The following FAQ page will list different forms of acceptable evidence in order to issue a formal leasing violation for roommate respect as well as the process for issuing a leasing violation.
Roommate Respect as described in the lease
Respect: Roommates agree generally that they owe each other a duty of respect, and that they hereby agree to treat each other with respect. This includes respect for other Roommate's privacy, as well as consideration for the needs and wants of the other Roommates.
Disputes: If any of the Roommates should find themselves in dispute or disagreement about the terms of this Agreement or any other matter pertaining to the living situation between the Roommates, the Roommates agree to try to resolve the dispute amongst themselves to the best of their ability. If self-resolution fails, the Roommates agree to turn to non-binding mediation by Landlord.
|
Soft Evidence |
Description |
|
General complaint |
One or more formal complaints sent to Alcove directly from a roommate or landlord. This may be submitted in a support ticket or by emailing the support team. |
|
Messages |
Screenshots of texts or messages indicating that a roommate or group of roommates are in violation of the respect agreement, sent through texts or instant messaging apps. Must show the date and person responsible. |
|
Landlord inspection |
Details from a self-inspection report conducted by the landlord, indicating lease violations. |
|
Hard Evidence |
Description |
|
Alcove inspection report |
Alcove vendor has witnessed or gathered tangible evidence of disrespectful words or actions towards a housemate. |
|
Photos and videos |
Photos/videos submitted showing the violation from one or more roommates. Audio recordings may be considered sufficient if tenant is identifiable. |
|
Damage Report |
Photos/ videos or Alcove inspection report, showing damage to the property caused by a disrespectful encounter. |
FAQ: Respect Violation Policy
Q: What should I do if I suspect a roommate is in violation of the respect policy?
- A tenant should submit a complaint via email or support ticket to Alcove Support, detailing the situation and the tenant responsible.
Q: What happens after I submit a complaint?
- Alcove will respond promptly, and request any evidence available.
Q: What does Alcove require as evidence?
- Alcove will request both hard and soft evidence. Examples of each are below
- Hard Evidence: Photos or videos of the tenant engaging in disrespectful behavior towards one or more roommates.
- Soft Evidence: Audio recordings of disrespectful activity and/or screenshots of text conversations.
- Basic Evidence: One or more direct reports of a roommate engaging in disrespectful activity.
Q: What happens if the tenant is only able to provide soft or basic evidence?
- Alcove will conduct an investigation to gather further, hard evidence. This may include contacting other roommates for additional information as well as reaching out to the landlord. Depending on the severity and specifics of the case, we may also schedule an inspection on behalf of the landlord to conduct a walkthrough of the property to collect more evidence.
Q:What happens if only soft evidence is collected?
- Based on the evidence collected and severity of the violation, Alcove may choose to issue a Notice of Warning to the tenant responsible. This notice will notify them that further reports and evidence submitted may result in the Landlord proceeding with an eviction. Alcove will make the final determination on next steps based on the evidence gathered.
Q: What happens once hard evidence is provided?
- Alcove may issue a Notice to Quit based on the evidence provided. This notice will serve as a first and final warning, stating that further incidents relating to this may result in the Landlord filing for an eviction. Alcove will make the final determination on next steps based on the evidence gathered.
Q: What if the tenant refuses to adhere to the warning and continues the behavior?
- Alcove will notify the Landlord and may advise them to initiate the eviction process by filing for summary of ejectment. Once this has been completed, Alcove will issue a Notice to Vacate to the tenant, notifying them that they have 10 days to vacate the property before proceeding with the next steps in the eviction process.
Q: What if the lease violator refuses to vacate after receiving the notice?
- If the lease violator doesn't vacate, Alcove will notify the Landlord and recommend that they file for an eviction through the courts on the ground of violating the lease agreement. Should the Landlord agree to proceed, Alcove will offer full assistance and cooperation as necessary.
Q: What happens after the tenant vacates the property?
- Once the tenant has vacated, an Alcove vendor will complete a move-out inspection and cleaning for the room.
- Access codes will be updated to ensure security for the property.