Table of Contents
Paying Rent
You must pay rent and any other charges monthly, in advance, on or before the 1st of each month without demand. Payments will be applied to outstanding charges in the order they were incurred, regardless of check notations. If the Lease begins mid-month, the first month’s rent will be prorated based on a 30-day period. Tenant must pay the prorated rent and security deposit before receiving keys to the apartment. Accepted payment methods:
- E-check, debit card, or credit card via the Tenant’s online portal;
- In-person check payments at designated DTS Housing Rent Drop Boxes;
- Cash or receipted check payments at the DTS Business Office during office hours; or
- Transferred funds from a DTS Student Account.
Please note that the account balance shown on AppFolio reflects the total amount due for the entire apartment, instead of each individual resident. All residents in a given lease will share an account ledger, and are responsible for communicating about payments. DTS Housing does not get involved in financial transactions between roommates. Please see Ledger Reconciliations for more information.
Student Accounts
AppFolio balances may not be transferred to your student account, but you may transfer funds from your student account to your AppFolio account. You must email Student Accounts (stuact@dts.edu) and request every payment. Student Accounts does not automatically transfer money for monthly rent payments, even if you received a scholarship.
Security Deposit
Every prospective resident must pay the security deposit within three (3) business days of signing the lease in order to fully execute the lease and secure an apartment. This deposit will be kept as security against damages until the resident moves out and a move-out inspection has been conducted. The security deposit, minus any charges due to damages or outstanding balances, will be returned with thirty (30) days of the last Tenant vacating as long as a forwarding address is provided. Security deposits will be returned via ACH transfer unless otherwise requested.
Transferring Residents
Residents who transfer apartments to another on-campus housing unit will see their security deposit transferred to their new AppFolio portal within seven (7) days of the completed transfer. If the resident has elected to upgrade their apartment (e.g., from leasing a 2BD with a roommate to leasing a 1BD alone), the resident will need to pay the difference in the security deposit between apartments.
Security Deposit Deductions
We do not charge for normal wear and tear. A move-out inspection will be conducted after your move-out, before any third party or maintenance team accesses the vacated apartment, and made available in your AppFolio portal to give insight into the charges you will receive. This inspection will be compared to your move-in inspection to ensure that any damage captured in the move-in inspection is not charged to the vacating resident.
Some examples of possible deductions from the security deposit upon move-out include:
- Damage Charges (Broken blinds, scratched floor planks, wall gouges, damage to countertop finishing, etc.)
- Move-Out Violations (Late Notice to Vacate, exceeding move reservation time, items left behind in the apartment, etc.)
- Excessive Cleaning Fee due to additional cleaning costs required beyond a typical move-out cleaning to return the apartment to its original state, including but not limited to:
- Unreported pest problems
- Stained kitchen countertops
- Excessive grease build-up on stove or vent-hood
- Excessive dirt or staining in showers and tubs, toilets, or sinks
- Writing on walls
All residents will receive a disposition letter detailing the damage charges and unpaid bills deducted from their deposit and the final total that will be reimbursed. Roommates will receive the same disposition letter.
If you share an apartment with one or more roommates, damage in common spaces will be split equally among all residents. DTS Housing does not get involved in private financial agreements between residents.
Security deposit reimbursements will be issued to residents individually within thirty (30) days of the last Tenant vacating as long as a forwarding address is provided. Residents should select for reimbursement via direct deposit/ACH on their Notice to Vacate form in AppFolio.
In nearly all cases, security deposits will be reimbursed via direct deposit/ACH payment. Residents without domestic (US) bank accounts will need to contact the Housing Office for the appropriate forms to fill out to receive their security deposit reimbursement via wire transfer.
Charges incurred that surpass the security deposit amount will be billed to the resident in AppFolio. For current students of DTS, any unpaid balance will be transferred to the student account.
Residents who have graduated or are otherwise no longer students will have thirty (30) days to pay the outstanding balance in AppFolio before the balance is transferred to a credit agency for collections.
Late Fees
Your AppFolio balance is overdue after the 5th day of the month. If the 5th day of the month falls on a Sunday or a DTS-observed holiday, your payment will be considered late one business day after the 5th.
A $50 late fee applies to any outstanding balance over $100 as of the 2nd day of the month. This fee increases to $100 per month upon the third violation. If the full balance is paid by the 5th of the month, the late fee is waived without violation. If the 5th of the month falls on a Sunday or DTS-observed holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day.
Regardless of online payments or third-party assistance, You are responsible for ensuring rent is paid in full by the deadline to avoid violation. By signing your lease, you accept the following delinquency policies:
- Residents with four or more violations (cumulative as of June 1, 2024) may only apply for a six-month lease with renewal eligibility. Six or more violations may result in denial of renewal.
- Residents with a balance past due 60 days will result in a hold on the Tenant’s DTS Student Account, preventing class registration or graduation.
- Residents with a balance past due 90 days, without an approved payment plan, may result in eviction and renewal ineligibility.
We understand that seminary can often be a difficult financial season for many of our residents. Please know that there are many resources available to you if you are in financial need (see Financial Resources below). We strongly encourage you to communicate frequently with the Housing Office if you anticipate that you may not be able to pay your rent on time.
Other Fees
Violations to the lease or Housing policies may result in a fee. If you see a fee that you and your roommates do not recognize on your account ledger, please contact the Housing Office.
Fees are most commonly charged for:
- Move-In Changes or Violations (Rescheduling/cancelling moves, exceeding a move time limit, blocking the Swindoll garbage from city pick-up, etc.)
- Move-Out Violations (Late Notice to Vacate, apartment damage or items left behind, etc.)
- Losing Keys or other Access Devices
- Elective Transfers
- Ledger Reconciliations
- Triggering Smoke/Fire Alarms in Non-Emergencies
Financial Resources
If you are in a financially difficult season, we invite you to explore the following resources to see if you qualify for outside aid:
DTS Emergency Aid
Please contact Jennifer McCormack (jmccormack@dts.edu) in the Financial Aid Office and indicate that you are seeking emergency assistance for rent. As a note for those who have already been granted aid within the academic year, DTS usually only approves Emergency Aid once a year for students with financial hardship.
International Students
You will likely not qualify for Texas or Dallas rent relief since you are not permanent citizens. If you are struggling to pay your rent, we encourage you to reach out to International Student Services (internationalservices@dts.edu) to let them know of your situation and ask for help.
