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Tools Lease agreements FAQs

Access the right tools to manage your investments

There are a lot of different resources out there so make sure you are armed with the information you need to make the best decision for you and your investments.

Property management tools

Easily manage your properties through these easy-to-use platforms.
Featured
RentRedi Logo

“Outstanding platform, amazing support”

RentRedi is more than a software platform for landlords, we are a company driven to help you succeed. Reviews on BiggerPockets, G2, and Capterra rave about our customer support and easy-to-use apps. No minimums, unlimited units. Manage rentals anywhere.

SERVICES: App Available,Property Management,Rent Collection,Tenant Screening
Learn more
Hemlane Logo

Top Rated Property Management Platform

All-in-one property management to automate your leasing and management. Use our software to get more qualified tenants and optimize your cash flow. Use our services to help coordinate maintenance.

SERVICES: Property Management,Rent Collection,Tenant Screening
Learn more
Avail Logo

Platform for DIY Landlords and Tenants

Avail offers online tools for all aspects of the rental process, including tenant screening, leases, rent collection, education, and more. Personalized customer support is also available 7 days a week via phone, email, or chat. Sign up for the Unlimited plan for free today.

SERVICES: Property Management,Rent Collection,Tenant Screening
Learn more
PayRent Logo

Safe and Simple Rent Collection

Collect rent with no membership or monthly fees required. PayRent provides tenants and landlords a secure and convenient way to pay and collect rent online. Join for FREE and get started in less than 5 minutes. New landlords receive a $25 visa gift card with account activation.

SERVICES: Property Management,Rent Collection
Learn more
TurboTenant Logo

More leads = The Best Renter

Our landlords average 22 leads per property. Manage your leads and your rental from anywhere with online rental applications, tenant screening, esigning & more. It's no wonder over 200,000 landlords use TurboTenant.

SERVICES: Property Management,Rent Collection,Tenant Screening
Learn more
RentPrep Logo

Tenant Screening with a Human Touch

Judgments & Liens were removed from tenant credit reports in 2017. That’s why we have FCRA Certified Screeners that can manually check for records. Live Chat with our Screening Team for more details.

SERVICES: Tenant Screening
Learn more
Zillow Rental Manager Logo

Find your perfect renter and more

Whether you manage one or many properties, Zillow Rental Manager has the easy-to-use tools to find your perfect renter, screen tenants, collect rent payments and more — all in one place!

SERVICES: App Available,Property Management,Rent Collection,Tenant Screening
Learn more
Zumper Logo

Better tenants, faster leasing

Enjoy hassle-free leasing from start to finish. Find quality renters, predict eviction rates, collect rent in as little as 24 hours, even create and sign digital leases. Get started for free today.

SERVICES: Property Management,Rent Collection,Tenant Screening
Learn more

Lease agreements

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FAQs

What is property management?
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Rental properties require a lot of work—from advertising vacancies to finding and screening tenants. And then there’s dealing with move-in, maintenance, and move-out cleaning. Whew! Property management entails all of the nitty-gritty details that give your rentals the best chance for success. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s also a necessity.

That doesn’t mean you’re stuck doing everything by yourself. There are a few options for investors:

  • Manage the properties yourself. This requires more hands-on work but ensures you’ll immediately know about any problems. If you’re the DIY type and prefer knowing exactly what’s happening with your investments, this might be the best choice.
  • Hire a property management company. If you have a number of investments, this may be the best solution. A property management company can handle everything involved with renting your properties—-from screening tenants to processing move-outs.
  • Use a property management tool. There are a number of property management services that can help you manage your investments for a small fee. Many can help landlords advertise, accept rent payments, and communicate with their tenants.
What best practices should property managers follow?
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  • Screening tenants This ensures landlords choose reliable, trustworthy tenants that will pay rent on time and not damage the property.
  • Simplify rent collection. The easier it is for tenants to pay rent, the more likely they’ll do so. Requiring them to pay by check only during business hours on one day of the month is asking for trouble. Using online rent payment tools can make this process much easier.
  • Respond to maintenance requests quickly. Small problems can turn disastrous quickly—and if your tenants did nothing to cause the issue, you’ll have no recourse from their security deposit.
  • Implement a solid lease. BiggerPockets’ state-by-state lease agreements provide an excellent base to tailor your own custom leases. Make sure to cover all your bases so you can easily make a case in court if something goes wrong.
  • Don’t abuse the security deposit. This deposit isn’t designed to pay for small repairs or changes after move-out. You should only deduct from the security deposit for problems your tenant specifically caused. Each state has unique security deposit laws—make sure to know yours.
How do I choose the right property management tool?
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There are a number of property management options. Smaller landlords with less than 10 properties will likely want to choose an inexpensive one that offers basic features, like advertising and rent payment processing. As your portfolio grows, you may want to consider upgrading. Full-featured property management suites offer accounting, tax assistance, communication abilities, and more—with a price to match.
Why is tenant screening important?
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Rental properties are long-term investments—but avoidable expenses caused by tenant damage can quickly turn an asset into a burden. Tenant screening is the best way to avoid costly surprises. By looking at a prospective tenant’s credit and rental history, you can determine if they’re likely to treat your property with respect.

There’s another benefit to tenant screening: Making sure your tenants can financially afford the rent. Their credit history contains key indicators—like patterns of late payments—that can let you know whether signing a lease with them might impact your monthly cash flow.

What does tenant screening include?
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Typically, tenant screening services look at things like:

  • Credit history: Does your potential tenant have a history of late payments? Do they have significant debt that could impact their ability to make timely payments?
  • Eviction records: A history of evictions is a huge red flag. It could indicate your tenant treats properties or landlords disrespectfully, or tend to skip out on rent payments.
  • Criminal records: While not all criminal records should disqualify a tenant—and it’s important to consider these on a case-by-case basis—serious felonies or assault charges can absolutely indicate a problematic potential tenant.
  • Previous addresses: Is a tenant lying about where they lived? They might be hoping you won’t ask a previous landlord incriminating questions. Previous address records can indicate any discrepancies.

Most reports let you pick and choose which screening elements are most important to you.

What should I look for in a lease agreement?
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A solid lease agreement should include things like:

  • Tenancy terms. Are you going month-to-month or signing a year-long lease? Make sure it’s explicit—and spell out what happens when those terms end.
  • Rent. Don’t forget to include what your tenants will owe monthly!
  • Subleasing rules and requirements. Are you okay with your tenants subleasing? Even if you are, you’ll likely want to spell out what that entails.
  • Security deposit. How much do you require? How will it be returned?
  • Repair procedures. How quickly should tenants notify you when a repair is needed, and how soon will you fix the problem?
  • Pets. Is Fluffy A-OK—or a no-go? Make sure it’s explicitly spelled out, along with any associated fees.
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