Leasing & Onboarding New Renters
Everything you need to know about signing new lease agreements and onboarding new tenants.
Preparing to sign a lease agreement?
Don’t sign it lightly.
Have you collected rental applications from a large pool of candidates? Have you run credit, criminal and eviction reports on all applicants? Collected application fees or charged the screening reports to the renter, to verify they’re committed?
If you’ve done all that, and made all the phone calls to verify income, employment, housing history, etc., and you feel 100% rock solid about this tenant… now you need to make sure you have a defensive lease agreement.
Think of your lease agreement as your shield, your armor. Most state landlord-tenant laws are extremely tenant-friendly, and designed to protect the renter, not the landlord. That means you’re responsible for protecting yourself.
How do you do that? With a comprehensive, protective lease package. Read on for more details, and happy leasing!
“Required Reading” – Start Here First!
Want more? We have you covered! Here’s some further reading on lease agreements, security deposits, move-in and everything else you need to know about onboarding new renters.
Full Library of Leasing & New Tenancy Articles:
Real Estate Spreads Just Normalized vs. Corporate Credit (Here’s Why That Matters)
The Short Version: Real estate spreads vs. corporate credit are back to 20-year historical norms after 20-25% repricing from 2021 peak 2021 pricing was the anomaly (free money, 3% rates, ZIRP), not 2026 pricing — current valuations are normal Institutional investors...
The Myth of “Waiting for Interest Rates to Drop”
The Short Version: Mortgage rates hit 6.37% (highest in 6 months) but waiting for rates to drop has cost investors 3+ years of cash flow, appreciation, and tax benefits since 2022 Rate timing is the wrong variable. Entry pricing matters more; properties repriced...
Why “Smart Money” Is Buying Real Estate in 2026
The Short Version: Real estate spreads vs. corporate credit are back to 20-year historical norms after 20-25% repricing from 2021 peak 2021 pricing was the anomaly (free money, 3% rates, ZIRP), not 2026 pricing meaning current valuations are normal Institutional...
How the Iran War affects Your Investment Portfolio
The Short Version: Oil at $120/barrel is pushing inflation back up and keeping the Fed locked at 3.50-3.75%... rate cuts are off the table for now S&P dropped 4.55% in a week while mortgage rates climbed to 6.53%... volatility is spiking across the board Family...
The Private Credit Exodus (And Where That Money Is Going)
The Short Version: Something big is happening in institutional finance right now. Capital is rotating out of private credit and into real estate. JLL's CEO described it firsthand. Why the exodus? Private credit yields have compressed. Default concerns are rising. The...
The FIRE Movement’s Blind Spot (And Why It Could Cost You)
The Short Version: The FIRE movement has a math problem most people don't talk about. The 4% rule assumes steady returns. Markets don't work that way. Sequence of returns risk is the killer. A bad market in your first few years of retirement can permanently damage...
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