LANDLORD GUIDES
Answers, without the 2am search.
Plain-English guides for people who manage their own rentals — written by landlords who manage a hundred doors of their own.
Becoming a landlord
- BECOMING A LANDLORD Should I rent or sell my house? The two numbers that decide it — and the tax deadline that quietly changes the answer.
- BECOMING A LANDLORD The 2-out-of-5-year rule: how renting can cost you the home-sale tax break Why most accidental landlords have about three years — and what's taxed no matter what.
- BECOMING A LANDLORD Moving for a job: keep your house and rent it out? Long-distance landlording, the job-move tax rule, and what to set up before you leave town.
- BECOMING A LANDLORD What to do before renting out your house Insurance, mortgage, homestead, HOA, safety, lease, deposit — the setup that prevents year-one surprises.
- BECOMING A LANDLORD How much rent can I charge for my house? Find real comparables, adjust honestly, and why an empty month costs more than a slightly lower rent.
- BECOMING A LANDLORD How renting out your house affects your taxes Rental income, deductions, depreciation, and the forms — explained for your first year.
- BECOMING A LANDLORD First-time landlord guide: the first 30 days Move-in day, the first rent day, the first repair, and the records to start on day one.
Security deposits
- SECURITY DEPOSITS How to return a security deposit, step by step Inspection, deductions, the itemized letter, and the deadline — in the order you'll do them.
- SECURITY DEPOSITS Normal wear and tear vs. damage: what you can deduct A room-by-room list, how age changes the math, and how to document it so it holds up.
- SECURITY DEPOSITS · TEXAS Texas security deposit rules for landlords The refund deadline, the forwarding-address rule, itemizing, and what bad faith costs.
- SECURITY DEPOSITS · WASHINGTON Washington security deposit rules for landlords The deadline, the checklist you need at move-in, and the receipts you must send at move-out.
- SECURITY DEPOSITS · FLORIDA Florida security deposit rules for landlords Two deadlines, a required notice, and the certified-mail step that can't be skipped.
Collecting rent
- COLLECTING RENT How to collect rent from tenants online Cash, checks, payment apps, ACH, and cards — compared on speed, cost, records, and risk.
- COLLECTING RENT How to write a rent receipt The eight things every receipt needs, partial payments, and annual summaries.
- COLLECTING RENT What is a rent ledger, and how do you keep one? One running list per tenant — what goes in it, an example, and why it matters most when things go wrong.
- COLLECTING RENT How much can a landlord charge for a late fee? Caps, grace periods, and daily fees — and how to keep your late fee enforceable.
- COLLECTING RENT What to do when a tenant doesn't pay rent A calm, legal sequence — and the shortcuts that can cost you more than the rent.
Move-in and move-out
Running it yourself
- RUNNING IT YOURSELF How to manage a rental property yourself What the job really involves, the systems that make it manageable, and when to hand it off.
- RUNNING IT YOURSELF Rental property records: what to keep, and for how long The records that matter, how long to keep them, and a simple system that holds up at tax time.
Taxes
- TAXES Rental property tax deductions: the complete checklist Every common deduction, what's off-limits, and how losses and depreciation fit in.
- TAXES Rental property depreciation, explained Land vs. building, the 27.5-year schedule, converted homes, improvements, and recapture.
- TAXES Schedule E for landlords: every expense line, explained What goes on each line, the mistakes that draw questions, and how losses work.
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