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real estate investing

Rental Property Investor · Cleves · Member since 2023 · 132 posts · 82 votes

As a first-time landlord, I take pride in creating a safe, respectful, and well-maintained environment for my tenants while continuing to learn and grow through experience. I believe in being strict when it comes to lease agreements and protecting the property, but also remaining friendly, fair, and professional with every client. To help maintain structure and accountability, I operate on a three-strike system for lease violations, giving tenants the opportunity to correct issues while still enforcing clear boundaries and expectations.

I’m excited about expanding into Section 8 housing and working with programs that help provide stable homes for families and individuals in need. My goal is to build long-term relationships with reliable tenants, continue improving as a landlord, and eventually grow my rental portfolio through professionalism, consistency, and positive community impact.

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Rental Property Investor · Maryland · Member since 2026 · 30 posts · 25 votes
5mo

Congratulation on been a Landlord. You have to be stern and try and follow the lease agreement. Some tenants like to push their limit and see what you can tolerate. I am learning to be professional all the time with my tenant. 

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  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 13k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    5mo
    Quote from @Twannisha Jackson:

    As a first-time landlord, I take pride in creating a safe, respectful, and well-maintained environment for my tenants while continuing to learn and grow through experience. I believe in being strict when it comes to lease agreements and protecting the property, but also remaining friendly, fair, and professional with every client. To help maintain structure and accountability, I operate on a three-strike system for lease violations, giving tenants the opportunity to correct issues while still enforcing clear boundaries and expectations.

    I’m excited about expanding into Section 8 housing and working with programs that help provide stable homes for families and individuals in need. My goal is to build long-term relationships with reliable tenants, continue improving as a landlord, and eventually grow my rental portfolio through professionalism, consistency, and positive community impact.


    Ah, I remember my days of naive optimism!

    Be sure to stick to your 3-Strike Rule and really study the local eviction statutes:)

    Here to help if you need it😃

  • Rental Property Investor · Maryland · Member since 2026 · 30 posts · 25 votes
    5mo

    Congratulation on been a Landlord. You have to be stern and try and follow the lease agreement. Some tenants like to push their limit and see what you can tolerate. I am learning to be professional all the time with my tenant. 

    • Jordan FioreBusiness Member
      Real Estate Agent · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 199 posts · 150 votes
      5mo
      Quote from @Bella Ajayi:

      Congratulation on been a Landlord. You have to be stern and try and follow the lease agreement. Some tenants like to push their limit and see what you can tolerate. I am learning to be professional all the time with my tenant. 


       Agreed on this one. Tenants want to see how much they can push the limit on basically everything. Have a process in place if they do not pay rent on time or break their lease in other ways. It can be hard, but have to if you want to continue to build your port.

      Jordan Fiore, Realtor - eXp Realty568 Reviews
  • Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 619 posts · 356 votes
    5mo

    That's a solid mindset to start with. One thing I've learned is that the best landlord-tenant relationships usually come from being consistent rather than being overly strict or overly lenient.

    The focus on clear expectations, professionalism, and property standards will serve you well, especially as you grow. Tenants generally respond best when rules, communication, and enforcement are predictable and applied consistently.

    As you explore Section 8, I'd also recommend spending time learning the inspection process, documentation requirements, and local housing authority procedures. Many landlords find that success there comes down to having strong systems and clear communication just as much as tenant screening.

    It sounds like you're approaching it as a long-term business rather than just collecting rent, which is often what separates sustainable portfolio growth from constant headaches.

  • Kerlous TadresBusiness Member
    Realtor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5mo

    You're already ahead of most first-time landlords just by having a system in place. From my experience, the investors who scale fastest are the ones who enforce their lease from day one, and Section 8 is genuinely underrated for reliable cash flow since the government covers a big chunk of the rent every month, regardless of what the tenant is going through financially.

    Kerlous Tadres | Reafco Real Estate542 Reviews
  • Robert EllisBusiness Member
    Developer · Miami, FL · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5mo
    Quote from @Twannisha Jackson:

    As a first-time landlord, I take pride in creating a safe, respectful, and well-maintained environment for my tenants while continuing to learn and grow through experience. I believe in being strict when it comes to lease agreements and protecting the property, but also remaining friendly, fair, and professional with every client. To help maintain structure and accountability, I operate on a three-strike system for lease violations, giving tenants the opportunity to correct issues while still enforcing clear boundaries and expectations.

    I’m excited about expanding into Section 8 housing and working with programs that help provide stable homes for families and individuals in need. My goal is to build long-term relationships with reliable tenants, continue improving as a landlord, and eventually grow my rental portfolio through professionalism, consistency, and positive community impact.


    I like the mindset, but if I could offer one piece of advice, I'd focus less on having a three-strike system and more on being consistent every single time.

    The best landlords I've seen aren't necessarily the strictest. They're the most predictable. Tenants quickly learn what the expectations are when every lease violation, late payment, and maintenance issue is handled the same way every time. That consistency tends to prevent far more problems than enforcement alone.

    As you grow, what systems are you putting in place today that will still work when you have 10 or 20 units instead of one?
  • Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5mo

    Friendly Reminders, dramatic "Notice of Violation" letters, and phone calls do not change Tenant behavior. Invoices do. First Strike, small fine. Second Strike, bigger fine. Third Strike, painful fine and non-renewal or eviction. 

    Fines are issued based on number of ANY documented violations over previous 12 months, does not need to be the same type. Also, any violence related issues, intentional safety or damage issues, automatic, enhanced, top tier fine.

    You do need to keep the penalties in the "reasonable" realm to pacify the Courts, but $25, $100, $250, and $500 (enhanced) still meet that bar.

    There are far more Good Tenants than Bad, don't waste your time on the Bad.

  • Member since 2026 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    5mo

    A balanced approach like this — firm on the lease, fair in the relationship — is exactly what sustainable landlording looks like. The three-strike system is smart because it removes emotion from enforcement and keeps everything documented and consistent, which matters if disputes ever escalate.

    As you move into Section 8, the paperwork and income calculations can get detailed fast. Using an online tool tool for things like rent-to-income ratios, utility allowance adjustments, or prorated rent figures helps keep your numbers accurate and saves time across multiple units. Best of luck growing the portfolio.

  • Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5mo

    @Twannisha Jackson Here are the typical docs you will be using with S8. 

    HUD's Fair Market Rents

    HAP Inspection checklist AND the Standards you must meet.

    Additional forms that you will be using.

    You MUST screen all adult occupants with useful criteria, and base on what local laws allow. By screening all for background and other criteria, your hands are not tied if you are not allowed to consider source of income on the S8 primary.

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