For your convenience we have prepared this checklist to assist you with our leasing process and company policies. Please refer to our “Leasing Center” page for additional information and rental forms.
Step 1: View apartment.

  1. Make an appointment with a member of our team or your own real estate agent to view the apartment you are interested in leasing. Decide if the apartment suits your needs.

Step 2: Submit your completed rental application package. Original, signed forms only; copies will not be accepted. The application package consists of the following:

  1. Completed rental applications by all applicants.
  2. Guaranty of Lease Forms (if applicable) for each applicant.
    1. Applicants are required to have a qualified guarantor cosign the lease if they are a student, if they are not financially qualified to rent the apartment on their own or if they have a poor credit history. The term Students includes but is not limited to: undergraduate, graduate, medical, post doctorate, law and dental students.
    2. Guarantor Forms must be notarized – copies will not be accepted. Please contact a member of our team in advance to make sure you are using the correct form for the apartment you are applying for.
    3. International Students not able to secure Guarantors in the United States are able to submit an I-20 form in lieu of the Guarantor Form.
  3. Comprehensive Credit Reports for each applicant and each guarantor.
    1. Our management team charges a $35.00 fee to pull credit. If you are applying through a real estate agent; your agent should be able to assist you in securing a copy of your credit report.
  4. First Month’s Rent Deposit
    1. All deposits must be made in cleared funds (Cashier’s Check or Broker’s Check). Personal checks will not be accepted. We also do not accept cash or credit payments at the office.

Step 3: Approval Process:

  1. Our team will review your completed rental application package. Please be advised that during this process additional information may be requested. This process may take up to two business days.

Step 4: Lease Signing:

    1. Once you have been approved to lease the apartment you must schedule a lease signing at our office. Our team is available for lease signings Monday through Friday between 10:00am and 4:00pm. All prospective tenants must sign the lease within 48 hours of being approved. All applicants must be present at the lease signing.
    2. We will only make one appointment per apartment to sign the lease.

Step 5: Payments:

  1. Move-in related deposits must be paid in accordance with your pre-lease agreement. Our office requires the following payments to be made in advance of your lease commencement date:
    1. First month’s rent
    2. Last month’s rent
    3. Security Deposit (equal to one month’s rent)
  2. All deposits must be paid in full within 30 days of lease signing.
  3. All payments must be made in cleared funds (Cashier’s Check or Broker’s Check). We do not accept cash or credit card payments at the office.
  4. Please contact a member of our team to ensure the checks are made payable to the correct entity.

Step 6:Please note: We will not be able to release the keys to an apartment unless all of the steps listed above have been completed. All monies and paperwork must be submitted by the dates specified in your pre-lease agreement in order to secure the apartment. If you are unable to meet the agreed upon deadlines you must contact the office ASAP***

Please note that subletting is considered on a case by case basis. In the case that Heath Properties provides written consent for your sublet, a $250.00 non-refundable sublet fee will be charged. Heath Properties does not assist in advertising sublets or securing individuals to sublet rooms in apartments. If you are requesting to sublet a room for a period of time you will need to provide our office with the following information:

  1. Completed rental application from the person looking to sublet the room in the apartment.
  2. Comprehensive credit report for the person looking to sublet the room in the apartment.
    1. Our management team can pull credit reports for a fee of $35.00 per report
  3. If the sublet is a student he or she will need to have a Guaranty of Lease form filled out by a financially qualified guarantor. This form will need to be notarized and returned to our office along with the rental application.
  4. All current roommates, if any, must submit a letter in writing consenting to any sublet choice and time period.
  5. You will be notified by our office if the sublet is approved.
  6. All original name(s) remain on the lease through the original lease term. You and your guarantors are responsible if your sublet does not pay rent or creates damage in the apartment. We will continue to debit the rental account you already have set up for your monthly rent through the term of your lease.

Heath Properties does not allow lease breaks. Under certain circumstances special consideration is made. Lease breaks are considered on a case by case basis and are not a right. In the case that Heath Properties provides written consent to terminate a lease early, a $500.00 non-refundable lease break fee will be charged. Heath Properties may assist in advertising an apartment for re-rental but will not guarantee or take any responsibility for securing a replacement tenant for any given lease term. The lease break fee does not include costs associated with Term Rental Shortages; Real Estate Fees; Advertising Costs and/or Credit Reporting Fees.

  1. Heath Properties and the current lessee(s) will work together to advertise the unit for re-rental. Our team can place the apartment on our listing sheet which is circulated to most real estate companies in the city, daily. The current lessee(s) should also place advertisements in the local papers and on the internet, including Craigslist. Any interested parties should be forwarded to our office for follow up.
  2. You will be required to reimburse Heath Properties for any real state fees paid on your behalf (if any) to re-rent your unit. In Massachusetts, the real estate fee is typically equal to one month’s rent. If time becomes a constraint, offering to pay the real estate fee can often be the convincing factor to a potential renter and should be considered to help facilitate your lease break.
  3. You are required to pay your monthly rent through the term of your lease and any extensions thereof until the apartment has been successfully re-rented and our office has collected a signed lease and all monies associated with the re-rental of the property. This will apply even if you are not physically living in the apartment during the re-rental process.
  4. If the unit is re-rented for less that your current monthly rent, you will be held responsible for the difference in rent through the term of your current lease and any extensions thereof.
  5. You are required to keep current on all utility accounts, whether you occupy the unit or not, through the term of your lease or until the unit has been successfully re-rented. This is especially important during the winter months. If damage is caused to the property as a result of your negligence, you will be held responsible for any and all costs associated with repairs and replacement costs for items that are not able to be repaired. An example of such damage would be: If water pipes froze and burst, flooding out the unit and/or any other units in the building due to your heat being off.
  6. You are required to reimburse Heath Properties and/or its’ agents for all advertising costs associated with re-renting the apartment.
  7. If you vacate the unit during the re-rental process, you are responsible for reimbursing Heath Properties for any and all costs associated with restoring the unit to a “clean and habitable condition with no defects” so that we can market the same condition to new, potential clients.
  8. You are responsible for all costs, including attorney’s fees, for the collection and enforcement of this lease.

*Please reach out to our team if you have any further questions or concerns. Lease breaks and sublets are not recommended.