is what you get. Make sure you like it.

  • If you don’t like it, choose a different home.

  • We're not going to verify that you toured the home, but if you skip the tour and are unhappy, that's on you.

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Homes are not new. You may notice:

  • Normal wear

  • Light pet odors

  • Things that are only noticeable in person

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Not local yet?

  • Call us to request a virtual tour.

  • We'll drive to the home and walk through the home with you live.

 

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Step 3 - Confirm You Are Ready to Pay

Lease start dates:

  • Vacant home: 2 days after we send the lease

  • Occupied home: 2 days after the current tenant moves out

​Deposit

  • We do not hold homes without payment.

  • You have until the end of the next business day to sign the lease and pay the deposit.

  • If not paid, we will offer the home to the next approved applicant.

Rent

  • Rent for your first month is prorated and is due before the lease start date.

  • After this first month, all rent payments are due on the 1st of the month. 

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Step 4 – Request a Lease

  • When your group is ready to sign the lease and pay, please have one applicant from your group submit a lease request using the link below.

  • Please do not submit duplicate forms. We pay a fee for each submission, and duplicate requests can slow down processing.

  • Online forms are processed in the order they are received. Requests submitted during business hours are typically processed the same day, and all requests are processed by the next business day at the latest, even during especially busy periods.

  • Once your request has been processed, you will receive an email from AppFolio with instructions to create your password, sign your lease, and pay the remaining balance.

  • There’s no need to call for a status update—we’ll email you as soon as your lease is ready.

Request a Lease

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Step 5 - Lease Processing & Logins

When we process your lease request you will receive two logins by email:

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VillagesForRent.com (Our website)

  • This is where you request help for everything other than maintenance.

  • You will get an email inviting you to create a password.

  • The subject of the email is "You're now a member”.

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AppFolio (Property Management Software)

  • This is where you will sign your lease, pay rent, view your balance, and request maintenance.

  • You will get an email from AppFolio to create your password.

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These links expire in a few hours, so create your password right away.  If you don't create your password in time: Reset your login

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Step 6 – Sign ​Lease & Pay Deposit

Your new home will be reserved after you sign the lease and pay the deposit. You have until the end of the next day to complete both steps. After that, the signing link will expire, and the home will be offered to the next approved applicant.

  • Sign Lease

    • All tenants must create an AppFolio account.

    • All tenants must sign the lease.​​​​​​

  • Pay Deposit

    • Any tenant can pay the deposit, or you may split it.

    • If someone else will be helping you pay the deposit, they can use your login or you can email them the Cash Payslip

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​​To be fair for all applicants, if you don't sign and pay by the end of the business day after you request a lease, the next approved applicant will be offered a lease.

 

 

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Step 7 - Pay Balance Due

  • Pay rent within 3 days of your lease start date.

  • We need the extra 2 days because we need to dispatch the maintenance tech to prepare your new home.

  • IMPORTANT: We can't give you the keys until your payment clears. Online checks and debit payments take 7 days to clear, so:

    • If your move-in is less than 7 days from the payment date, pay the balance due with cash or credit card.

    • If your move-in is more than 7 days out, you can pay by eCheck or debit.​

How We Do Things > How to pay​​​

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Villages Lifestyle ID

After you pay your balance in full, we will automatically email the required form to the Villages Lifestyle ID Department for approval and processing. Please contact the Villages Lifestyle ID Department directly to confirm that your ID is ready and to ask where you should pick it up. Other than submitting the form, we are not part of the approval, processing, or pickup process.

(352) 753-6691

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Step 8 – Turn On Utilities 

Start utilities on or before your Lease Start Date.​​​​

  • Find the utility companies for your home in AppFolio. The list is not on our website.

  • Download your lease from the Documents tab in AppFolio. Some utility companies may ask for a copy.

  • Contact each utility company and start service in your name.

  • We cannot set up utilities for you.

 

Avoid Extra Charges

If we receive a utility bill for dates during your lease, we will charge your account for your share.

  • If the bill includes days before your lease started, we will split the bill by whole days between you and the property owner.

  • A $20 billing fee is added to each utility bill we have to charge to your account.

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Pro Tip: Start One Day Early

  • The easiest way to avoid getting a utility bill from us is to start service the day before your lease begins.

  • Example: Lease starts June 10 → Start utilities June 9.

  • Some utility companies charge activation fees of around $75. Because of these fees, even a utility bill covering only a short time can be expensive.

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How We Do Things > Utilities​​​​

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Step 9 - Prepare the Home

The day before your lease start date, one of our maintenance technicians will visit the home to prepare it for move-in. ​The technician will:

  1. Check Essential Systems and Fixtures - We test the home’s major systems, appliances, plumbing fixtures, locks, and other essential items to make sure they are working properly.

  2. Document the Home’s Condition - We complete a move-in inspection and document the home’s condition before you take possession. This creates a clear record of any existing wear or damage and protects both you and the property owner.

  3. Locks & Lockbox - We rekey the locks and place the keys in a lockbox on the front door so you can move in without scheduling an appointment.

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Most move-in preparations are straightforward, but occasionally we discover an unexpected issue. If an issue delays your move-in, we will notify you by text or email and credit your account for the prorated rent covering the days the home was unavailable.

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Once everything above is complete, our system will automatically send the lockbox code to the email address associated with your AppFolio account. There is no need to call for an update, as calling cannot speed up the preparation process.

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Step 10 – Move In

The day before your lease starts, we will:

  • Complete the Maintenance Checklist

  • Record a move-in video to document the current condition of the property.

  • Rekey the locks

  • Place 2 keys in a lockbox on the front door

  • Email you when the home is ready

 

After you receive the email:

  • Pick up the keys and move-in anytime. No appointment needed.

  • Place the lockbox in a kitchen drawer. It belongs to the home and will be charged to your account if missing at move-out.

 

Before unpacking:

  • Complete the Maintenance Checklist.

  • Confirm that the previous tenant and/or our maintenance team met the standard of quality.

  • If something is not functional, submit a maintenance request in AppFolio.

Maintenance Checklist

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Tell Us How To Improve

We are constantly improving. Please make a suggestion.

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