Money-Saving Hints from Landlords
Landlords are happy to share information to help out their fellow rental property owners—especially when it comes to saving money, time, and trouble. Here is a round-up of some of our favorite easy-to-implement ideas. Out with the carpeting. If you own an older rental building or home, there are probably hardwood floors lurking beneath that worn-out [...]
Categories: Landlord Tenant Issues, Landlord Tips, Rental Property Improvement, Rental Property Maintenance, Rental Property Management, Tenant Screening & Background Checks Tags:
5 Reasons Landlords Should Inspect Properties
Let’s say you’re a hands-off landlord, who keeps an eye on things outside your rental units; but generally, you don’t go inside until and unless you’re called upon to repair or replace something. If you’ve ever been surprised by the condition of your rental unit after a tenant moves out, perhaps you should consider inspecting your rental [...]
Categories: Inspecting Rental Property, Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Landlord Tips, Reasons to Inspect Rentals, Rental Property Management Tags:
The Other Victims of Foreclosures: Pets
Are pets welcome in your rental properties? If so, you may have noticed more tenant applicants who are moving their pets along with their kids and furniture. Pet ownership is up in the United States—and so is the percentage of rental units that are pet-friendly. But one reason for more pet-owning rental applicants may be the [...]
Categories: Allowing Pets in Rentals, Foreclosure and Pets, Housing Trends, Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Pet Policies for Landlords, Rental Property Management, Tenants with Pets Tags:
In Between Tenants: A Checklist for Landlords
Congratulations—you have a new tenant for your just-vacated rental unit. And you have very little time to get it ready before move-in day. Here’s a handy checklist to follow, with every detail covered: First, make sure any trash or property left behind by the previous tenant is removed. Whether you hold it for the previous tenant [...]
Categories: General, Landlord Tenant Issues, Rental Property Management, To-Do List for Landlords, Transition between Tenants Tags:
A Survey of Landlords on Rent Due Dates and Charging Late Fees
Ask ten landlords about rent due dates and last charges, and you’ll probably get ten different answers—none of them wrong. The thing about running a rental property business is that you get to establish your own procedures and practices to suit your needs—within the limits of federal, state, and local laws, of course. And if [...]
Categories: Evicting tenants, Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Landlord Tips, Rent Due Dates, Rental Property Management, Rents and Deposits Tags:
Common Landlord Mistakes
Learning by others’ mistakes is a classic move. So read on for a few errors landlords can avoid—just because others have already made them. Security deposits: Seems like security deposit issues are a top-5 cause of disputes between landlords and tenants. The problem can often be traced to miscommunications and unspoken expectations. Tenants sometimes assume they [...]
Categories: Landlord Mistakes, Landlord Tenant Issues, Landlord Tenant Lawsuits, Landlord Tips, Rental Property Management, Security Deposits Tags:
What are the Advantages to Requiring Tenant Insurance?
Not every landlord or property management company requires tenants to hold renter’s insurance policies. And according to some reports, the majority of tenants do not have renter’s insurance. What are the advantages to requiring tenant insurance? Are there any disadvantages? First, the cost for renter’s policies is solely borne by the tenant, and is only $15-$20 [...]
Categories: Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Landlord Tips, Rental Property Management, Renter’s Insurance, Requiring Renter’s Insurance Tags: best, company, free, landlord, peace, property, rental, tenant
5 Reasons to Verify a Tenant’s Income and Employment
Verifying a tenant’s employment history and income is a vital step to approving his or her application. The unfortunate economic situation makes it even more important; while many good people have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, your tenants still need to pass your litmus tests, including meeting minimum income requirements. Here are [...]
Categories: Checking Tenant’s Employment, Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Rental Property Management, Renting and Leasing Issues, Tenant Screening & Background Checks, Verifying Tenant Income Tags: background, check, company, employment, landlord, property, tenant
When a Tenant’s Rent Check Bounces
While some landlords avoid bounced checks by requiring cash or money orders from tenants, most still accept checks—and the risk that goes with that. Studies show that while the number of online payment options grows, the number of checks being written is declining. Still, plenty of folks pay their bills—including rent—with checks. What are your options [...]
Categories: Bad Checks from Tenants, Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Rental Property Management, Renting and Leasing Issues, Rents and Deposits Tags: check, landlord, online, police, property, rental, tenant
The Case for Regular Rental Property Inspections
Landlords, do you really know what’s going on inside your rental properties? Has a tenant ever surprised you with unacceptable (or illegal) behavior? How many of you have discovered evidence of an unauthorized pet—after the tenant moved out? It only takes a quick scan of a newspaper to find the horror stories landlords and property managers [...]
Categories: Inspecting Rental Property, Landlord and Tenant FAQs, Landlord Tenant Issues, Landlord Tips, Rentaing and Leasing, Rental Property Management Tags: check, landlord, police, property, rental, tenant