Tenant Handbook

Welcome

Welcome to Your Handbook

We’re glad you’re here. You’ve rented a home managed by Florida Managed Properties, and we want your time in it to be a good one — for you, for the home, and for the neighbors around you.

This handbook is designed to do one job: help you know your rental. It explains our policies and standards, what we take care of, what we ask you to take care of, and what to expect when something needs attention. Tenants who know these things have smoother tenancies, fewer surprises, and full security deposits waiting at the end, subject to the terms of your individual lease.

Office visits are by appointment only. The nature of our work keeps us in the field at unpredictable hours, so we don’t keep walk-in hours. Message us through your portal to arrange a time.

Moving In

When You First Move In

Get to know your home

When you first move in, find the breaker box and note the location of the Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) breakers and the breakers for the stove/oven, water heater, and air-conditioning system. Doing so now might save you a headache later. When it comes to houses the question is not IF something will break, it’s WHEN will something break. Houses run on multiple mechanical systems, and no matter how well maintained those systems are, mechanical systems sometimes fail.

Locate the main water shut-off

The main water shut-off valve is usually in one of two places: (1) the municipal valve near the sidewalk or road in the front yard — sometimes in a flowerbed along the perimeter of the home — or (2) a gate or ball valve on the exterior of the home where the water main connects to the house. Also locate the shut-off valves for the water heater and under every sink and toilet. Knowing where these are before you need them can prevent or minimize water damage to the home and to your belongings.

Set up your utilities

Utilities go in your name starting on your move-in date, as outlined in your lease, and stay on through the last day of your lease. Providers for every community we serve are in the utilities directory below — including an address lookup that finds yours. Tip: many providers will waive a deposit if you bring a letter of reference from your current utility company.

Troubleshooting

Try This First

Most “failures” are a tripped switch or a dead battery. Before you report a repair, spend two minutes here — you’ll often have it fixed before we could even answer.

Repairs

Maintenance & Repairs

Reporting a repair takes one step: the Maintenance tab in your portal. (Arriving from the web? Start at floridapm.net/maintenance.) Be specific about the problem — detail up front prevents delay.

What to expect after you report

A repair vendor should contact you within 48 business hours (weekends and holidays excluded) of your request. If that doesn’t happen, follow up through your portal so we can chase the vendor — or call the emergency line if the situation has become urgent.

Scheduling and access

Once a vendor contacts you, you schedule the service call and grant access to the home — we do not give keys to contractors. Please be courteous to the repair person; they’re there to solve your problem, and if you’re unhappy with their service, tell us right away.

One fact worth knowing before you book a time: a missed pre-arranged vendor appointment incurs a trip charge — see your lease for the amount. If you can’t make a scheduled window, tell the vendor as early as possible.

System failures — report immediately, stop the damage

All breakdowns, system failures, and structural defects must be reported immediately. If an urgent repair is needed — say, a leaking water heater — you are responsible for stopping further damage where possible: shut off the water source, or turn off the breaker serving a failing appliance, until the repair arrives.

The same duty applies to the quiet failures: a running toilet or a dripping faucet reported promptly costs nothing; unreported, the excess water bills from a known fixture failure are yours.

Unauthorized repairs

We must authorize all repairs and maintenance. Do not make repairs or hire anyone yourself without our written permission — unauthorized repairs are not reimbursed. Rent cannot be withheld because a repair is needed, and repair costs cannot be deducted from rent.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)

Change the HVAC filter once a month. Keep the return vents clear of furniture and clothing, keep the condensate drain line clean and clear, and keep the area around the outside condenser free of grass, weeds, and debris. Damage caused by unchanged filters is charged back to you.

An HVAC failure does not constitute an emergency. We make every effort to schedule a technician as soon as possible, but a weekend or holiday failure may not be serviceable until the next business day. If the unit must be replaced, expect the process to take four to five days — units are ordered, shipped, and received, and permits must be pulled and approved. After replacement, the vendor will need access for a final permit inspection to close out the building permit.

Pest control

Report any pest problem in writing within your first 3 days of possession. If none is reported, the premises are agreed to have no infestation of any kind — and any future infestation of any kind, termites excepted, is your responsibility. That includes roaches, ants, fleas, mice, rats, bats, and other pests, and you’ll be charged for any damage caused by uncontrolled pests. Report suspected infestations promptly either way — catching a problem early is cheaper for everyone, starting with you.

Painting, decorating, and alterations

Want to change the décor — paint, wallpaper, a fence, anything? Put the proposal in writing through your portal, with a sample or drawing of the proposed work. If approved, you’ll receive written confirmation. All work must be done by a licensed and insured vendor (with insurance documents provided), must be inspected and approved by us on completion, and — municipal code — many alterations can’t legally be done by tenants at all. Restoring the property to original condition, if required, is at your cost.

One relic worth a line: any damage caused by a waterbed or water-filled furniture is yours, and your lease requires an insurance policy covering it.

Home Care

Caring for the Systems of the Home

Lawns and grounds

Unless your lease says otherwise, you care for the lawn and grounds, keeping them in as good a condition as when you took possession. That includes:

• cutting the grass regularly; edging driveways, walkways, and curbs
• watering and fertilizing the lawn
• trimming shrubs, and keeping shrub and tree growth away from the roof, eaves, and sides of the home
• treating fire-ant mounds and lawn pests — including chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass
• pruning flowering trees at the proper time of year for their species
• keeping flower and shrub beds free of weeds and grass, and maintaining mulch cover

Watering that works in Florida: water deeply and infrequently rather than a little every day, water in the early morning, and follow the South Florida Water Management District watering restrictions in effect for your area.

Report any condition that could cause damage to the grounds — permanent or temporary — as soon as you see it.

Irrigation and sprinklers

Report any irrigation or sprinkler problems in writing within 5 days of taking possession; after that, the system is assumed to be in good working order and its upkeep is yours — including resetting the timer and replacing broken sprinkler heads. Observe local watering restrictions at all times.

Plumbing and septic systems

Keep all sink, tub, shower, and toilet drains open, and never let anyone use the plumbing for anything but its purpose. Never flush: sanitary products, diapers, wipes (even “flushable” ones), condoms, cotton swabs, coffee grounds, or cooking fats and oils.

On a septic system, add to that list: wet-strength paper towels, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and anything else that won’t decompose — they fill the tank and plug the system. A monthly septic treatment additive (such as Rid-X or equivalent) is a cheap habit that prevents expensive problems.

You may be responsible for damage to the plumbing or septic system unless it was caused by mechanical failure. Please teach your household what not to flush — it’s the cheapest plumbing insurance there is.

If your home is on a well

Some of our homes draw water from a private well. If yours does:

• No water? Check the well-pump breaker first — it’s the most common cause and the fastest fix.
• Know where the pressure tank and pressure switch are located.
• Report pump failures, pressure loss, or discolored water promptly through your portal.
• Sediment-filter and softener/treatment-system upkeep follows the responsibility split in your lease.
• Conserve water during power outages — no power means no pump.

Walls and ceilings

Keep the walls clean and unmarred. No paint or wallpaper without prior written approval. Before vacating, all walls, baseboards, and trim must be washed, and ceilings dusted and free of cobwebs.

Smoking is never permitted in any rental home under any circumstance — and that includes the garage, patios, and exterior areas of the property. If you smoke, you are responsible for all smoke and tar residue, odor, and damage that results.

If you put holes in the walls — sheetrock anchors, nails, screws, pins — you will be charged to repair the holes and repaint the damaged wall. Use removable no-hole picture-hanging strips (Command strips or similar) instead. And if holes happen anyway: do not spackle or fill them yourself. A bad patch costs far more to repair than the original hole did! Every year, great and well-meaning tenants try to patch the holes they made in their walls — but they don’t know how, and the resulting repair more often than not requires MORE labor to re-patch the wall and return it to factory condition. So don’t patch your wall — or better yet, just don’t make holes in your walls.

Floors

Vinyl and ceramic tile: wash with warm water and soap. No varnish, lacquer, or shellac on vinyl; no wax of any kind on ceramic tile. Broken tiles, torn vinyl, and damage from improper cleaning are your responsibility.

Hardwood: dry-mop, sweep, or vacuum regularly. Never wet-mop wood — standing water dulls, discolors, and damages it. Wipe liquid spills with a dry cloth, sticky spills with a slightly damp one. No soaps, detergents, or oil soaps; when mopping is needed, use a wood cleaner applied lightly, then buff dry. Use fabric-faced guides under furniture legs, never drag furniture, and don’t shellac or refinish floors without written approval.

Carpet: vacuum thoroughly at least weekly — more in heavy-traffic areas. Your carpets were professionally cleaned before move-in, and they must be professionally cleaned when you vacate — a receipt from a professional floor/carpet cleaner is required when you turn in your keys.

Kitchen appliances

Stoves: never use oven cleaner on self-cleaning or continuous-cleaning ovens. On solid-surface stoves, use only cleaners approved for the surface. Damage from improper use, improper cleaning, or lack of maintenance is charged to you.

Dishwashers: run it at least once a week — seals dry out and motors can be damaged by long inactivity. Clean the door, check the bottom for fallen items, and keep the drains clear.

Garbage disposals: no bones, celery, onion skins, grease, pasta, rice, or similar. Always run water while the disposal is on. A handful of ice cubes now and then helps keep the blades clean. If the motor buzzes but won’t spin, switch it off and check for a jammed object, then press the reset button (small red or yellow button on the bottom or side). Nearly every disposal jam is a non-disposable item — jams from careless use are charged back.

Washers and dryers

Use burst-resistant stainless-steel braided washing-machine hoses only. Turn off the hot and cold supply valves if you’ll be away for an extended period. Check the walls and floor around the machine monthly for leaks. Keep the dryer vent and lint trap clear — lint buildup causes fires.

Water heaters and heat pumps

Water heater not working? Start with Try This First — reset button, breaker, or pilot light.

A note about heat pumps — which is what most Florida homes use for heat: on a cold morning, a heat pump delivers air that feels lukewarm, not hot, and the system may run longer than you expect. That is normal operation, not a failure. The auxiliary/emergency heat setting exists for the rare hard cold snap — it works, but it is expensive to run; don’t leave it on.

Gutters and attics

Keep gutters and downspouts flowing — Florida rain volume overwhelms a clogged gutter fast, and the overflow goes straight at the walls and foundation.

Attics are not storage. Attic framing above the ceiling isn’t rated as a floor, and summer attic heat destroys most of what people put up there. Don’t.

The rare Florida freeze

Once every few winters, a hard cold snap reaches the Treasure Coast. When a freeze is forecast: let faucets drip overnight, protect the irrigation backflow preventer (wrap it — a towel and a trash bag work), and bring plants and pets inside.

Cleaning

Cleaning — and How

We work diligently to hand you a clean, well-maintained home with everything operating properly. Keeping it that way is the part of the team effort that belongs to you — and it is also the single biggest factor in getting your full security deposit back.

Cleaning standards

1. Keep windows and storm doors clean, inside and out — interior at least monthly, exterior every six months. Wash between windows and screens quarterly.
2. Clean dust, dirt, and debris from the upper and lower sliding-glass-door tracks monthly.
3. Clean the stove, drip pans, under the drip pans, oven racks and drawer, broiler pan, hood, filter, and vent biweekly.
4. Mop vinyl floors biweekly.
5. Dust baseboards, window sills, window grids, tops of windows, ceiling fans, doors, ceilings, and room corners monthly.
6. Clean the A/C return grate and change the filter each month. (A good rule is when you pay your light bill, change your filter.)
7. Clean and sweep out the fireplace; clean the grate, screen, and glass.
8. Replace burned-out light bulbs as needed; clean light fixtures as needed.
9. Blinds, if provided, should be cleaned or washed semiannually.
10. Clean bathrooms weekly — toilet bowl and base, sink, mirror, floor, bathtub, and shower including the walls. Wipe out the medicine cabinet, drawers, and cabinets.
11. Sweep out the garage as needed.

Moisture and mildew

Florida air is wet air, and managing moisture is part of normal housekeeping here. Run the A/C — it is the home’s dehumidifier. Ventilate bathrooms and the laundry area when they’re in use, and wipe up condensation where you see it. Clean mildew promptly as part of your regular cleaning — keeping the home clean and sanitary is every tenant’s duty under Florida law (FS 83.52), and prompt cleaning is what prevents growth. If you find persistent moisture or an active leak, report it in writing through your portal.

Countertops and cabinets

Always use cutting boards and hot pads — never chop or set hot items directly on a countertop. No abrasive cleaners on countertops; they scratch. Before vacating, vacuum out all cabinets and clean the drawer and door fronts.

Kitchen appliance cleaning

Clean each appliance regularly, including the hood vent and its filter, the oven, under the stove burners, and the drip pans. No aluminum foil on drip pans — and all drip pans are replaced at move-out. Clean the top of and under the refrigerator and washer/dryer regularly. Skipping this care causes excessive wear, and excessive wear is chargeable.

Fireplaces

If your home has a fireplace: burn only dry, seasoned hardwood — never pine or other sappy wood (it builds chimney residue and raises fire risk), never green wood, treated lumber, or painted wood, and never cardboard, wrappings, pine needles, or holiday trees.

1. Open the flue before starting the fire and keep it open until the ashes are cool to the touch.
2. Close the screen or door while the fire burns to contain sparks.
3. Keep everything — including paper and kindling — at least three feet from the fireplace in use.
4. Never leave a fire unattended.
5. Never use combustible liquids (kerosene, turpentine, lighter fluid, gasoline) to start or accelerate a fire.
6. Don’t overload the firebox to create a roaring fire.
7. Let logs and ashes cool completely before disposal; use a metal container, douse discarded logs with water, and keep them outside away from combustibles.
8. Report any fireplace problems through your portal.

Grills, candles, and open flame

Keep grills well away from siding and never grill under a roofline, porch ceiling, or screen enclosure — melted siding and scorched soffits are real (and expensive) chargebacks. Kerosene and other fuel-burning space heaters are not permitted. Burn candles carefully and sparingly: candle soot stains walls and ceilings, and soot damage is charged like any other damage.

Storm Season

Hurricanes, Storms & Emergencies

Make your plan now

The key to safely handling any emergency or disaster is pre-planning and staying calm during and after the event. Being prepared is every individual’s responsibility — don’t rely only on the authorities. Advance planning means fewer mistakes and greater safety for you, your family, and the home you’re caring for.

Build a 3-day kit before you need it: water (one gallon per person per day), non-perishable food, medications, flashlights and batteries, a battery-powered radio, first-aid supplies, cash, phone chargers or battery banks, and copies of important documents in a waterproof bag. Agree on a family communication plan — an out-of-area contact everyone checks in with, and a meeting place if you’re separated.

Watch vs. warning

Living in Florida, hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms are always possible. Know the difference:

• A watch means conditions are possible in the watch area — for hurricanes, typically issued about 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected.
• A warning means conditions are expected — for hurricanes, typically about 36 hours out.

Non-disaster incidents

(Kitchen fire, burst pipe, burst water heater, tree on the house.) At the first occurrence or discovery, secure the property against further damage immediately. Then, in order:

1. Take steps to prevent additional damage right away.
2. Turn off the source — water, electricity, or gas — as the situation demands.
3. Notify Florida Managed Properties; after hours, use the emergency line.
4. Make a claim on your renters insurance for your personal belongings.
5. Notify us of your insurance coverage.
6. Provide any emergency or incident reports (police, fire, etc.) to us within 5 days of the incident.
7. Provide access for insurance adjusters and repair vendors.
8. Notify us of delays, problems with repairs, or work done in a non-workmanlike fashion.

Keeping everyone on schedule is a cooperative effort — and you are part of the team.

Utilities · Directory Verified July 2026

Utilities & Service Providers

Set your utility start dates to your move-in date as outlined in your lease, and keep utilities on in your name through your last day. Tip: many providers will waive a deposit if you bring a letter of reference from your current utility company.

Find your community below. One caution before you dial: your mailing city is not always your utility. Some “Stuart” addresses sit in unincorporated Martin County and are served by county utilities, and some rural homes are on a private well and septic — no water bill at all. If your lease or welcome paperwork doesn’t say, ask us through your portal before you set up service. Internet is the one category that is always address-by-address — use each provider’s availability checker rather than assuming.

Stuart (city)

One city account covers water, sewer, and trash on a single bill.

Hobe Sound

Outlying and rural Hobe Sound homes may be on private well and septic.

Palm City

Western and rural Palm City is heavily private well + septic — many homes there have no water utility at all.

Jensen Beach

Martin County (everywhere else)

Port St. Lucie (city)

Some older and large-lot sections of PSL remain on well and septic.

St. Lucie County (unincorporated)

Fort Pierce (city)

FPUA’s territory also reaches some addresses just outside the city limits — if you’re near Fort Pierce and unsure, FPUA can confirm by address.

Stay Safe

A Word About Rental Scams

Rental scammers copy real listings — including ours — and rent homes they don’t control. Whether you’re applying, renewing, or referring a friend, know the tells:

• ✓Check the Reply-To. The fastest tell in a scam email is a From address that doesn’t match the Reply-To address. Real mail from us never does that.
• ✓We never demand gift cards, wire transfers, or payment apps. Rent and deposits move through your tenant portal — nothing else.
• ✓When in doubt, verify at floridapm.net. Every legitimate listing, contact channel, and payment path is on our site. If someone rushes you to pay before you can verify, that’s the scam working.