Landlord Resource Guide
Starting Tenancy
185 articles15 sections10 state guides
Move-in and setup
- How Do You Help Your Tenant Get Set Up?Start here Collect rent and a deposit within your state's cap, give required disclosures, rekey and test alarms, walk the unit together, and send a welcome letter.
- Is a Move-In Inspection Required? It depends on your state and deposit requirements. A move-in checklist or report may be required; New York requires an inspection offer.
- What Can You Do If a Tenant Cannot Immediately Move In to Your Rental? Take a written holding deposit where your state allows it, or sign the lease now with a later start date. Each option sets what you can keep if the applicant backs out.
Rent collection and increases
- How Can You Collect Late Fees? You can charge a late fee only if your lease states it, it is reasonable, and it fits your state's grace period and cap, such as New York's $50 or 5% limit.
- How Can You Solve Late or Partial Payment Problems? Contact the tenant, put any payment plan in writing, and know your state's rules before taking partial rent, since it can cancel a pending eviction notice.
- How Do You Legally Increase a Tenant's Rent? Raise rent at lease renewal or, month to month, with written notice: 30 to 90 days in most states, under any cap in California, Oregon, or Washington.
Tenant communication
- How Do You Establish a Good Relationship With Your Tenant? Agree on contact channels and response times, meet repair deadlines, allow required disability accommodations, and follow entry-notice and anti-retaliation laws.
- Should You Keep a Record of Tenant Communication? Yes. Keep dated tenant notices, repair requests, and payment records through applicable tax and state claim deadlines, and follow state notice-service rules.
Maintenance and utilities
- How Do You Maintain and Repair Your Rental? Inspect at move-in and yearly when entry is lawful, keep a seasonal maintenance calendar, sort written repair requests by urgency, and budget for replacements.
- How Much Maintenance and Repair Is Required by Law? You must keep the rental livable and up to code, with working plumbing, heat, water, and power. A lease usually cannot waive this, and tenants have remedies.
- What Can You Do in the Case of Shared Utility Meters? Disclose the shared meter before the lease starts, then put the account in your name or sign a written payment agreement. Separate meters or submeters fix it for good.
Security deposits
- How Much Can You Charge for a Security Deposit? It depends on your state: 29 states and DC cap deposits, usually at 1 to 2 months' rent. California's cap is 1 month for most landlords since July 1, 2024.
- How Should You Store the Security Deposits? Keep deposits out of your own accounts. Some states require a separate in-state or interest-bearing account, a written bank notice, and yearly interest.
- What Are Security Deposits Usually Used For? A deposit covers unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning back to move-in condition, and lease charges your state allows, never routine wear.
- What Is the Process of Returning a Security Deposit to the Tenant? Get a forwarding address, inspect against the move-in record, price deductions, and send the refund and itemized list by your state's deadline.
- What Should You Pay Attention to When Returning a Security Deposit? Watch the deadline, itemize with invoices, skip wear-and-tear charges, and follow account rules. Mistakes can forfeit the deposit or cost two to three times it.
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