Our Privacy Policy was last updated on 04/30/2024.

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. 

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

• “Account” means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.
• “Business“, for the purpose of the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), refers to the Company as the legal entity that collects Consumers’ personal information and determines the purposes and means of the processing of Consumers’ personal information, or on behalf of which such information is collected and that alone, or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of consumers’ personal information, that does business in the State of California.
• “Company” (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to True Renew Homes.
  
  For the purpose of the GDPR, the Company is the Data Controller.
• “Country” refers to United States.
• “Consumer“, for the purpose of the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), means a natural person who is a California resident. A resident, as defined in the law, includes (1) every individual who is in the USA for other than a temporary or transitory purpose, and (2) every individual who is domiciled in the USA who is outside the USA for a temporary or transitory purpose.
• “Cookies” are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.
• “Data Controller“, for the purposes of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), refers to the Company as the legal person which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of Personal Data.
• “Device” means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cell phone or a digital tablet.
• “Do Not Track” (DNT)” is a concept that has been promoted by US regulatory authorities, in particular the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for the Internet industry to develop and implement a mechanism for allowing internet users to control the tracking of their online activities across websites.
• “Personal Data” is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
  
  For the purposes of GDPR, Personal Data means any information relating to You such as a name, an identification number, location data, online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity.
  
  For the purposes of the CCPA, Personal Data means any information that identifies, relates to, describes or is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with You.
• “Sale“, for the purpose of the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), means selling, renting, releasing, disclosing, disseminating, making available, transferring, or otherwise communicating orally, in writing, or by electronic or other means, a Consumer’s personal information to another business or a third party for monetary or other valuable consideration.
• “Service” refers to the Website.
• “Service Provider” means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used. For the purpose of the GDPR, Service Providers are considered Data Processors.
• “Usage Data” refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).
• “Website” refers to True Renew Homes, accessible from www.truerenewhomes.com
• “You” means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.
  
  Under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), You can be referred to as the Data Subject or as the User as you are the individual using the Service.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

• Email address
• First name and last name
• Phone number
• Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our Service.
• To manage Your Account.
• To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the repairs, announcements, etc.
• To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.
• To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your repair requests to Us.

We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

• With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with other Contractors.
• With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation
• Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
• Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public
• Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Detailed Information on the Processing of Your Personal Data

The Service Providers We use may have access to Your Personal Data. These third-party vendors collect, store, use, process and transfer information about Your activity on Our Service in accordance with their Privacy Policies.

Sale of Personal Information of Minors Under 16 Years of Age

We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors under the age of 16 through our Service, although certain third party websites that we link to may do so. These third-party websites have their own terms of use and privacy policies and we encourage parents and legal guardians to monitor their children’s Internet usage and instruct their children to never provide information on other websites without their permission.

We do not sell the personal information of Consumers We actually know are less than 16 years of age, unless We receive affirmative authorization (the “right to opt-in”) from either the Consumer who is between 13 and 16 years of age, or the parent or guardian of a Consumer less than 13 years of age. Consumers who opt-in to the sale of personal information may opt-out of future sales at any time. To exercise the right to opt-out, You (or Your authorized representative) may submit a request to Us by contacting Us.

If You have reason to believe that a child under the age of 13 (or 16) has provided Us with personal information, please contact Us with sufficient detail to enable Us to delete that information.

Children’s Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent’s consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:

• By sending us an email: truerenewhomes@gmail.com

Here are some things you can do if your package is missing: 

1. Track the package. If it was definitely already delivered to your house (rather than just being delayed) and you cannot find it…
2. Politely ask your neighbors if they saw the package. Someone in your house might have accidentally brought it inside their apt and did not bring it back out yet. 
3. If no one in your house has seen the package, you can write something like this and leave it on the porches of the surrounding houses: “Hello neighbor! A package was tracked as delivered to my house ___(your address)___ on __(date)__ but I never received it. If it was accidentally delivered to your house, please set it on my front porch or text me at ___(your phone number). Thank you!” 
4. Report the package as stolen to the city of Ithaca police department. Phone: 607-272-9973. Non-Emergency Ph: 607-272-3245
5. If there is a neighborhood list serve (ex: Fall Creek Neighbors google group in Fall Creek), you can join that and post the details of your stolen package in case it was accidentally delivered on a nearby street, etc. You can also find your neighborhood on something like Nextdoor.com and let your participating neighbors know about the package through that site and find out more about your neighborhood too.
6. Contact the seller to let them know your package was not received and see if they can refund you or replace the item. 
7. File a claim with the shipping company
8. If you paid for the item with your credit card and your credit card offers purchase protection, file a claim with your credit card. 
9. If it was $500+, file a claim with your homeowners insurance. 

If you are ordering a valuable package: 

• Schedule for in-person delivery
• Insure the package

• You can view the True Renew Example Lease here.

• What is the application process?

1. Fill out the True Renew Tenant quick application: https://forms.gle/LMydjLtuviGe5tXc8 
2. Email truerenewhomes@gmail.com to introduce yourself and ask any questions you have after looking over the apartment info.
3. If you would like to move forward after seeing the video tour included in the apt info, you will not need to schedule an in-person tour. 
4. Alicia likes to meet potential renters, so you might be asked to give her a call for a quick conversation if the apartment is a good fit for you. 
5. Email us your current (or previous if you are not renting now) landlord name, phone number, email address, and your address when they were your landlord. After we hear back from them, your application can be approved and you can sign the lease online! 

• How long is the lease term?

Our leases are 12 month fixed-term leases (minus 6 days for maintenance at the end of the lease). The lease start dates are posted on each apartment info page. 

Fall semester only leases (August – December) often result in the property owner losing $1000+ when compared to a continuous 12 month lease, so that is not something we do regularly. 

The 6 days for maintenance at the end of our leases gives the space needed for us to clean, repair and prepare the apartment for incoming renters. If a renter renews after the first year, there will be no gap between leases and the following lease(s) will be a full 12 months.

• What deposits do you need?

The security deposit and first month’s rent are due upon lease signing, The security deposit is equivalent to one month’s rent, and it is refundable. 

• What is my security deposit for? 

The security deposit is set aside by us to inspire our renters to take good care of their apartment. If the house or furniture is damaged by a renter or requires additional cleaning or supplies (light bulbs that were left not working, etc) after they move out, part of the security deposit covers this and the rest is refunded along with an explanation of any charges. 

• How do I get my security deposit back?

To receive your full security deposit back at the end of the lease, all of these need to be true: 

1. Your apartment is in the same condition as it was when you moved in (just as clean, functioning and free of personal items) 
2. You did not damage the property
3. You did not damage or lose any items that came with the apartment
4. All rent and other charges have been paid

Pre-existing damages will not be taken from your security deposit. Be sure to take inventory of any wear-and-tear you see when you move in, preferably via photo and/or video. If something needs to be repaired, please let us know! 

• What payment methods will you accept?

We have an online portal where our renters can pay online using bank accounts or credit cards. Credit card payments have an additional fee of 3% per transaction, so it is less expensive for you to pay with your bank account.

• If the lease doesn’t start on the first of the month, is the rent pro-rated?

Our leases generally end 12 months (minus 6 days for maintenance) after they start. So if the lease starts later than the 1st of the month and ends 12 months (minus 6 days) later, then the first month’s rent is not prorated because at the end of the lease the number of days lost in the first month will be recovered in the last month (except the 6 days for maintenance). 

• What happens when I don’t pay rent on time?

Late rent payments rarely happen because most or our renters set up automatic monthly rent payments. We also have reasonably priced apartments that our renters can afford. For the rare times that rent is paid late, there is a 5% charge on the amount owed with a maximum late fee of $50.

• I want to sublet my place, is this allowed?

Yes. The renter and subletter just need to go through our subletting process: https://truerenewhomes.com/subletting-process/    

• Do you allow for early termination of the lease?

In most cases if renters need to move out early they find a subletter to cover the remainder of their lease. If they do not find a subletter, the renter is still responsible for covering rent all the way to the end of the lease. 

• How will I go about renewing my lease?

https://truerenewhomes.com/explanation-of-our-lease-renewal-process/ 

• Will you need renters insurance?

True Renew highly recommends that all residents carry renters insurance, but we do not require renters to send us proof of insurance.

• Do you allow pets, and if so, what is the pet policy?

If the apartment info says that pets are allowed, then one approved cat or a dog of a gentle breed with reference(s) is allowed in the apartment. If it is a pet-free apartment, pets are not allowed and having a pet in the apartment is a violation of the lease. 

There is a $35/month pet fee. If your pet is aggressive when strangers enter your apartment, that is a safety issue for contractors entering your apartment to make requested repairs, etc. And our insurance company has restrictions on the breeds of dogs it will cover if there is an incident. Please send us a photo and short description of your pet (including the breed(s) if it is a dog), and a past landlord reference who can speak to the dog’s behavior. 

•  Am I allowed to smoke inside the apartment /building?

No smoking is allowed inside the building or immediately outside of the building. Smoking is permitted at least 10 feet from the buildings to keep neighbors happy and keep the house safe. Any smoking material including cigarette butts must be disposed of safely and not left behind. Each incidence of smoking in the building carries a $100 fine in addition to charges for any remediation work needed to get rid of the smell or other related damages. Open flames such as lit candles are also not allowed in the house. 

• What repairs is the landlord responsible for, and what repairs am I responsible for?

During the lease, renters are responsible for replacing standard light bulbs as well as batteries in smoke and CO detectors if they start chirping. This includes all light fixtures and detectors that can be opened and reached without a ladder. At the start of a lease, if any lights and/or detectors are not working when renters move in, they can let us know and we will replace them. We try our best to have them all working at the start of the lease. 

If a renter causes damage, they submit a repair request and let us know. If a renter damages part of an appliance that came with the apartment (ex: fridge drawer or stove knob) and they order and install a suitable quality replacement part themselves, that is fine. In some cases, the renters may be charged for the repair cost of damage they caused. True Renew takes care of and pays for most other repairs. 

• When is a landlord allowed to enter my home?

For non-urgent repairs, True Renew gives renters at least 24 hours notice before entering their apartment. In some cases if contractors are available to address non-urgent repairs faster than 24 hours, we may text renters and ask if entering their apartment is ok. For urgent repairs that require entering apartments, True Renew notifies renters via text as quickly as they can before entering whenever possible. We respect your space! 

• What’s the guest policy? OR Someone has been staying at my place for a long period of time. How does this work?

1-2 friends or family may stay at your apartment for up to 7 days as long as their presence does not interfere with any other roommates’ or neighbors’ comfort and enjoyment of the premises and complies with all laws and your lease. That means if you live in an apartment with other renters, they need to approve of your guest staying with you before the guest arrives. If they do not approve, the guest must stay somewhere else. PET SITTING IS NOT ALLOWED. So if your guest has a pet with them, the pet must stay somewhere else. And if the guest is disturbing others, you are responsible and they need to either stop disturbing others or leave the house immediately. If you would like a guest to stay for more than 7 days, you need to request permission from your roommates AND True Renew and possibly pay additional fees for their water use, etc.

• How much notice do I give before vacating?

You are responsible for paying rent through the end of your lease. If you end up leaving the apartment before your lease ends and a friend or subletter wants to move into your apartment, they need to be approved by True Renew before they move in. If your apartment will be vacant for more than 5 days at any time, it is best to notify True Renew so we can keep an eye on it for you and also possibly even do repairs or improvements that will make the apartment nicer for you while you are away. 

Have a question about this part of our lease?

(This means we might ask you in the fall if you would like to renew your lease for the following year) Language required by City of Ithaca: “By initialing here ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____ I fully understand and willingly waive my rights to 120 days’ written notice in advance pursuant to Ithaca City Code § 258-10: Renewal of Rental Agreements; Notification to Tenants”

Here is the explanation:

Most of our leases end and begin in July and August. In October/November we usually ask renters if they already know their plans for the upcoming year.

If renters already know they will move away from Ithaca at the end of their lease, they often let us know that. If renters already know they would like to renew, we start that process for them.

When renters renew in the fall, we usually give them a lower rental price than we offer for the same apartment in the spring. So it is often advantageous for you to decide early.

If you are renting a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment from us and you do not know your plan for the upcoming year by October/November, we generally just ask you again around January and go from there.

If you are renting a 3+ bedroom apartment from us, we might start asking about your lease renewal plans as early as September.

1. Please recycle junk mail sent to your address with other peoples’ names on them
2. If you receive a piece of mail for a previous renter that looks important: Using a black permanent marker, leave the mail recipient’s name but cross off the recipient address.
3. Write “MOVED” on the envelope
4. If you have the forwarding address for the previous renter, you can write “FORWARD” and write their current address so the mail might reach them more directly. 
5. Put the mail back in your mailbox in a way that the mail carrier will notice it. If they do not take it, make it more visible or take it to the post office. 
6. If it is a package, email a photo of the package to truerenewhomes@gmail.com with the recipient name visible and we will contact the previous renter. 

**Remember to add your name to the mailbox when you move in and change your address when you move out! 

For Urgent Requests call  us at  607-261-1949 and include your name and address

Returning home and finding an unfamiliar car parked in the parking space reserved for you or others in your house can be frustrating. But it happens all the time, so you can take the high road and still take care of it! It may be an error, an uniformed visitor, someone super stressed out, or someone who had someone parking in their space and they didn’t know what to do.

If an unfamiliar car is parked on your parking space on private property (like Dewitt Place or your driveway), you can:

1. Text others in your house to make sure it’s not their car or the car of a visitor who accidentally parked in your spot. You can also knock on your neighbor’s door and kindly ask if they are familiar with that car.
2. Leave a polite note on their windshield like “This parking space is reserved. Please do not park here again. – Your neighbor”
3. Call Ithaca City Police dispatch at 607-272-3245 and let them know someone is parked in your parking space. Clearly describe the car and the location. The police will send someone to issue a parking ticket. If you will not be waiting there, ask to be called after they have issued a ticket.
4. If the vehicle moves before the officer gets there, call dispatch back to let them know they do not need to come. They are short staffed.
5. If you are blocked in and you need to move your car, most tow trucks have been told that if it’s an emergency they can tow without having a police-issued ticket first.
6. If it is not an emergency, call the tow truck after the ticket has been issued. You can call Finger Lakes Wrecker at 607-273-6972 or another local towing company and ask them to tow the car away.

(FYI: The tow company calls the police with the license plate of the car they towed, then the person who gets towed calls the police, and the police tell the person which tow company has their car. There is no penalty or charge for the person who calls the tow company if someone else has officially been ticketed for being parked in their parking space on private property. The person who owns the car will be charged $100+ to get their car back, so please put yourself in their shoes and go from there).