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:
Real Estate Contingencies: A Guide for Buyers & Investors
Real estate investors and buyers need protection when entering a sales contract for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Price comprises just one piece of the puzzle. Buyers and sellers must agree on all aspects of the transaction, and contingencies in real estate offers...
Ep. 16: How Would Biden Tax Changes Affect Real Estate Investors?
Democratic candidate Joe Biden has proposed a comprehensive series of tax changes, and with him leading in most polls down the stretch of the election, it begs the question: how would his tax changes affect real estate investors? Brian takes a politics-free look at...
Ep. 15: Creative (& Safe!) House Hacking Tactics During COVID
Between social distancing, the eviction moratorium, high unemployment, and a competitive real estate market, many people have discounted the idea of house hacking during the pandemic. Don't make that mistake! There are plenty of ways to house hack that don't involve...
Can You Roll Closing Costs into a Mortgage?
I hear new real estate investors and homebuyers ask all the time: "Can you roll closing costs into a mortgage?" The short answer is yes for refinance loans, no for purchase loans. But it’s not always possible even for refinances, and even when it is, that doesn’t mean...
Ep. 14: How Becky Created Enough Rental Income to Live on in Under 3 Years
Becky Nova bought her first home in 2018. By 2020, she was financially independent, earning enough rental income to cover her living expenses. How'd she do it? Brian hosts Becky on the Live Off Rents podcast to talk about house hacking, scaling her portfolio,...
Ep. 13: 5 Tools to Help You Score Good Deals (Even in the Crazy Pandemic Market)
Don't expect to find good real estate deals just lying around on the MLS. Especially in a hot housing market. No, you need to go out and create those deals. To score good real estate deals, you need to look off-market. But if there's no "deal tree" you can walk up to...
I Want Help With:
Ready to Accelerate?
Weekly rental investing and management tips, plus access to our free video series. Booya!
