Landlord Tips
39 articles in this category
Renting a room in the home you live in: What a live-in landlord needs to know
Renting a spare room while you live on site changes which rules apply and which do not. Fair housing limits, house rules, deposits, and what to write down.
When does a guest legally become a tenant?
No national day count turns a guest into a tenant. Courts weigh money, mail, belongings, and time, and the answer decides whether removal takes a phone call or a court case.
How much notice before a rent increase? A state-by-state guide
The notice a landlord owes before raising rent runs from 7 days to 90, and a fixed-term lease freezes it entirely. Here is the rule in every state.
When a Tenant Abandons the Unit: What a Landlord Can and Cannot Do
A quiet unit is not proof of abandonment, and acting too soon can turn a landlord into the wrongdoer. Here is how to tell real abandonment from a tenant who is simply away, and the safe way to reclaim the unit.
Squatters vs Tenants vs Guests: Who Has Rights and How to Remove Each
A guest, a tenant, and a squatter each carry different legal rights, and the wrong removal method can expose a landlord to real liability. Here is how to tell them apart and the correct path for each.
How to Evict a Tenant: The Legal Eviction Process, Step by Step
A plain-English walkthrough of the lawful eviction process for landlords: valid grounds, written notice, filing the lawsuit, the hearing, the writ, and the hard rule against self-help.
What a Move-Out Inspection Should Cover
A thorough move-out inspection protects the deposit refund for both sides. Here is what to check, how to document it against the move-in record, and how to handle deductions fairly.
How Much Can I Charge for Rent? A Landlord's Guide to Pricing a Rental
How to set a rent price that fills the unit and covers your costs: local comps, the 1% guideline, HUD Fair Market Rent as a reference, condition adjustments, and rent-control limits.
How to Legally Screen a Tenant: What You Can and Cannot Ask
A practical walkthrough of tenant screening that keeps you inside the Fair Housing Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, from the application to the adverse action notice.
What HUD Fair Market Rent Is and How to Use It to Price Your Rental
HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent figure for every area in the country, and many landlords misread it as a rent cap. It is not. Used correctly, FMR is one useful reference point for pricing your rental, not a ceiling on what you can charge.
Should You Allow Subletting in Your Lease?
Banning sublets feels safe, but a flat no can backfire when a tenant has to move and does it anyway without telling you. The smarter move for most landlords is not yes or no, it is a clause that allows subletting only with your written approval, on your terms.
What Landlords Must Disclose About Mold and Lead Paint
Two disclosures sit in a category of their own because one is federal law with real penalties and the other is a growing patchwork of state rules. Get the lead paint disclosure wrong on an older home and the fines are severe. Mold is murkier, but ignoring it is its own risk.