The Landlord Blog
Guides that help you lease smarter
Researched, practical articles for rental property owners on screening, pricing, fair housing, vacancy, and tenant placement. Written to be used, not to fill a feed.
How Much Does Tenant Placement Cost? Fees Explained
A plain-English breakdown of tenant placement and leasing fee structures, what they cover, and how to compare quotes so you know what you are paying for.
What Is a Tenant Placement Service? How It Works
A step-by-step explainer of what a tenant placement service does, from pricing and marketing through screening, lease signing, and move-in.
When to Hire a Tenant Placement Service vs DIY
An honest comparison of DIY leasing and hiring a tenant placement service across cost, time, and risk, with a simple framework to decide.
How to Choose a Tenant Placement Company
A practical checklist for vetting tenant placement companies, covering screening depth, fee transparency, guarantees, local knowledge, and red flags.
How to Screen a Tenant: A Landlord's 7-Step Guide
A repeatable, fair, and legal process for screening tenants, from setting written criteria to running reports and documenting your decision.
What Credit Score Do You Need to Rent?
There is no official minimum, but here is the range landlords commonly look for and how to weigh credit against income and rental history.
How to Verify a Tenant's Income: A Landlord Guide
The documents to request, the income-to-rent benchmark to apply, and how to catch fabricated proof of income before signing a lease.
Tenant Background Checks: What Shows Up & How to Run One
What a tenant background check reveals, the steps to run one legally, and the FCRA and fair housing rules every landlord must follow.
Rental Application Red Flags Every Landlord Should Know
The warning signs that separate a risky applicant from a reliable one, from inconsistent paperwork to pressure to skip screening.
How Much Rent to Charge: A Landlord's Guide
The most reliable way to decide how much rent to charge is to study what comparable units near you have leased for recently, then adjust for your property's condition, features, and current demand.
How to Find Rental Comps to Price Your Property
Rental comps are recently leased properties similar to yours in size, location, and features. Finding good ones is the key to pricing your rental accurately instead of guessing.
Best Websites to List a Rental Property
The best websites to list a rental property combine large audiences like Zillow and Apartments.com with syndication tools that push your listing to many sites at once.
How to Write a Rental Listing That Attracts Tenants
A great rental listing leads with a specific headline, highlights standout features as lifestyle benefits, and stays concise so renters can decide fast.
Rental Property Photography Tips for Landlords
Great rental photos start with a clean, decluttered space and plenty of natural light. The right rooms, angles, and photo count do the rest.
How to Reduce Vacancy in Your Rental Property
Cutting vacancy comes down to three levers: price the unit right, market it widely, and respond fast. Here is how landlords keep rentals filled and lost rent low.
How Long Does It Take to Rent a Property?
Most well-priced rentals lease within a few weeks, but timing swings widely with price, condition, marketing, and season. Here is what drives the number.
Rent-Ready Checklist: Prep Your Rental to Lease
A rent-ready unit leases faster and at a better price. Use this make-ready checklist to handle cleaning, repairs, safety, and curb appeal before you list.
How to Handle Lease Renewals as a Landlord
A renewal is cheaper than a turnover. Learn when to start, how to set a fair increase within the law, and how to write a clear renewal letter.
The True Cost of Tenant Turnover for Landlords
Turnover costs go well beyond a vacant month. Here is the full breakdown of what each tenant turnover really costs and how to make it happen less often.
How to Become a Landlord: A First-Timer's Guide
Becoming a landlord comes down to a repeatable sequence: prepare the property, price it right, market it, screen carefully, and put a solid lease in place. Here is the full process for first-timers.
Self-Manage vs. Hire a Property Manager?
Self-managing saves the management fee but costs you time and exposes you to legal risk. Hiring help costs a percentage of rent but adds expertise. Here is how to decide which fits you.
What to Include in a Lease Agreement
A strong lease names the parties and property, sets rent and deposit terms, defines responsibilities, and spells out the rules. Here are the essential clauses every landlord should include.
Landlord Tax Deductions: A Basics Guide
Landlords can generally deduct the ordinary and necessary costs of operating a rental, from mortgage interest to repairs and depreciation. Here is a plain-English overview of the basics.
How to Screen Tenants: An FCRA-Safe Guide
Good tenant screening uses consistent written criteria, verified income, and compliant credit and background checks. Here is how to do it well while following the FCRA and fair housing law.
Fair Housing Rules Every Landlord Must Know
A plain-English guide to the Fair Housing Act for rental property owners, including the seven federally protected classes and common ways landlords get into trouble.
Security Deposit Laws: Basics for Landlords
Security deposit rules are set mostly at the state level. Here is how limits, deadlines, deductions, and penalties typically work and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Can a Landlord Legally Reject an Applicant?
Landlords can deny applicants for legitimate, consistently applied reasons, but not for anything tied to a protected class. Here is how to tell the difference.
FCRA Adverse Action Notice for Denied Applicants
When you deny an applicant based on a credit or background report, federal law requires an adverse action notice. Here is what it must include and how to do it right.
What Landlords Can and Cannot Ask Applicants
Some rental application questions are perfectly legal and others can trigger a fair housing complaint. Here is a clear guide to what you can and cannot ask.
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