Year in review: the best of 2018

Written by Lucas Hall on . Posted in For Landlords, For Renters, General

2018 Year in ReviewWelcome to the new year! As we dive into 2019, we’d like to take a moment and reflect the highlights of the past year. Whether you’re a landlord or a renter, we’re glad you’re here. Please enjoy the best articles of 2018.

2018 summary:

We’re proud to be a part of an amazing community of real estate investors, landlords, managers, and renters. Thank you for being there with us.

Without further ado, here are the best articles from last year, based overall on quality, popularity, engagement, and traffic.

Best articles of 2018:


JANUARY

How many pets are too many?

Some landlords believe that even one pet is one pet too many in their rental property. But if you allow pets, you should have a plan on how many to allow. It’s a good idea to have a pet policy in your lease that you go over with your tenants before they move in.


FEBRUARY

Umbrella insurance: can it replace an LLC?

Did you know there’s an alternative to an LLC that protects your finances? It’s umbrella insurance. Landlords can protect themselves from lawsuits with a simple umbrella insurance policy and avoid the problems involved with an LLC.


MARCH

Offer incentives to current tenants so they stay

If you do your job properly when it comes to taking care of the tenants, they’ll ultimately take care of you by wanting to stay. After all, every renter wants and deserves a good landlord and a well-kept property.


APRIL

Cleaning and repair rules when you move out

If you leave your rental in bad shape when you move out, your landlord can hold the cleaning costs from your security deposit. After all, it’s your mess. But the security deposit is your money. You want as much of it back as possible, right? So what are your responsibilities?


MAY

Withholding rent

When can you withhold rent?

Tenants will learn when it is legal to withhold rent when the landlord is not making proper repairs. But this can be a very risky move for tenants: it can result in eviction.


JUNE

Rental application fees: what you need to know

Experienced landlords, particularly those who’ve been burned by less-than-exemplary renters, always screen future tenants. And that costs money. Thus, the application fee, which pays for background checks and credit reports for each person on a lease.


JULY

9 maintenance issues tenants are responsible for

A landlord is required to provide a safe and habitable residence, but landlords and tenants share responsibility for keeping it that way. Tenants should maintain sanitary conditions and contact the landlord whenever repairs are needed.


AUGUST

Tenant move-out letter plus two other free templates

When your tenant plans to move, you should make the move-out process as smooth as possible. This benefits you and your tenant—when your tenant knows what to expect, they’re more likely to meet your expectations. Here are some templates you can use when your tenants’ leases are about to end.


SEPTEMBER

What to do when your tenant is locked out… again

If you don’t mind being on call 24/7 to deal with every Mr. and Ms. Forgetful you rent to, don’t worry about it. But if you appreciate peace of mind and wish your tenants would learn to be more responsible, there’s a few things you can do about those lost-key situations.


OCTOBER

Should I accept credit card payments as rent?

Is it a good choice to pay rent with a credit card? Learn the pros and cons of which payment method makes the most sense for your finances.


NOVEMBER

When is rent considered received?

It’s best not to push the limits on your monthly rent calendar if you want to avoid landlord-tenant friction, or worse yet, eviction. Although many mortgage companies offer a payment grace period beyond the listed due date, the same is usually not true for rental payments.


DECEMBER

A basic guide to landlord and tenant responsibilities

Landlord and tenant responsibilities can be complicated. This guide will outline which party is responsible for common landlord/tenant issues.