Trying to create a rental listing without displaying owner’s information

[Thaleia Teli]

Hey everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice from those who self manage and prioritize privacy. I’m trying to manage my rental property myself without using a property manager but also don’t want my personal name easily tied to the property manager. To set things up more privately, I’ve put the property into a land trust and created an LLC connected to the property as well as set up a separate phone number for tenant communication. The issue I’m running into is with listing platforms like Zillow and Turbotenant. When I go to create a rental listing, it seems like the owner’s information is displayed by default, which kind of defeats the purpose of the structure I set up. I feel like I am missing something. Is there a specific way to set up your account so your personal info isn’t shown? Do these platforms require owner disclosure no matter what, or is there a workaround? Any tips, best practices, or platform recommendations would be really appreciated. Just trying to stay compliant while also keeping a reasonable level of privacy. Thanks in advance!

[Chris Seveney]

@Bill B. That was my thought exactly. People spend way too much time and money trying to hide. Most have what they call the spotlight effect, which is they think they are more important and that people think about them more often than reality.

The other thing that happens when people start doing this and setting up separate property management companies is they actually increase the liability because now they're third-party managing it. They don't have the proper license and insurance, and they actually are more apt to lose a lawsuit.