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Frequently Asked Questions

Current Tenants

General Lease Questions
Payment of Rent & Other Charges
Move-In & Move-out
Maintenance & Repairs
For Association Unit Owners

Current Tenants

General Lease Questions

Who is the Landlord of my Property?

CityCom is your property manager, but not your Landlord. Please refer to your lease agreement which will contain the formal name of your Landlord. However, all inquiries relating to your tenancy should be directed to us, and rent payments may be made payable to “CityCom” as we will deposit those funds in a trust account on behalf of your Landlord.

 


Who is responsible for Utilities?

This depends on the type of property you occupy, and the form of lease that governs your tenancy. Please consult your lease for specifics, and contact your Property Manager if you have any questions.


Are there parking rules?

Almost always, YES! Your lease will contain details regarding items such as maximum allowable spaces and employee parking guidelines. In addition, all tenants are asked to implement common courtesy practices, such as avoiding parking in front of someone else’s building entrance and similar considerations. Also, there are usually rules which prohibit overnight parking, abandoned vehicles, etc.


What do I do if someone is parked/parking in my parking space?

First, note that in the majority of cases, parking lots are operated and available on a mutual, nonexclusive basis (meaning that the lot is shared by all occupants of the center). But if someone parks in front of your building entrance, or in a reserved space, try the diplomatic route first: Place a pleasant note on the car, and find alternate parking for that day. If the situation continues, write down the information of the car (description, license plate, etc.) and contact your Property Manager. You should NEVER call a towing company as you do not have authorization or authority to do that.


My lease is about to expire, what happens next?

You should receive a courtesy renewal notice around 45 days prior to your lease expiration, which will outline the steps required to renew your lease. But if you don’t receive the courtesy notice, please be sure to contact your Property Manager well in advance of your lease expiration date. Note that if you have an Option to Extend in your lease, the responsibility to exercise those options falls on you, and normally those must be exercised within a certain prescribed time frame prior to your expiration date or they will be invalidated.If you do not renew your lease by the specified expiration date and remain in possession of the premises, the lease automatically renews on a month to month “hold-over” basis. In some situations, the hold-over rent amount can be significantly higher, so it is important to work with your Property Manager on a renewal prior to the end of your lease term.

 


What if I do not want to renew my lease?

If you are on a term lease with a specific expiration date, you should plan to vacate no later than that date. Of course, advance notice is very much appreciated. For month-to-month tenancies, advance written notice of at least 30 days is mandatory.


What happens if I need to move before the end of my lease?

If this unfortunate circumstance comes to be, you will need to contact your Property Manager as soon as possible to discuss the situation in detail. Breaking a lease prior to its scheduled expiration date is usually not allowed, but steps can be recommended to try and mitigate the situation (finding a replacement tenant, lease buy-out fees, selling your business, etc).

 


What happens if only one person wants to be removed from the Lease?

Again, this would need to be discussed with your Property Manager and considered on a case-by-case basis. When a lease is first put in place, one of the primary considerations is the quality and credibility of the tenants, thereby making removal of a responsible party a tricky proposition. However, oftentimes there are solutions which can be explored.


May I sub-lease the property?

In most leases, the Landlord must provide advance approval of any proposed sublets or assignments, and there are usually certain conditions and fees associated with that approval process.

 


What if I need to sell my business?

Your Property Manager can discuss the process with you. Unless you are near the end of your lease term, the lease would need to be assigned to the buyer, and there is a qualification process.

 


Do I need insurance?

Absolutely! At a minimum, you will need liability insurance, naming the Landlord and CityCom as additional insured. Some leases and certain tenancies call for the Tenant to insure the building as well, again naming the Landlord as an additional insured. There are also additional policies which should be considered, such as personal property coverage and a variety of other forms of insurance to protect you and your business.

 We advise that you submit the insurance sections of your lease to your insurance broker, and they will know what to provide. It is also important to make sure our office receives certificates upon each policy renewal as evidence that continuous coverage is in place as required under the lease.


Payment of Rent & Other Charges

Where do I pay my rent?

You may mail rent payments to the following address:

P.O. Box 548

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91729-0548

You may pay rent in person at the following address during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8am - 5pm:

9469 Haven Avenue, Suite 200

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

You may deposit rent payments through our night deposit slot at our satellite office at:

10722 Arrow Route, Suite 500

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

You may pay electronically through our web site at www.city-commercial.com

 


What forms of payment methods are acceptable?

You may use personal or business checks, cashiers checks, or money orders. Please be sure to properly identify your business on your check so that payment is properly applied. For the safety of both our tenants and our office staff, we do NOT accept cash.

You may also pay using credit or debit cards, but must do so through the online payment portal on our web site at: https://www.city-commercial.com/lower.php?url=online-payments Note that there is a fee to use this method of payment, which is imposed and paid to the outside provider who handles this service for us.


Do you accept EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) for payments?

At this time, no. There are issues with ensuring that EFT payments are properly posted to the correct account, so that system is not in place yet. However, one suggestion to automate the payment of rent is to use your bank’s online bill payment feature. This is usually at no cost to you, and you can set it up so that a payment is sent to us every month. However, since the amounts due sometimes change in commercial tenancies, you should make sure to review your monthly courtesy statements for the proper amounts owed. Also, if you elect this method of payment, please be sure to set your system up so that the payment includes the necessary identifying information so our staff will be able to apply it to your account.


Do you provide rental statements?

Yes, we send courtesy statements via email only, which are sent out monthly. Please be sure our office has the appropriate email address on file for whomever pays your rent.


What if I don’t receive my statement?

Contact our office and we’ll be happy to send out a duplicate, and will verify that we have the correct contact information on file. Note that failure to receive a statement does not mean that rent isn't due, and is not a valid excuse for nonpayment or late payments!


When is rent due?

In most leases, rent is due on the first day of each month.


When is rent late?

Rent is considered late if not received by the due date, usually the 1st of the month. Note that even though some leases provide a grace period, this does not extend the

due date! Grace periods are designed for rare circumstances where a payment is delayed in transit, the due date falls on a holiday, etc. However, it is very important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that the payment is received in our office no later than the due date. If sending your payment by mail, this typically means you should do so several days before the payment is due.


Will I be charged late fees if my rent is late?

Yes, most leases permit the assessments of late fees, and possibly additional penalties such as interest charges. More importantly, remember that the late or nonpayment of rent is a material default of your lease, and thus should be avoided at all costs.


I am an excellent tenant. Can you waive my late charges?

This is on a case by case basis, and can only be considered by your Property Manager (our administrative staff does not have the authority to grant such a request).


What if my rent payment is returned for Insufficient Funds?

You would be charged $35.00 for each payment that is returned or not honored by the institution on which it is drawn for any reason, plus any allowable late fees and penalties. Also, replacement payments for NSF situations must usually be made via certified funds. For repeated NSF offenders, we can require that all future payments be made via certified funds as well.


What happens if I can't pay my rent?

Please contact your assigned Property Manager immediately if something prevents you from being able to pay your rent & to explain your situation. But it is important to remember that a lease is an obligation and promise to pay; to prevent an eviction from taking place (and all of the related problems and additional charges that can occur), please be sure to always pay your rent on time and in full.


What if I have a dispute against a charge that appears on my statement?

Usually the best first step would be to consult the provisions of your lease. Otherwise, contact your Property Manager to discuss.


If there is a matter in dispute, can I withhold my rent until it is settled?

No. According to California law, you cannot withhold rent in order to influence matters under dispute. In most situations, you also cannot deduct any amount from your rent. The best approach is to pay what you owe in full (thus avoiding a default) while we work through the issues of concern.


What is a "Three Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit"?

It is our hope, and hopefully yours as well, that you never receive one of those! A "3 Day Notice" is a legal document served to a tenant when rent has either been returned due to NSF, or has not been received by the due date. This notice is the first step of an eviction process.


Move-In & Move-out

What is a "Move In Condition" form?

A "Move In Condition" form is normally used by your Property Manager to log the condition of the property at the time of move in, and is usually accompanied by pictures taken during the inspection.

 


When should I have utilities put in my name?

Before or right after you take possession of the premises. Most utility companies can set service up to begin billing on your move-in date even if it is outside their regular billing cycle. If you fail to put service in your name at move-in, you could risk having those utilities interrupted.


Should I change the locks?

In most situations, it is advisable to rekey the locks for better security. However, some buildings are master-keyed and must be rekeyed under that same system by a designated locksmith (ask your Property Manager). Also, many buildings have what is called a “Knox Box”, which is an externally mounted lockbox used by the fire department for access into the units in the event of an emergency. In such cases, a copy of your new key needs to be delivered to the fire department for placement inside that box.

 


What condition does the premises have to be in upon move-out?

Generally speaking, the condition of the unit needs to be in at least as good a condition as it was when you moved in. Also, all signage would need to be removed, including reparations of any underlying damages caused by its installation or removal. There are additional considerations, such as whether improvements need to remain or be removed. You also may not remove items that would be considered fixtures to the building, such as air-conditioning units, plumbing/electrical fixtures, built-in appliances, etc. In commercial real estate, there are often exceptions to the rule, so it is important to work with your Property Manager during this important step.

 


When I move out, what’s the process? How will my security deposit be refunded?

It is important to note that your move-out is not complete until you deliver all keys, access cards, etc back to our office. The usual course of action is that your Property Manager will do an inspection shortly after receipt of the keys to the premises. A move-out form will be completed, pictures taken, and any damages noted. The cost of reparations, in any, are allowable deductions against the security deposit, as well as any amounts owed on your account. The entire process will be completed in less than 21 days following move-out.


Maintenance & Repairs

I have a maintenance issue. How do I contact someone?

First step is to determine whether the responsibility lies with your Landlord, or you. Check the appropriate section(s) of your lease for details. If you discover it appears to be a landlord’s responsibility:

If it is during normal business hours, you can call our office and give the receptionist the details of your situation, and then she will either route the call to our Property Services Coordinator, or the Property Manager. You may also submit a non-urgent request via email directly to your Property Manager, or through our web site at the following link:

 http://city-commercial.com/lower.php?url=service-request

 If it is an after-hours emergency, you will need to call the office and follow the prompts to relay your message to our on-call staff member. In such cases, be sure to describe the emergency and your location in sufficient detail in your message so that we can dispatch the appropriate vendor. For emergencies which involve an immediate threat to personal safety or property, call 9-1-1 first!

 


How long will it take for repairs?

The short answer is: as soon as possible. But please understand that the vendors/contractors we use have varying degrees of availability, so we are somewhat subject to their scheduling.

 


My roof is leaking! – or -- It’s 100 degrees outside and my air conditioner isn’t cooling! – or -- [insert urgent request here] Help!

There are times when extreme environmental conditions put stress on the available pool of repair vendors. For instance, in southern California, roofers spend a lot of time doing nothing while the sun is shining. But when it rains, it usually rains hard, and now those roofing contractors are suddenly inundated and backlogged with repair requests. So, please understand that there could be some delay in getting a roofer dispatched. Also, many roof repairs simply can’t be performed until the roof dries out, and some areas cannot be tarped (particularly true for flat roofs). In the meantime, be sure to remove any equipment or merchandise from under the leak to minimize any damages, and place a contained such as a trash can to collect the water. Whatever the situation, please know that our staff will work as diligently as possible to facilitate the repair.

 


Will I be charged a Trip Fee for my maintenance request?

If the Landlord is responsible for the repair under your lease, you would only be charged a trip fee if we made prior arrangements with you to access the Property and are denied or are not able to if you fail to provide such access.

 


Who is responsible for maintenance and repairs?

Your lease will contain details as to which party is responsible for various maintenance and repair categories.

 If you initiate a service request for a repair where you are responsible under the terms of the lease, then you would be charged for the cost of the repair, plus an administrative fee. This is why it is important to check your lease prior to contacting us for a service call request.

 


I wish to make changes to my leased premises. What procedures must I follow? Do I need Landlord approval?

For cosmetic changes to the inside of your premises, Landlord approval is not normally required, unless such changes are visible from the outside (such as window blinds or signage). For all other changes, you should obtain our approval prior to any work being done. If approved, any construction must include City approvals, permits, and the use of a licensed and insured contractor.

 


For Association Unit Owners

May I lease out my unit? Are there any restrictions/conditions?

In most cases, you are free to lease your unit to a tenant; however, there are almost always certain restrictions as to the type of business that would be allowable. The CC&Rs will contain details, but basically most associations try to disallow uses that could be detrimental to the project as a whole.

Examples would be any businesses that:

use an inordinate amount of parking;

pose an heightened safety risk;

contain an objectionable type of operation;

are residential in nature;

cause an increased need for common area maintenance;

or a variety of other factors that might classify the use as being non-synergetic to the project. Also, if you do lease your unit to a business that does have an allowable use, please be sure to include the association CC&Rs as an exhibit to the lease (at the very least, the rules and regulations portion) so that your tenant knows and understands those regulations.

 


What if my tenant violates an association rule?

The association does not have a direct relationship with your tenant, so any violations would be brought to your attention for remedy as a unit owner. In other words, you would be required to handle enforcement with your tenant.

 


When are the Association meetings?

Normally those are handled on an annual basis, and as a unit owner, you will be notified in advance and of course are welcome to attend. There may also be separate Board meetings as well, which may or may not be open for general attendance. Your association’s CC&Rs or By-Laws will contain the details.

 


What if I want to be on the Board?

Each year elections are help for Board member positions. If you would like to be on the ballot, simply contact your Property Manager.

 


How are my association fees calculated?

Our office prepares an annual operating budget, which is voted on and adopted by the Board of Directors. These budgets are designed to ensure that the common areas are properly maintained for the benefit of all owners. In some situations, there could also be a reserve budget created to make sure enough funds are accumulated to handle future larger expenditures.


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