House Rules

Addendum to your Rental Agreement

House Rules in Plain English

A summary of the top rules. The full rules follow and are what you sign.

1. Respect everyone. No threats, harassment, slurs or violence.
2. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. No parties, ever.
3. Room houses: one guest at a time, up to 4 hours, out by 10 p.m. No overnight guests unless we approve
   it in writing.
4. Only the people on the lease live here.
5. Never share your door or room code. Keep the doors locked.
6. No smoking or vaping inside. Outside only, at the smoking spot.
7. Do your dishes within 30 minutes. Label your food. Taking someone’s food or supplies is a $50
   fine.
8. Do your weekly chore and post a picture when it’s done.
9. Only toilet paper goes in the toilet. No wipes. A plumber call caused by misuse costs up to $500.
10. No pets without our written OK. Service animals are always welcome.
11. Don’t block anyone’s car in. If you do, move it right away when asked.
12. No cooking appliances or heaters in bedrooms without our written OK.
13. Cameras are video only, never sound, and never in bedrooms or bathrooms. Don’t touch them.
14. Report problems right away by e-mail, with a photo. Don’t fix things yourself.
15. No illegal activity, drugs or weapons. That includes on our Wi-Fi.

About these rules

These rules are part of your Rental Agreement (the “lease”). Most of them restate the lease in plain words
and give the lease section. Some go further, and they bind you when you sign this addendum. If anything
here conflicts with your lease, the lease wins. Where the rule differs for a whole apartment (one
household renting the entire unit), both versions are shown.

1. Respect and conduct

• Treat housemates, neighbors, guests and our staff with respect.
• No threats, harassment, intimidation or violence, in person, by text or online. This is a serious
  violation that can end your tenancy without a chance to fix it (Lease §8.2, item 5).
• No discrimination. Do not treat a housemate worse, exclude them, or use slurs or insults because of
  race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age or
  family status. That is also harassment (Lease §8.2).
• Settle disagreements calmly. If that fails, tell management in writing. Do not retaliate.
• No weapons (Lease §6.7). No illegal activity (Lease §6.8).

2. Quiet hours

• Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. No noise that can be heard outside your room (whole apartments:
  outside the apartment) (Lease §6.2).
• No parties or gatherings, at any hour (Lease §6.2). Repeated disturbance is a serious violation
  (Lease §8.2, item 2).
• At other times, keep noise reasonable. Use headphones in shared spaces.
• Only management can approve a quiet-hours exception, in writing. It will be listed on your House Card.

3. Guests and overnights

Room houses (Lease §6.3):

• One guest at a time, unless management approves more in writing.
• Each visit is 4 hours at most, and guests must leave by 10:00 p.m.
• No overnight guests unless management approves in writing.
• Your guest stays with you. Guests may not enter other residents’ rooms, use the shower or laundry, or
  store anything here.
• Never give a guest a code. Let them in and out yourself.

Whole apartments (Lease §6.3):

• No more than 4 people in total, including you, may stay overnight.
• No guest may stay more than 14 nights in any 6 months without written approval. Anyone who stays longer
  becomes an occupant and must be approved and listed (Lease §1.2).

Everyone:

• Only the people named on the lease may live here, paying or not (Lease §1.2).
• You are responsible for your guests and any damage they cause (Lease §6.3).
• Management may ask a guest to leave, and may bar them from returning, for breaking rules, disturbing
  others, safety concerns or unlawful conduct (Lease §6.3).

4. Kitchen and shared spaces

• Clean up within 30 minutes after cooking or eating: dishes washed and put away, stove and counters
  wiped, sink clear. Never leave dishes overnight (Lease §6.6).
• Label your food with your name or room number in any shared fridge, freezer or cupboard. Throw out
  spoiled food.
• Do not use other people’s food or belongings without permission.
• Stealing a housemate’s food or supplies is a $50 fine per incident. Taking another resident’s property
  is also a lease violation (Lease §8.2, item 1), and repeat theft may end your tenancy (Lease §8.4).
• No grease, oil or food down the sink (Lease §6.5).
• No cooking or heating appliances in bedrooms without explicit written permission from management, for
  example hot plates, air fryers, rice cookers, toaster ovens, kettles or portable heaters. The mini-fridge
  and TV we provide are fine.
• Keep your belongings out of shared spaces (Lease §6.6). Do not sleep in shared spaces.
• No furniture, mattresses or large items brought in (new or used) without management’s written approval.
  Used furniture is how bedbugs get in.

5. Cleaning and chores

• Keep your room and the shared spaces clean (Lease §6.6).
• Room houses: weekly chore rotation by room number, posted on the chore board: kitchen, bathroom(s),
  trash and recycling, or floors. Details are in the Message Board and Chore Board Rules.
• A significant mess that management has to clean costs $75 per occurrence, at any time during your
  tenancy (Lease §6.6).
• Whole apartments: no rotation. Keep the whole apartment clean and the shared building areas free of your
  things (Lease §6.6).

6. Bathrooms

• Wipe the sink, clear hair from the drain, and take your things back to your room. Do not store items in a
  shared bathroom.
• Morning showers (6 to 9 a.m.): about 15 minutes, so everyone gets a turn.
• Only toilet paper and normal waste go in the toilet. No wipes (even “flushable”), sanitary products or
  paper towels (Lease §6.5).
• If a plumber is needed because of what someone put down a drain, that person pays the actual cost, up to
  $500, plus any damage. If we can’t tell who, the residents sharing that fixture split it. Normal wear and
  plumbing defects are ours to fix (Lease §6.5).

7. Trash and recycling

• Bag your trash, and take it out before the bin overflows (Lease §6.6).
• Bins go to the curb the evening before pickup and back in by the end of pickup day (House Card; part of
  the room-house chore rotation).
• Rinse recyclables. No bagged trash in recycling. Ask management about large items.

8. Smoking, vaping and drugs

• No smoking or vaping indoors, anywhere: tobacco, cannabis or e-cigarettes (Lease §6.1). Odor removal is
  charged at actual cost, up to $500 (Lease §6.1).
• Outside, smoke only at the spot on your House Card, 15 feet from doors and windows. Butts go in a
  container.
• No illegal drugs or illegal activity on the property (Lease §6.8). Making, selling or distributing drugs
  is a serious violation (Lease §8.2, item 4).

9. Alcohol

• Adults 21 and over may drink responsibly in their room or the kitchen.
• No drinking games or gatherings (Lease §6.2). No open containers in outdoor shared areas or the driveway.
• Clear bottles and cans the same day. Drunken disturbance is treated as a disturbance (Lease §8.2, item 2).

10. Pets and assistance animals

• No animal without management’s prior written approval (Lease §1.5(a)). Pets are considered case by case,
  with a non-refundable pet fee and a refundable pet deposit. Cats are not approved as pets.
• Service animals are always welcome, with no fee or deposit (Lease §1.5(b)).
• Emotional support and other assistance-animal requests go to management in writing. We review each one
  as the Fair Housing Act and § 760.27, Florida Statutes, provide. We may ask for documentation from a health
  care practitioner who knows your need. Online certificates alone are not enough. An approved assistance
  animal has no fee or deposit (Lease §1.5(c)).
• Animals must be under your control outside your room, never left alone in a shared area, and kept in your
  room when you are out. You are responsible for any noise, waste, damage or injury (Lease §1.5(d)–(e)).

11. Parking

• Parking is not reserved. On-site spaces are first come, first served (Lease §1.6).
• Vehicles must run and be registered. Park only in marked or permitted spaces. No repairs, stored vehicles,
  boats, trailers or RVs (Lease §1.6).
• Do not block driveways, cars, bins, sidewalks or neighbors. If your car blocks someone in, stay available
  and move it right away when asked. Never block someone in and leave.
• Marlins Park Suites only: you need your own city parking permit. Without one, you can’t park on the
  street during stadium events. Unpermitted cars are ticketed and towed (Lease §1.7).
• We are not responsible for tickets, tows, damage or theft (Lease §1.6).

12. Security, doors and codes

• Keep exterior doors closed and locked. Never prop a door open. Lock your room when you go out.
• Never share a door or room code with anyone. Sharing a code is a serious safety risk. A first offence
  gets a written 7-day notice to cure (Lease §8.3; § 83.56(2)(b), Florida Statutes). A second offence within
  12 months ends your tenancy with no chance to cure (Lease §8.4).
• Do not change, add or re-key any lock (Lease §6.9).
• Report a shared code or lost key right away. Codes are changed between residents.
• Do not let strangers in. Ask them to contact management.

13. Cameras and privacy

• Room houses: video cameras in the kitchen, entry areas and exterior areas. Whole apartments:
  exterior and entry areas only, none inside the apartment (Lease §7.1).
• Never a camera in any bedroom or bathroom (Lease §7.2). Video only. No audio is recorded
  (Lease §7.3).
• Recordings may be reviewed (including by software that flags events for a person to check), used as
  evidence, and shared with police or insurers (Lease §7.4).
• Do not cover, move, unplug or interfere with any camera or sensor: $500 per device, each time, plus
  replacement, and a serious violation (Lease §7.5).
• No personal cameras that capture shared areas, neighbors or other units (Lease §7.6). Do not photograph or
  record housemates without their consent.

14. Utilities, thermostat and Wi-Fi

• Electricity, water, sewer, trash and internet are included for ordinary use (Lease §1.4).
• You may adjust the thermostat within the range its limiter allows. Do not tamper with the limiter, the
  water heater or the electrical panel (Lease §6.4).
• Never leave water or an appliance running when you are not there (Lease §6.4). Keep windows and doors
  shut while the A/C runs. Turn off lights, fans and the TV when you leave.
• Waste or abuse of utilities is charged to you: damage, any increase in the bill, and emergency costs
  (Lease §6.4).
• No piracy or other illegal activity on our Wi-Fi, and no downloads big enough to slow it for everyone.
  Anyone who does it may be held legally responsible. Our network keeps a record of every device that
  connects. If we receive a warning or legal action about illegal activity, we can identify which device was
  responsible, and we will share that with the authorities.

15. Your belongings

• Our insurance does not cover your things. Get renters insurance. We are not responsible for loss,
  theft or damage (Lease §11.2).
• Items left in shared areas after a reminder on the message board may be moved to a holding spot for 7 days,
  then removed. Items left after move-out are handled under Florida law (Lease §11.3).
• Do not touch, move or use another resident’s belongings without permission.

16. Maintenance

• Report leaks, blocked drains, no hot water, electrical faults, pests or damage promptly, by e-mail with
  photos (Lease §6.11). If you report early, we pay to fix it. If you leave it unreported, you may pay for the
  damage.
• No DIY repairs or your own contractor without explicit written authorization from management. We do
  not reimburse unapproved repairs.
• We may enter with 24 hours’ notice, or at any time in an emergency (Lease §10).

17. Damage

• You pay for damage you or your guests cause, beyond normal wear and tear (Lease §5.2), at the Exhibit A
  amounts, or actual cost plus 15% (Lease §§5.3–5.4). If a space becomes unrentable, you also owe the lost
  rent (Lease §5.5).
• Intentional damage or removal of our property or a resident’s property is a serious violation
  (Lease §8.2, item 1).

18. Subletting

• No subletting, no assigning your lease, and no listing any part of the house on Airbnb or any other
  site. This is a serious violation (Lease §§6.10, 8.2, item 6).

19. When a rule is broken (Lease §8)

1. A friendly reminder for small first-time issues (a courtesy we may skip).
2. A written 7-day notice to cure for most violations. If it isn’t fixed, we may end your tenancy
   (Lease §8.3; § 83.56(2)(b)).
3. Fees set by the lease also apply: cleaning ($75), plumbing (up to $500), smoke (up to $500), camera
   tampering ($500), damage, and late charges (Lease §§3.4, 5, 6, 7.5). The only fee these rules add is the
   $50 food or supplies theft fine.
4. Repeat within 12 months of a written notice: we may end your tenancy with no further chance to cure
   (Lease §8.4).
5. Serious violations (intentional damage, repeated disturbance or parties, camera tampering, weapons or
   illegal activity, threats or violence, subletting): a 7-day notice ending your tenancy, with no chance to
   cure (Lease §8.2; § 83.56(2)(a)).
6. Unpaid rent: a 3-day notice (Lease §8.5).
7. Quick Surrender (Lease §9.4): within 3 days of a 3-day notice or any written notice ending your
   tenancy, move out, return all keys, fobs and codes, remove your belongings, leave your room and your
   shared-area spots broom-clean, with no damage beyond normal wear. If you do all five, we waive holdover,
   late charges and rent after you leave, and none of it goes to collections.

Nothing in these rules shortens any notice period or removes any right Florida law gives you.

20. Changes to these rules

• We may update these rules with at least 7 days’ written notice (Lease §11.4), by text or e-mail, or by
  the method the law requires (Lease §2.4).
• House Card details (trash days, Wi-Fi, parking) may change at any time by message. They are information,
  not rules.