Renting to Tenants
Being a landlord isn't as simple as collecting a rent check every month. It involves familiarizing yourself with landlord tenant law, finding and screening tenants, and trying to avoid (or resolve) landlord tenant disputes. We've found some of the best resources on the Web to help you educate yourself about these issues, and make your landlord work a little easier.
Expand All Guide SectionsAttracting and Screening Tenants
Without tenants, you wouldn't be a landlord. Use the sites in this section to learn how to make your property appeal to prospective renters, and once they've expressed interest in renting from you, what's legal to request in a background check.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Placing an ad in a newspaper is a classic way to let people know your property is for rent. Many papers have a classifieds section online; check the U.S. Newspaper List if you don't know a paper's Web address.
- Craigslist is another great source for placing a rental ad. The site draws large amounts of traffic, offers free posting of ads, and is one of the first places some people in large cities check when looking for a rental.
- There's plenty of advice on how to find the right tenants for your rental. See "Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants" for some sound suggestions.
Dulcinea's Picks
For help attracting tenants …
Landlordeguide.com
suggests several ways to attract and keep good tenants, starting with an effective advertising campaign when you have property for rent, and continuing with advice about maintaining a strong landlord-tenant relationship once you believe you've found the right tenant.
Rental Property Reporter
explains some ways to draw the best tenants to your property and avoid the questionable ones in this helpful article. The advice here focuses on making your property appealing and on improving your skills as a landlord.
Bankrate.com
offers some basic information you should know about becoming a landlord and setting the right rent price. Also find considerations to take into account when deciding what type of renter you want to attract (like smokers or non-smokers). This article is dated, but the basic principles are still sound today.
For help screening tenants …
Nolo
answers some frequently asked questions about legal methods of tenant screening. Learn what types of discrimination are illegal and whether it’s alright for a landlord to request a credit report for a potential tenant.
The Federal Trade Commission
explains that landlords must follow the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to check a prospective tenant's credit and provides some instruction on how to adhere to those requirements.
MarketWatch
lists three warning signs landlords should watch out for when screening tenants, and has some other cautionary suggestions landlords should follow to lessen the chance of becoming involved in a fair housing discrimination claim.
For tenant screening agencies …
E-Renter
is a service that screens potential renters for a fee. Tenant checks for individual landlords are available. Review the fee schedule for subscription options.
Landlord.com
lists tenant screening companies that perform background checks.
Rental Contracts, Lease Agreements and Other Landlord Forms
Part of having a successful career as a landlord is using correct documentation for your rental ... read more »
Landlord-Tenant Law
Knowing landlord-tenant law is a must for any landlord. The sites in this section provide a general ... read more »
Resolving Landlord-Tenant Disputes
Probably the aspect of any renting situation that landlords and tenants most want to steer clear of ... read more »
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
