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Discovering Brazil
In this type of property, rent usually includes:
Condominium fee
City taxes
Electricity and water
One parking place
Limited cable TV. A more complete cable TV package and internet services often are
not included but might be provided by a supplier, if requested
Telephone is normally available but bills will be paid separately
Maintaining a Rental Property
The following information will be helpful in managing all aspects of a rented property. Use
the property for the sole proposes stipulated in the contract. Subletting is not accepted
without a written agreement from the landlord.
All bills and taxes paid during your stay should be delivered to the landlord when you
terminate the leasing. This typically includes: electricity, water (if it is a house), gas,
telephone, IPTU (city tax) and condominium fees. The owners generally prefer, and in some
cases insist, on the original bills. The reason is if they need proof of the payment in the
future, they will need the original documents.
The first bills you will receive at the property – like electricity or gas – will show a
consumption total that partially includes consumption by the previous tenant. If your contract
starts at the beginning of a month, the payment of the bill must be proportional to the number
of days you and the previous tenant were in. There are different ways to handle the payment
of the utility:
You can pay the bill in full and ask the landlord for reimbursement (which will
ultimately be requested from the previous tenant)
Another way is to pay it and deduct the value of the previous tenant’s consumption
from the amount of the rental
-
In this case you should notify the landlord that this is how you would like to be
reimbursed
At the end of the contract, the same situation will occur and bills will arrive after you
have left the property. In this case you should have a provision for that when the
landlord asks for reimbursement
If you wish to modify the property in any way, you should notify your landlord either in person
or over the phone and in writing. Your landlord must authorize any changes in writing before
you proceed. If any accident or damage occurs to a piece of furniture (in furnished rentals) or
to walls, floor or wall tiles, wardrobes, closets, wooden parts like windows or doors, roof tiles,
and others, it should be immediately notified to the landlord in writing. Even if you are not at
fault for the damage, notify the landlord of any irregularity.