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:
Tim, Who Lives for Free: A House Hacking Case Study
Image Credit: Kgbo under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 International license Imagine what your life would look like with no rent or mortgage payment. A smile-worthy thought, eh? Especially given that 11 million Americans spend half (!) of...
Ohio Rental Laws Guide
Did you know that Ohio is home to the very first hot dog came and the first organized baseball team (the Cincinnati Reds)? Ohio is a diverse state, with landscapes ranging from its vast cities to its beautiful Amish Country. Rents generally run about 20% less...
North Dakota Rental Laws Summary
With over ninety-percent of the state covered by farms, North Dakota is considered the most rural of all of the states. Out of all of the residences in North Dakota, only around 15% are rented. North Dakota maintains a relatively even balance between landlord...
Are Apartment Finder Services a Scam?
As a Realtor, I’m increasingly asked about the new trend of “apartment locator” companies. What’s all the hoopla about? An apartment finder or locator does exactly that: they scout available rental housing and provide a list of properties that meet their...
North Carolina Rental Laws Guide
North Carolina, extremely popular for the “OBX” (Outer Banks) where beaches are beautiful and surfing is popular. Camp LeJuene, one of the largest Stateside Marine Corps bases provides a constant need for housing. Whether renting to a military family, or a...
4 Strategies to Pay Down Your Mortgage Faster
Two-thirds of American homeowners take out a mortgage when they buy their home, and even more investors use real estate leverage (other people’s money) to expand their portfolio. Are they wrong to do so? Not necessarily, although some people borrow more than...






