Following Five Seasons Property Management; Burlington, Vermont's Premier Property Managers

Five Seasons Property Management is partnered with architect and development company,

J S Real Estate, to provide luxury Burlington Vermont apartment rentals. 

Jim Grier, Principal Developer

Jim is a notable residential developer in Burlington. Hailing from the Boston area, Jim combines big city design with classic Vermont touches to create beautiful, livable rental homes. When it comes to construction, Jim’s expertise is unrivaled, and he always goes the extra mile to ensure all of his properties are comfortable and energy efficient. 

Sam Gardner, Principal Architect

Owner of nationally recognized architecture firm, Studio 19, Sam brings his top notch design skills to his personally owned properties. Sam never takes shortcuts when it comes to design. His chic, sleek, modern design taste shines through all of his work, which is why his properties always stand out as some of the most high end rentals in Chittenden County.

Currently Owned by J S Real Estate Managed by Five Seasons:

• 17 - 25 Drew St

• 32 Intervale Ave

• 133 Elmwood St

• 192 Elmwood St

• 415 Flynn Ave

• 369 S Winooski Ave

• 392 Saint Paul St

• 55 Greene St

June 1 is just around the corner. Follow these steps to ensure that you are prepared to move into your apartment.

1. Contact Utility Companies: Refer to your lease agreement to determine what utilities you are responsible for during your tenancy. Locate the contacts at the bottom of your lease agreement, and contact the utility companies that you will be paying every month. 
2. Purchase Wi-Fi: We do not provide or sell Wi-Fi or cable at any of our properties. Please contact Burlington Telecom or Comcast to purchase Wi-Fi and cable. In the past, we have had tenants share routers with other tenants in the building.
3. Schedule a Move In Appointment: Determine when each person in your group is planning on moving in. Have one person who is planning on moving in on June 1 send an email to the contact listed on the top of your lease agreement to schedule a move-in appointment. They will be your group’s point-person. It is okay if no one wants to move in on June 1; just let us know, so we can arrange a time for a different date. Whoever is planning on moving in first should be the one to contact us.
4. Get Renters Insurance
5. Pay Your Rent, Parking, and Inspection Fees: All tenants are required to pay their rent by the first of every month and prior to moving in on June 1. We will not give you  the keys to your home or apartment until we have received first month’s rent payment. Even if you do not plan on moving into your unit on June 1, you are required to start paying monthly rent on or by that date. Check your lease agreement and addendums to determine if you are responsible for paying for parking and inspection fees. This varies by building. How to pay for rent, parking, and inspection fees is detailed in your lease agreement. If you are at a building where rent gets paid by mail, make sure rent and parking gets paid in full on one check every month. We only accept one check per unit. 
6. Check Your Email and Follow Five Seasons Property Management on Facebook: In order to make this process go as smoothly as possible, check your email regularly. Along with email, we occasionally post announcements on our Facebook page.

During the leasing process, some of the most frequently asked questions amongst perspective student tenants and their co-signers regard furnishing their rental unit. Here is a broken down checklist of what Five Seasons Property Management recommends for furnishing your new rental along with some insider tips on where to buy furniture. Please email maintenance@fiveseasonsmanagement.com and cc’ grace@fiveseasonsmanagement.com or submit a request through your tenant portal if you have any questions about furnishing your apartment.

For the Bedroom:

• Mattress
• Mattress Frame & Box Spring
  • We recommend ones that will easily fit through doorways
• Linens
• Desk
• Drawers, Dresser, Clothing Rack, Wardrobe, Shelving, etc.
• Plan for storing your clothing if your bedroom does not have a closet
• Storage
• Shoe Rack
• Hangers
• Decorations
• Night Stand
• Floor Lamp
  • Not all of our bedrooms have overhead lights

Bathroom, Living Room, Kitchen:

• Table
• Chairs
• Microwave
• Toaster
• Shower Curtain
• Standing Shelves or Cart for Kitchen and Bathroom
• Couch/Futon/Comfy Chairs
• Coffee Table
• Door Mats
• Dishes, Cups, Utensils, Pots, Pans, Cooking Supplies, etc.
• Cleaning Supplies

Tips on How to Get Cheap Furniture

• Befriend a senior who is leaving Burlington after graduation and offer to buy their furniture
• Checkout ReSource, Goodwill, Walmart, Facebook, and Ikea
• If you are interested in possibly buying furniture belonging to the current tenants residing at your unit, contact us ASAP via the communication methods detailed above.

Five Seasons Property Management is lucky to serve as landlords to many students, who are also first time renters. It is important to us that all of our tenants, particularly our students, are able to make our properties feel like home, while respecting their rental in manners laid out in their lease agreement. Here are some fun tips and tricks on how to design your Five Seasons Property Management rental in ways that follow your lease agreement.

• Sleek and Slim; While every rental has a different floor plan, furniture that is less bulky always helps to open up a room and creates more space. It also helps to ensure that your furniture can fit through doorways.
• Get Lit; Even if your room has a ceiling light, get a floor lamp or twinkle lights to brighten  up your rental and create the illusion of space.
• Create Storage; No matter how large a rental is, storage space is crucial for organization. We recommend getting mattress frames that have room for under bed storage, standing shelves for your bedroom, the bathroom, or the kitchen, and carts for the kitchen.
• Color Coordinate; Choose colors and patterns that will open up the space. While this may mean leaving your canopy at the dorm, try to decorate your apartment in ways that will make your rental feel lighter and brighter.
• Make it You; Just because you cannot paint or drill holes in the wall does not mean that you cannot decorate your apartment. Get fun throw pillows for the living room. Hang some twinkle lights, photos, and posters. Draw an avant-garde statement piece. Personalize your space and make it your own; just please do not damage the walls in the process.
  

For any design questions that might arise, while you are preparing to move into your apartment, please contact maintenance@fiveseasonsmanagement.com and cc’ grace@fiveseasonsmanagement.com or submit a request through your tenant portal account.

Have you been struggling to find good, high quality, rent paying tenants for your rental property? Here are some common mistakes landlords make while screening applicants.

1. Only requiring one application per group
2. Not running credit, background, and eviction checks on all applicants and co-signers
3. Permitting low quality references; friends, parents, and significant others are not going to provide you with honest, helpful tenant references. The two best and most important references are from employers and previous landlords.
4. Ignoring why the applicant is moving
5. Failing to verify applicant’s income and employment

Burlington, Vermont Landlords, if you are making any of these mistakes or if finding great tenants is a challenge, it is time to call Five Seasons Property Management at (844) Season5 or (844) 732-7665.

Happy New Year! Five Seasons Property Management had a successful 2018, and we cannot wait for 2019. 

In 2018, we expanded our portfolio in Burlington, VT and in surrounding towns. Through developing new relationships with clients, vendors, and local professionals, Five Seasons has continued to provide tenants and property owners with top-of-the-line property management and leasing services. This past year, we moved offices. Our new, larger, more convenient location has helped to foster our company's growth. Additionally, it has also allowed us to work side-by-side with one of Burlington's most accomplished architects and developers. To support Five Seasons' growth, we switched leasing softwares, in 2018. Through this change, the company has been able to utilize a software that is tailor-made to Five Seasons, so it is able to keep-up with our growing portfolio.

Looking for some fun activities in Burlington? Here are 5 of Five Seasons Property Management’s favorite things to do in Burlington, Vermont.

1. Shop and Eat at the Burlington Farmers’ Market
2. Visit the Historical Ethan Allen Homestead
3. Learn About Local Farming on Vermont Farm Tours
4. Go Apple Picking
5. Enjoy the Lake and Mountains on a Lake Champlain Ferry

Signs You Need a Property Manager

– You have a high vacancy rate

– You are struggling to find good quality tenants to pay market rent for your unit

– You have a high volume of tenant complaints

– Managing rent payments, tenant communication, and maintenance has become a hassle

– Your maintenance expenses are increasing

– You do not receive routine inspections

– You are unable to manage your property in the event of an emergency or be on-call 24/7

If you can relate to any of these, be sure to give Five Seasons Property Management a call and let us manage your Burlington, Vermont rental.
(844) 732-7665 or (844) Season5

Three years ago, longtime friends and multi-family property owners and contractors, Seth and Grant, sat down and talked about how they could transform their seven years of combined experience and passion for real estate investment into a career, marking the creation of Five Seasons Property Management. What began as a few personally owned duplexes quickly morphed into a premier leasing and property management company with over 150 rental units in Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Essex Junction, Jericho, Williston, Winooski, and Charlotte. In these three years we have formed long-lasting relationships with local vendors, real estate agents, property owners, and tenants. We are so thankful to everyone who has helped contribute to our growth, and we look forward to three more years of serving Chittenden County real estate investors and tenants.

We searched the internet for questions about real estate investment and here are some frequently asked questions we found. 

Q: About how long will it take for me to see a guaranteed return on my investment?
A: Depending on the market, what type of property you buy, how much you purchase the property for, and local rental rates,  you are looking at about ten years before you start to generate large returns on your property.

Q: Can I invest in a property if I live abroad?
A: Real estate is a great investment, regardless of where you live. If you plan on renting out your investment property, make sure you hire a local property management company, like Five Seasons, to oversee your investment. Also, be sure that you meet all of the US’s requirements.

Q: How do I determine if a property listed online is going to be a good investment?
A: Make sure to look at the cap rate. Higher cap rates yield higher returns. Don’t forget to use the 1% rule to calculate the return on investment based on rental rates.