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:
Rental Applications In California: A Guide For Landlords
The Big Picture On Rental Applications In California Screen tenants thoroughly with rental applications that follow laws to avoid issues with problematic renters down the road. California law permits landlords to charge $62 max for a screening fee and pass other app...
The Investor’s Guide to Seller Financing: What Is Owner Financing & How Does Work?
The Big Picture On Owner Financing: Owner financing means the person selling the home lends money to the buyer instead of the buyer getting a traditional bank loan. Buyers can find homes with owner financing by looking at listings online, talking to real estate...
Apartment Application vs. House Rental Application: What Landlords Need to Know
The Big Picture On House Rentals Vs. Apartment Applications: Effective tenant screening through comprehensive rental applications is crucial for landlords to safeguard their investment and income. Recognizing variances between apartment and house rentals, such as...
Is Rental Income Active Or Passive Income? How Much Labor Landlords Should Expect
TL;DR on Is Rental Income Passive Or Active For tax purposes rental income can be defined as passive income so long as you do not qualify as a real estate professional. In the truest sense of the word, rental income is not “passive” income, as it requires extensive...
How to Retire at 40 With Real Estate Investments & Stocks
The Big Picture for How To Retire At 40: Retiring at 40 is not easy—but it is possible. The best way to retire at 40 is to combine many income streams, including diversified stocks and real estate investments. You can take advantage of Roth IRAs and your 401(k) but...
Non-Qualifying Mortgages: Uses & List of Non-QM Lenders
TL;DR On Non-Qualifying or Non-QM Loans: Non-QM loans provide flexible financing options for real estate investors who do not qualify for traditional mortgages. Non-QM loans allow investors to secure financing for unique property types like fix-and-flips, multi-units,...