Landlord Tips

In the 2026 Austin housing market, a fraudulent listing can steal your $3,000 security deposit in under 15 minutes. Scammers use cloned listings and...

Every time a lease ends in Travis County, the average landlord loses $3,850 in marketing costs, cleaning fees, and uncollected rent. This financial...

Another application denied. Another fee lost. When a past eviction is on your record, finding eviction friendly apartments can feel impossible. The...

Many people believe that owning their own house is fundamental in building the life that they’ve always wanted for themselves. However, owning property and being strapped down to a mortgage ties up your income and limits your flexibility, i.e. moving to a different city or state. The recent economic downturn in the US has prompted many Americans to look for an alternative to home ownership: renting. And people began to look for rental properties. Many landlords have realized

Whether you’re a new landlord or have a long history of working with rental properties, choosing from a large pool of prospective tenants can be a daunting task. Thankfully, there is a process for choosing a tenant which works nearly 100% of the time. Initial Application and Screening Process Before you start your search, make a list of requirements to show applicants when they make an inquiry. This may include items like a general background check, credit screening, employ

In some instances, long-term ownership of property is not ideal. Some individuals move frequently. Furthermore, not everyone is able to secure a loan from a financial institution to purchase his own property. In these scenarios, people resort to paying for temporary possession and use of a dwelling. This may be an entire piece of property, such as a house, or part of a property such as an apartment unit. Prior to establishing tenancy, screening of prospective tenants is high

Some think being a landlord is an easy occupation to carry, but there’s a lot more that goes into it than getting someone into your rental property: You must make sure that you also cover yourself, for your own safety. As a landlord you are gathering quite a bit of information for a potential tenant. You want to do a tenant screening, background check, and many other things to ensure that everything checks out. What you must realize, however, is your potential tenant and man

A competitive edge can mean anything that an individual or organization does better when weighed against their competitors. In the rental market, the optimal goal is keeping the property rented and receiving a return on the investment. Rental property that lingers on the market vacant is costing the landlord money. Even without the rental income, the property still requires care, marketing costs continue to rise, property taxes are still due, and a myriad of other expenses m

Rental property owners and potential tenants are in an industry that uses tenant screening protocols, background check services and credit reports. These important documents help to detect tenants who do not pay on time, tenants who may damage rental units that they occupy, and renters who do not stay the full length of their leases. Finding a good tenant for a rental property is important, since most property owners are paying for property mortgages, taxes and insurance cost

It seems that millions of people search the Internet daily, looking for a job, information or a place to live. Social media has become the number one marketing tool for businesses across the globe, including the real estate market. Landlords are using social media networking sites to attract desirable tenants. Prospective landlords like yourself can benefit greatly from online social media networking when you post rental properties on social media sites. More and more busin

Landlords get plenty of requests from their tenants that can be fulfilled in a reasonable amount of time to the satisfaction of all parties involved. But if you have ever been asked to write a reference letter, you know the great reluctance that can overwhelm you due to not knowing everything that your letter should contain. Before you allow thoughts of that letter to consume your day, there are tips you should keep in mind. These tips will guide you through the entire lette

When a prospective new landlord seeks a reference on an old landlord’s past tenant, the referring former landlord must always give a fair and honest report on the tenant in question. The reporting landlord must remain cognizant of the various points of import to landlords in general when rendering the report on the individual tenant. Keeping in mind the fundamental points which make a good tenant is important; a report that the former tenant was “nice” does not describe her

If you are a landlord with a house or apartment to rent, you must be very careful in terms of who you select as a tenant. If an applicant claims that he is a first time renter, don’t take that claim at face value. You’ll have to do some work in order to determine if renting your property out to him is a prudent decision. What to Require of a First Time Renter While a first time renter won’t be able to provide references from past landlords, he should be able to provide the

One of the more common trends these days when doing a background check in many situations is to check the social media account of those who may become your tenants. People have questioned if doing this as a background check is an invasion of privacy, and on the surface, it could appear that way. But when it’s your property at stake, it is a rather logical idea. Seldom is a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even MySpace account kept to a professional level and, as a result, yo

You got some great news today. You have earned a promotion. But there is some bad news, and that is you have to relocate to another part of the country. That means you have to look for a new place to live in. Unfortunately, your current property owner does not like you very much. Can he tell any potential property owners negative things about you? The question that you should ask yourself: Have you disclosed all of the information that your previous manager may say about you

Background checks are a good idea for anyone renting out property because you really never know who may be trying to rent from you. The world unfortunately is not always a wholesome and safe place, as much as we would like it to be. Many people rent homes with the notion already in mind to sell drugs from it, use it as a flophouse, or worse. A rigorous tenant screening process, including a background check, is an easy way to rule out potential problem tenants before it’s too

So, you’ve moved into a new home and your old one won’t sell, or the market isn’t where you’d like it to be–what do you do next? The easiest and most profitable thing for you to do is sublease the property. Is it easy? I’ll use this common saying to give you my thoughts, “Nothing in life worth doing is easy.” You’ll definitely spend time getting your property in order for leasing; be prepared for that. Once you’ve decided that you’re subleasing your home and have a potenti

When it comes to renting out your property to tenants, there are certain issues you need to keep an eye out for. One such possible issue is the tenant running a business out of the home. While there is nothing illegal about running a business out of a home or even a rental, there are a few different elements associated with this you need to be made aware of. Ultimately, this can affect you in ways you might not of ever imagined. Due to this, if you discover a tenant is runnin

Renting out your property can be beneficial or it can be an inconvenience. There are a few things to do before you rent your house. It is prudent that you are financially prepared. You should also familiarize yourself with the landlord-tenant law of your state and the legalities of rental agreements. Think about who will manage the property. A property-management firm can handle everything from finding tenants to collecting rent and even taking care of repairs. If choosing

Being a landlord can prove to be an irritating and challenging job when dealing with irresponsible or unruly tenants. From battling maintenance and foundation problems, to managing property and liability insurance, a landlord has a strenuous list of duties to uphold as a business owner. So, the last thing you would want is to have a criminal living on your property. This can pose a threat to you in the future because you can be held accountable to a certain extent in certain