Rent & Security Deposits

We hope you haven’t made this mistake before when collecting rent! Have a happy Halloween everyone!…Read More

In the age of electronic financial transactions and digital deposits, many landlords wonder about whether or not they are required to provide a security deposit receipt. Like most issues that have to do with rental properties, the answer is that it depends on several factors. Landlords should always have written records of transactions, but that…Read More

Have you ever thought about using apps for tracking rental expenses? Being a successful landlord means that you need to be really organized when it comes to paperwork. That’s because tracking things like invoices, receipts, documents are important when turning over units. Because of the nature of the business, landlords usually work with an accountant…Read More

Most landlords are unaware that there are laws on where to keep tenant security deposit funds. That’s why it’s important to know how to open an escrow account for security deposit money. A common mistake is co-mingling security deposit funds with other money in the same bank account. In the video below we share how…Read More

A common issue that arises from owning and renting out a multi-unit are noise complaints. Our friends over at Avvo recently did a webinar with Zillow addressing common issues between landlords and tenants. The audio file above addresses this question as Avvo’s chief legal officer, Josh King, weighs in with his thoughts. Below you can read the…Read More

It has happened to us all. The car breaks down or you have to make an unexpected trip to the emergency room or you simply miscalculated your budget and suddenly, you find yourself short on rent. Depending on how much money you need, there are some ways to handle the situation or make up the deficit without…Read More

Withholding rent is a tactic used by renters trying to negotiate with a landlord. However, just as many tenants often threaten to “sue you” or to “call their lawyer,” the declaration that they will not pay their rent until something gets fixed has no legal standing except for a very few instances. You can diffuse the…Read More

How much do you charge each tenant as a security deposit?  How much can you charge according to state law? Nearly every landlord knows the answer to the first question, but fewer know the answer to the second one.  While you’re not required to charge the maximum security deposit allowed by law, you are prohibited…Read More

It happens more often than you think—the lease will expire in the next month or two and an excellent tenant leaves you a message about possibly renewing. However, she wants to negotiate a lower rent. If you’ve learned anything about a good landlord/tenant relationship, it’s that it is important for both parties to get what…Read More

While more landlords and tenants are turning to electronic deposits to take care of the rent, there are still plenty of rent transactions that take place using a good old-fashioned paper check. We hear from nervous tenants that say their landlord hasn’t cashed their rent check yet. When tenants write a personal check, it gives…Read More