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:
Driving for Dollars: How to Find Off-Market Properties
When Deni and I poll new real estate investors about their greatest challenges, two answers pop up again and again: coming up with a down payment and finding good deals on real estate. So we talk about those two challenges a lot. And while “driving for dollars” has...
How to Use a VA Loan for an Investment Property
Real estate investing requires money, and usually more than we like when buying an investment property. Fortunately, you can leverage other people’s money to buy our own assets. But navigating the world of investment property loans is stressful and oftentimes...
Taxes on Passive Income & How to Minimize Them
The Big Picture On How To Minimize Passive Income Tax: Passive income is taxed differently depending on the type - dividends, interest, rents, capital gains, business income, and royalties all have specific tax rules. Rental real estate income can be offset with over...
NOI in Real Estate Investing: Net Operating Income Explained
Key Takeaways: Net operating income (NOI) shows a rental property's profitability after deducting operating expenses. It reveals how much cash flow an investment property can generate. The NOI formula is simple: Take gross operating income and subtract operating...
10 Ways to Find Distressed Properties as an Investor
Key Takeaways: Distressed properties, neglected or abandoned due to financial struggles, provide investment opportunities for buyers to acquire, renovate, and profit from renting or selling. Categories such as Foreclosure, REO, Short Sales, Auctions, Bankruptcy Sales,...
How to Hedge Against Inflation with Real Estate Investments
The Short Version: Real estate tends to appreciate at the same rate or faster than inflation over time. Property values and rental income often rise as prices increase, making it the best hedge against inflation. Unlike stocks or bonds, real estate provides tangible...






