RENTER FAQS

All of our current listings are on the Available Properties page of our website, and they update automatically as homes come on and off the market.

If a home is not on that page, it is not available. Please be careful with rental listings you find on classified sites that we did not post, since rental scams often copy real listings.

Yes. We ask that you view the property before submitting an application, so you know exactly what you are applying for.

You can schedule a showing through the listing on our website or by calling 919-471-2007.

You apply online through the general rental application on our website. The application fee is $80 and it is nonrefundable once your application has been processed.

Every adult who will live in the home needs to submit their own application.

We look at four things: credit, income, rental history and background. You need a minimum credit score of 625. We verify your income, we contact previous landlords about payment history and how you cared for the home, and we run a criminal background check.

Everyone is screened using the same standards.

Possibly. Scores in the 625 to 650 range are reviewed more closely, and an application in that range may be denied if there are delinquent balances on the credit report.

If you know there is something on your report that needs explaining, tell us when you apply rather than after. Context helps.

Our goal is to process every application in 2 to 3 business days. Applications are handled in the order they are received, and the biggest delay is usually waiting on a previous landlord or an employer to respond to a verification request.

You can speed things up by uploading complete income documents at the start and letting your current landlord know we will be calling.

Once your application is approved and you choose to take the home, you pay a nonrefundable reservation fee. That fee takes the property off the market and reserves it just for you.

At lease signing, the reservation fee converts into your security deposit. From that point it is handled under your lease and in line with the North Carolina Tenant Security Deposit Act.

The deposit amount is set for each property and is shown on the listing. North Carolina law also sets a ceiling: for a lease longer than month to month, the deposit cannot be more than two months' rent, and for a month to month lease it cannot be more than one and a half months' rent.

Your security deposit is held in a trust account with a licensed and federally insured institution, as state law requires.

North Carolina law requires your landlord to mail or deliver an itemized accounting, along with any balance owed to you, no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends and you return possession.

If the full extent of any damage cannot be determined within 30 days, the law allows an interim accounting within 30 days and a final accounting within 60 days. Make sure we have your forwarding address before you hand back the keys.

Three things:

1. Turn on every utility listed on your lease in your name, and send proof to our leasing office.
2. Send us a copy of your renters insurance, or choose our tenant liability waiver.
3. Pay your first month's rent by check or through your Renter Portal.

We cannot release keys until all three steps are done, so start your utility transfers and renters insurance several days before your move in date.

For a typical single family home that means electric, water and sewer, gas, and trash service. Your lease lists exactly which utilities are yours. In some cases, utilities are paid by Apple Realty and billed back to you through your Renter Portal.

In our area, electric is usually Duke Energy, Wake Forest Power, Piedmont Electric Cooperative or Wake Electric, depending on where you live. Water is billed by the City of Durham, the City of Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cary, or Franklin County for Youngsville. Gas is Dominion Energy, now part of Enbridge. Internet is optional and is not required by your lease. Our Utilities page lists current provider contact details.

Many of our homes allow pets, but not all of them do, so check the listing first. Where pets are allowed, there is a monthly pet fee of $40 per pet, with a maximum of two pets.

Dogs and cats must be approved by Apple Realty in writing before they move in. If you want to add a pet after you have signed your lease, you need written approval first and must complete a pet screening. Contact our leasing office for specific instructions.

A pet means a common household pet such as a dog, cat, fish, hamster or bird. Reptiles and birds of prey are not permitted.

The following dog breeds and their mixes are not permitted: Akitas, Chow Chows, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Pit Bulls, Presa Canarios, Rottweilers, St. Bernards, Wolf Hybrids and Great Danes. These restrictions come from insurance requirements, not from a view about individual animals.

Yes. Every applicant completes a pet screening profile, including applicants with no animals at all. It only takes a few minutes and it keeps the process consistent for everyone.

If you have a service animal or an assistance animal, complete the profile and tell us, so we can handle your request correctly under fair housing law. Assistance animals are not pets and are not charged a pet fee.

Keep your pet treated for fleas and ticks, pick up and dispose of waste properly, keep your pet leashed outside, and keep noise under control so your neighbors are not disturbed.

If a pet shows aggressive behavior, it must be removed from the property immediately. You are also responsible for any damage or liability your pet causes to the home, yard or other people.

Rent is paid online through your Renter Portal. You can pay by bank draft or card, and you can set up automatic payments so rent goes out on the same day each month.

The portal also shows your ledger, so you can always see what has been received and what is due.

Pay as soon as you can, and tell us before the due date if something has gone wrong. Letting us know helps us understand your situation, but it does not change your lease obligation to pay on time.

North Carolina law limits late fees on a monthly lease to the greater of $15 or 5% of your monthly rent, and the fee cannot be charged until rent is at least five days late. If rent goes unpaid, state law generally requires a demand for rent and a 10 day period before a court case can be filed.

Log in to your AppFolio Renter Portal and submit a maintenance request. Please add photos where you can, because a clear photo often lets our coordinator send the right vendor with the right part on the first visit.

If something is pressing but not an emergency, submit it through the portal and mark it urgent.

An emergency is anything that causes danger or harm to the property or the people in it and cannot wait until the next business day. If there is a fire, a gas leak or a threat to life, call 911 first.

For an after hours emergency, call 919-471-2007, select the option for emergency staff, and leave a message with the details. We will respond by phone or text. Please use the emergency line only for true emergencies, so it stays open for the people who need it.

Yes. Your lease requires you to keep renters insurance with at least $300,000 in liability coverage. You can buy your own policy that meets that requirement. We highly recommend adding coverage for your personal belongings, which protects you from financial loss if damage to the home affects your things.

You can also choose our tenant liability waiver. It meets the liability requirement but does not protect your personal belongings the same way. The waiver is added to your monthly charges if you opt in, or if your own renters insurance policy is cancelled or lapses.

Anyone over 18 living in the home has to apply, be screened and be added to the lease. Please talk to us before someone moves in, not after.

Subletting is not permitted, and unauthorized occupants will result in a $500 violation fee.

We reach out well before your lease ends with lease renewal options and any change in rent, so you have time to plan.

Residents who pay on time and take care of the home are residents we want to keep, and we set the new rental rate fairly based on the current market.

Give written notice to end the lease at least 30 days before your lease end date, as your lease requires. Keep utilities on through the last day of your lease, return every key, remote and garage opener, and leave the home clean and clear of belongings.

Give us your forwarding address in writing, so your deposit accounting reaches you once it has been processed.