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:
What’s the Rule of 72 in Investing?
The Big Picture On the Rule of 72 in Investing: The Rule of 72 is a simple formula to estimate how long it takes an investment to double: Years to double = 72 / rate of return. Variations like the Rule of 70 or 69.3 can be used for more accuracy at different return...
Bonds vs Real Estate: Choosing the Right Investment for Retirees
The Big Picture On Bonds vs Real Estate Investment for Retirement Low Treasury bond returns make them less suitable for retirement income. Real estate offers stable income and low risk, serving as a bond alternative for retirees. Retirees can invest in real estate...
Bad Tenants: Best Ways to Spot and Handle Them
The Big Picture on How To Handle Bad Tenants: Identifying excuse-makers, nitpickers, and slobs early through thorough tenant screening, including credit and eviction history, as well as observing their behavior and current living conditions. Maintain professionalism...
Money Mindset: Your Subconscious Is Sabotaging Your Success
The Big Picture On Improving Your Money Mindset: Success requires not just setting goals but creating detailed plans and routines to achieve them. Systematizing behaviors leads to consistent progress and tangible results. Actively practicing gratitude and maintaining...
Disruptive Technology in Real Estate: What It Means to You
The Big Picture On How Disruptive Technology is Changing Real Estate Investing Platforms like Fundrise and Groundfloor democratize real estate investing, allowing individuals to pool funds for property ventures. Tech-enabled investment clubs offer fractional ownership...
The Landlord’s Guide to State And Federal Rental Application Laws
The Big Picture On State And Federal Rental Application Laws: Landlords must avoid discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Federal law requires landlords to accommodate service and emotional support...