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:
Do “Unsexy” Investments Perform Best? Mobile Home Parks with Jordan Moorhead
The Big Picture on Boring, "Unsexy" Investments: With fewer than 50,000 parks and growing development restrictions, mobile home parks gain value over time and presents a ripe investment opportunity. Tenants in mobile homes rarely move due to high relocation costs,...
Does Asset Protection Work? How to Cover Your Ass(ets)
The Big Picture on Asset Protection: Never hold investment properties in your personal name. Use land trusts for anonymity and LLCs or holding companies for liability protection—especially in states like Wyoming or Delaware. Create a separate property management...
Budgeting Is Dead (Do This Instead)
The Big Picture on How Budgeting Works Today: Traditional budgeting often leads to burnout. Instead, focus on building a mindful relationship with money and spending aligned with your values. Whitney Elkins-Hutton categorizes spending into destructive, protective,...
Are Self-Directed IRAs Worth the Fees?
The Big Picture on Self-Directed IRAs: A self-directed IRA lets you invest in non-traditional assets like real estate, private businesses, and cryptocurrency—offering broader diversification than a standard IRA. While SDIRAs offer flexibility, they come with strict...
Landlording Sucks & Rental Income Isn’t Passive — Do This Instead
The Big (And Real) Picture on Being A Landlord: Despite popular belief, owning rental properties requires significant time and effort. Michael Raki, with over $300 million in real estate transactions, highlights that landlording involves deal sourcing, financing,...
Buy Back Your Time with Real Estate
The Big Picture on Buying Back Your Time With Real Estate Investing: Nick Sicilian’s journey into real estate began with the realization that time, not money, is the ultimate asset. Despite earning over $200,000 annually as an offshore engineer, the extended periods...