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:
U.S. Housing Market Outlook: Cities Facing the Steepest Home Price Declines
At a Glance National Home Prices Declining: Unlike most past recessions, U.S. home prices are projected to fall about 1% nationally, with some local markets facing much steeper drops of 5–15%. Key Drivers of the Decline: Rising insurance premiums, higher mortgage...
Who Counts as Middle Class and Upper-Middle Class in America Today?
At a Glance Income & Net Worth Benchmarks – The upper middle class is typically defined as households earning $145K–$235K annually or having a net worth of $658K–$1.9M, though exact ranges vary. Location Matters – What qualifies as upper middle class depends...
Housing Markets Projected to Fall in 2025: The Cities at Risk
At a Glance Certain U.S. housing markets are projected to see significant price declines in 2025, with smaller cities like Greenville, MS (-16.7%) and major metros like New Orleans (-7.2%) and San Francisco (-6.1%) most at risk. Key factors driving these declines...
Trump vs. Powell: Can Trump Force Mortgage Rates Lower?
At a Glance: The Fed controls the federal funds rate, not mortgage rates Mortgage rates are more based on bond yields, not the federal funds rate The Trump Administration can’t control bond yields – or mortgage rates The Fight Over the Fed President Trump has tried...
Where would home prices pop if mortgage rates fall?
At a Glance: Cities with low inventory, fewer average days on market, and a higher percentage of listings selling above asking price indicate pent-up demand Don’t expect the same price surge in cities with high insurance premiums and property taxes, even when rates...
Is Robert Kiyosaki Right That a Greater Depression Is Coming?
At a Glance Kiyosaki Predicts a “Greater Depression” but Experts Disagree Economic Risks Are Real but Not Catastrophic Balanced Portfolios with Stocks and Real Estate Remain Key In a world where economic forecasts are often vague and cautiously worded, Robert Kiyosaki...






