Landlord Tips & Advice Forum

Section 8 rents went up for FY2027. Most landlords won't collect it.
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Section 8 rents went up for FY2027. Most landlords won't collect it.

Memphis operator since 2003, few hundred doors, majority Section 8, own crews and own management. This one is time-sensitive and it's the kind of money that gets left on the table quietly, so I'd rather post it now than write something cleverer next month. WHAT HAPPENED HUD published the FY2027 f...

531 tenanted rentals across three Texas markets. None work at the asking price.
General Landlording & Rental Properties
531 tenanted rentals across three Texas markets. None work at the asking price.

I screen listings against a hard money purchase test, and tenant-occupied rentals for sale keep producing the same answer. Houston, Harris County: 325 of them. San Antonio, Bexar County: 181. A twenty-zip corridor south and east of Houston: 25. That is 531 listings across three markets, and not o...

Do you ever go back and adjust your reserve number, or is it set once and forgotten?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Do you ever go back and adjust your reserve number, or is it set once and forgotten?

Set up my maintenance reserve budget when I bought my first property and honestly never touched the number again. Just kept saving the same amount every month.then I actually looked at it properly last month and realized the number I picked three years ago made no sense anymore. The roof was newe...

What is the best month(s) to start or end leases and why?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
What is the best month(s) to start or end leases and why?

I have a duplex that both leases are due to renew in November. I am thinking April or June would be better months. April I feel like there is more tax money for people to get in to rentals. June I feel like school is ending and people have the availability for moving...

The Building Sends Its Bills Late
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Miami, Florida
The Building Sends Its Bills Late

There’s a peculiar thing about owning real estate: most of the expensive things don’t send you a monthly bill. The bank does. The insurance company does. The property tax people certainly do. The roof doesn’t. Neither does the HVAC system. Or the plumbing. Or the electrical system. Or the windows...

Best software for Rent Collection?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Best software for Rent Collection?

Hello BP! I currently collect rents in paper checks/Venmo but I am looking to place all tenants in the same place. What site/apps you guys found that works best? Thanks!

Managing your own Property from Out-of-State...thoughts?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Managing your own Property from Out-of-State...thoughts?

I’m looking for some feedback from anyone who uses RentRedi to manage rental properties out of state. I currently use RentRedi for a rental property where I live and have had a good experience with it. I’m now considering using it to self-manage an out-of-state property instead of using a traditi...

Out-of-State Investors: What’s Your Biggest Challenge Managing Properties Remotely?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Detroit, Michigan
Out-of-State Investors: What’s Your Biggest Challenge Managing Properties Remotely?

Write your I’m a Detroit area investor and I’m curious about the challenges that out of state investors face when managing properties in Detroit remotely. If you own rentals or investment properties here but live elsewhere: What’s your biggest headache? Finding trustworthy contractors? Monitoring...

Rent-ready in Baltimore: what a turnover actually costs (line by line)
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Rent-ready in Baltimore: what a turnover actually costs (line by line)

The most expensive part of a Baltimore rental isn't the rent you lose. It's the turnover between tenants. Landlords budget for a week of paint. Then the walkthrough happens and the week becomes six. **Budget the trash-out before you touch anything else.** A standard 2BR rowhouse trash-out — furni...

Hidden Risks in Your Property Management Agreement
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Hidden Risks in Your Property Management Agreement

Property managers often sell owners on separation from tenants, anonymity (which should not be confused with asset protection), compliance & access to more responsive vendors and better vendor pricing. But hiring a PM does not automatically transfer risk. In fact, many management agreements leave...

MTR permit in Buffalo?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Buffalo, New York
MTR permit in Buffalo?

Hey all. I'm working on turning a SFH into a MTR for travel nurses, etc. I've read everything I can find on the city of Buffalo website, scoured the internet, scoured their various portals. I've called all the phone numbers listed. I simply cannot figure out how to even apply and pay for a rental...

What Number Do You Check First on a Rental?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
What Number Do You Check First on a Rental?

When analyzing a potential rental, what's the first number you look at? Purchase price? Rent? Taxes? Cash flow? Debt service? Something else? I'm curious whether experienced investors have developed a consistent order for evaluating a property.

Needy Tenant With Incessant Requests
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Needy Tenant With Incessant Requests

Looking for advice from some experienced landlords! In short, we have a tenant whose lease started July 1,2019. Since she moved in her requests and complaints have been incessant. From the initial walkthrough, lease was already signed, my husband sensed that things would be very different from ou...

Utilities - How you manage water bill
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Lakeville, Minnesota
Utilities - How you manage water bill

Hey guys and gals, hoping for some advice on how you manage our water utility bills. We own two duplexes and currently our renters pay all utilities except water. When we first got into real estate a local investor told us to always keep water in our name because it was a bigger issue if it gets ...

Assistance Please Rental Properties And more
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Assistance Please Rental Properties And more

Hello All, My name is Dilshad I live in Virginia. I am new to the Real Estate categories. I'm more interested in Real Estate rental/commercial rental properties/private lending/. But my first goal is to learn of rental properties of NNN leased. Wasn't sure where to turn or go as confused myself. ...

My move-out checklist after AB 2801 — what California landlords need to document now
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Sacramento, California
My move-out checklist after AB 2801 — what California landlords need to document now

I just went through my first move-out under AB 2801 and wanted to share what I learned, because this law has some teeth that aren't obvious until you're in the middle of it. Quick background: AB 2801 took effect in January 2025 and changes how California landlords handle security deposits. If you...

Rent collection software?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Rent collection software?

What programs or websites are good for collecting rent online from tenants? I'm looking for something cost effective that tenants can log into and pay through an online portal.

Property Management Software
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Raleigh, North Carolina
Property Management Software

I am looking to rent out a single property in the next 6 months and wanted to get recommendations on a property management software for small time DIY. The Top 5 in my search so far based on minimum requirements. TenantCloud: https://www.tenantcloud.com/ Inaggo: https://innago.com/ RentRedi: http...

New Landlord - where to list and screen?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
New Landlord - where to list and screen?

Hi BP community! Newbie here. We are preparing to list our current home for rent and become landlords. This will be our first investment property. I'm a little overwhelmed on where to list and where to screen and the more I read, the more confused I get. I've seen mixed reviews on Zillow Rental M...

Debt Reporting Services
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Durham, North Carolina
Debt Reporting Services

I am trying to recover debt from a former tenant and found a company called Front Lobby that allows you to report debt to the 3 credit bureaus for a fee. Has anyone used this service before? Looking for Pros / Coms and alternatives.

New landlord: Need advice on apps to manage your property and lease agreements
General Landlording & Rental Properties
New landlord: Need advice on apps to manage your property and lease agreements

I will be renting 4b / 2.5b home in the suburbs of Georgia in the next few months. It’s has hardwood throughout, fenced yard and screened patio, great school district etc. I will include appliance except microwave and small dogs will be ok. I also want manage the property by myself and I do have ...

Bad tenant in rent by the room
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Salem, Massachusetts
Bad tenant in rent by the room

Hi Fam, I really don't know where else to turn to: i have a tenant with a 1 year lease in rent-by the-room unit in Salem MA, who is driving everyone crazy. Other tenant called Police on him because he started recording her resting on the living room couch. It has become unbearable for all, and la...

What Screening Tool Do You Prefer?
General Landlording & Rental Properties
San Diego, California
What Screening Tool Do You Prefer?

Hi everyone! We are about to list our first long-term rental and wanted to find out which screening software did you prefer Transunion Smartmove, Zillow, or something else? We have heard horror stories from other landlords so hoping to utilize the best one for a reliable tenant. Thanks in advance!

Finding sec 8 tenants
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Finding sec 8 tenants

How do you find your sec 8 tenants. For 8 years we put a sign in the yard and that sufficed. We just hired a mgt company so I am assuming they will put on MLS and syndicate to all the big sites.

Duration of sec 8 tenants
General Landlording & Rental Properties
Duration of sec 8 tenants

If you have a nice house in a decent area will sec 8 tenants and their kids stay a while thus minimizing turns. Do they stay longer in 3-4 bed houses or 1-2 bed apartments