Move-In Inspection Checklist: Protect Your Deposit (or Your Property) on Day One
A room-by-room move-in inspection checklist for renters and landlords, with tips on photos, signatures, and storing records for move-out.
Landlord Guides
Renter Guides
How to Negotiate a Rent Increase: A Respectful, Data-Backed Approach
How to respond to a rent increase notice: check your lease and local rules, research comparable rents, calculate your moving costs, and make a respectful counteroffer.
Renter Guides
How to Read a Lease: 15 Clauses to Check Before You Sign
A clause-by-clause guide to reading a residential lease: term, rent, fees, deposits, repairs, entry, renewal, early termination, and the red flags renters and landlords should catch.
Renter Guides
Renters Insurance Basics: What It Covers, What It Doesn’t, and How to Buy
Renters insurance explained in plain English: personal property, liability, loss of use, actual cash value vs. replacement cost, flood exclusions, and how to choose a policy.
Landlord Guides
Landlord Software: The Main Categories and How to Choose
A practical overview of landlord software categories — listings, screening, rent collection, maintenance, accounting, and all-in-one platforms — and how to choose for a small portfolio.
Investing Basics
Rental Yield, Cap Rate, and Cash Flow: A Worked Example for New Investors
Learn how to calculate gross yield, net yield, cap rate, cash flow, and cash-on-cash return for a rental property, using a clearly hypothetical worked example.
Landlord Guides
Rental Application Checklist: What to Include (and What to Leave Off)
A complete rental application checklist for landlords and renters: required information, documents, consent forms, fees, and questions to avoid under fair housing rules.
Landlord Guides
Security Deposit Rules: The Basics Every Landlord and Renter Should Know
How security deposits work: limits, where deposits are held, move-in inspections, deductions vs. normal wear and tear, return deadlines, and Florida’s notice rules.
Landlord Guides
How to Screen Tenants Legally: A Fair Housing–Aware Process for Small Landlords
A step-by-step, Fair Housing–aware tenant screening process for small landlords: written criteria, consistent applications, credit and background checks, and adverse action notices.