How to Collect Rent on Time, Every Month
Every landlord we know would agree with this understatement: rent is important. Actually, it’s more than just important—rent is like a fertilizer that keeps your rental business growing and healthy. Rent is as necessary to your rental property business as rain is to plants. If only collecting rent was as easy as collecting the rain [...]
Categories: Collecting Rent, How to Collect Rent on Time, Landlord Tips, Managing Tenant Rent Payment, Online Rent Collection, Rental Property Management, Renting and Leasing, Rents and Deposits Tags:
Easy Tips for Managing a Property Manager
There are just as many rental property owners who wouldn’t dream of personally managing their rentals as there are landlords who would never allow a property manager to do it. As your rental property business grows, you may find it becoming too much to handle by yourself. If you’ve made the decision to turn over [...]
Categories: General, Hiring a Property Manager, managing rental property, Rental Property Management, Rental Property Mangers, Renting and Leasing Tags:
Hiring a Maintenance Company? 5 Things Landlords Should Look For
Whether hiring an outside contractor for regular maintenance, emergency repairs, or both, landlords need to know a few things first—especially if they’ve never hired a contractor before. It’s important to keep your rental properties in good working order and safe for your tenants—so having a great repair person can bring you peace for mind. Besides, [...]
Categories: Background Screening Checks, General, Hiring a Contractor, Rental Property Maintenance, Rental Property Management, Renting and Leasing Tags:
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:
Be Careful when Rejecting a Tenant Application
Our last post contained a warning to landlords that what you say can come back to haunt you. In other every day activities, like accepting or rejecting new tenants, landlords must also take care to know and follow all applicable laws—because it protects you and your business from liability. Take discrimination. The Fair Housing Act is [...]
Categories: Fair Housing Act, Landlord Discrimination, Landlord Paperwork and Forms, Landlord Tenant Lawsuits, Rejecting a Tenant Application, Rental Property Management, Tenant Rejection, Tenant Screening & Background Checks Tags:
What you Say to Perspective Tenants Can Come Back to Haunt You
A real estate brokerage in Las Vegas, one of its agents, and the owners of a rental home were all recently sued in federal court for discrimination. Here’s what allegedly happened: Back in 2008, a woman tried to rent a home the realty company listed. She says she was rejected because she told the agent she [...]
Categories: Fair Housing Act, General, Landlord Discrimination, Rental Housing Discrimination, Rental Property Management Tags: