FAQs

You have several options for paying your rent.

1. You can pay online using your Tenant Web Access (TWA) account. Contact us at info@meridiangrouprem.com for your account number.  Using your account number plus the email you provided to us, you can use a bank account at no charge or a credit card for a percentage fee to pay your rent.  You can pay the full amount or only a portion, and you can set up automatic payments so that you don’t have to think about it every month.
2. You can also request a CashPay account, which enables you to pay your rent with cash at select retail locations for a small fee, and the money will be credited to your account electronically almost instantaneously. Please contact us for instructions.
3. You can pay with a personal check, cashier’s check or money order made payable to Meridian Group and bring it or mail it to our office. If using this method, we accept only one single check for the full rent amount per unit per month.

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your maintenance needs.

For maintenance requests during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), please call our Maintenance Department directly at 805-722-1375.

For after hour, emergency maintenance requests, please call 805-692-1108.

You may also use your TWA account any time to submit a maintenance request online or you can choose the “Maintenance Request” option on the website and fill out the form to submit the issue.

We can provide a faster response to maintenance requests if you give us permission to enter your unit with a pass key—usually within 4 hours.  Otherwise, we will provide vendors with your contact information to schedule the work at a time that is convenient for both you of you.  Please note that our vendors are licensed and insured and would be picking up the key from us and returning it immediately after completing the job.

To apply for any of our available rentals, please click on “Apply Now” and follow the instructions to complete the online application.  Applications must be completed and submitted online by all applicants 18 years of age and older.  The application fee is $30 per person and is good for 30 days from the day it is submitted.  You may indicate 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd choices if you are interested in several units, at no additional charge.  Once your online application is received, our leasing staff will be in touch to request proof of income and any other documentation to complete the qualification and vetting process.

To qualify to rent a unit, you must provide proof of legal and verifiable income equal to or greater than 3 times the monthly rent amount, have good credit and positive rental history. For further details, please see click on “Apply Online” and then see Rental Qualifications on the “Rental Policies” option.

To view a unit, please go to our “Available Rentals” page for details.  Some vacant units can be viewed at your convenience by using our lockbox system.  Others have scheduled showings that will be indicated on the Unit page.  In most cases, you can call the property supervisor at the number indicated to schedule a showing. For more information, please call us at (805) 692-2500 or email us at info@meridiangrouprem.com.

Security deposit requirements vary depending on the property.  Usually, for a qualified applicant, a security deposit is equal to 1 month’s rent and will never exceed 2 months of rent for a non-furnished unit.  (Furnished units may be as high as 3 times the rent.)  Once an application is approved, the security deposit is due and must be paid in the form of a cashier’s check or money order within 5 days or at the time you sign the lease, whichever is sooner.

Applicants who do not meet all our rental criteria may be asked to pay an increased deposit.  The total amount will never exceed 2 times the rent on an unfurnished and 3 times the rent on a furnished unit.

Security deposits are fully refundable.  We will only charge you for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and cleaning upon move-out.  One refund check and security deposit reconciliation are distributed to the Key-Person on the lease within 21 days after you have vacated the unit, given us the keys and returned possession to us.

The processing fee is $30 per application.  The security deposit amount varies by circumstance, but usually is equal to 1 – 2 months of rent. A full first month’s rent is due at the time you move in, and the second month’s rent will be pro-rated if you move in on a day other than the 1^st, when all rents are due.

Rent is due on the 1^st, past due on the 2^nd and 3^rd, and late on the 4^th, starting at just after midnight on the 3^rd. If you don’t pay your rent by the 3^rd of the month at midnight, you will incur a late charge of $75.00. If rent is not paid by the 7^th, we will be forced to serve you with a 3-day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit, giving you 3 days to either pay your rent or move out.  Moving out does not alleviate you of the obligation to pay rent, however, it will prevent us from having to file a legal action against you for possession.  There is also a $50.00 charge incurred every time we must serve a 3-day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit.

Some or all utilities are sometimes included in the rent, such as water and trash, but in general, gas and electric will almost always be your responsibility.  For single family homes, all utilities are generally your responsibility.  To learn about which utilities are included with your rent and which you are responsible to set up and pay for yourself, please refer to the Unit page and look for the specific information on your lease (located on page 2 of most standard leases).

For contacts to local utility companies, please go to [LINK: TENANT RESOURCES].

Unless specifically stated in our ads, most of our properties do not allow pets. See the Available Rentals page for specific information.

We consider all requests for reasonable accommodations based on a disability involving service or emotional support animals with proper 3^rd party verification of the existence of the disability, if it is not evident, and verification of the need for the animal to alleviate one or more symptoms of the disability if it is not evident.  Documentation should be provided to our leasing office prior to signing the lease.

With the permission of all Lessees and Meridian Group, it is possible to make changes to the persons who are party to the lease, such as roommate changes or lease assignments.  There is a $250 per person lease assignment fee.  Please see your lease for specifics or contact our office to discuss.

In most cases, our leases are “Joint and Several,” meaning that everyone who signs the lease becomes the “Lessee”.  The Lessees are responsible individually and as a group to fulfill the obligations of the lease, including rent and damages. So, if one of you wants to leave, it can only be with the written permission of the other Lessees in the form of a Lease Assignment or Security Deposit Release form.

Subleasing is allowed only with prior written permission from Meridian Group.  This should be done if you are planning to be away for a specified period of time and plan on returning during the lease term.

A Lease Assignment should be done if you signed a lease agreement and are looking to move out of your unit permanently.  Doing this will allow you to be removed from all obligations of the lease agreement after you move out of the unit.  Without completing this paperwork, you will continue to be held jointly and severally liable to the lease, including responsibility for any unpaid rents and damages, even after you have moved out.

Meridian Group’s office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM – 5 PM.  The office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays and all major holidays.

Our office location and mailing address is: 5290 Overpass Road, Building D, Santa Barbara, CA 93111.

Our After-Hours Emergency service number is: (805) 692-1108