Landlord Resources
Tips, guides, and tools for independent landlords managing 2–10 properties.
Comparison
LeasePlex vs Spreadsheets + Venmo: What Small Landlords Actually Save
A practical time-and-cost comparison for landlords ready to replace scattered rent records, receipts, and renewal reminders.
Buying Guide
Best Rent Collection Software for Landlords with 2–10 Properties (2026)
The criteria that matter for small portfolios: ACH fees, payment status, receipt scanning, lease reminders, mobile access, and price.
Pricing Guide
How Much Does Rent Collection Software Cost? A Small Landlord's Pricing Guide
What rent collection software commonly costs, which fees to compare, and how LeasePlex pricing fits a 2–10 property portfolio.
Rent Collection
Rent Collection via Venmo: The Hidden Risks Small Landlords Don't See
How incomplete records, commingled funds, and late-payment confusion can make rent collection harder than it needs to be.
Expense Tracking
How to Track Rental Property Expenses Without a Spreadsheet Nightmare
A simple weekly workflow for categorizing expenses, saving receipts, and making tax-season preparation less stressful.
Lease Management
Lease Renewal Reminders: A Simple System So You Never Miss a Deadline
Use a practical 90/60/30-day system to communicate earlier, finalize renewals, and reduce vacancy risk.
Legal Guide
10 Landlord Mistakes That Lead to Lawsuits (And How to Avoid Them)
Most landlords who get sued aren't bad actors — they made honest mistakes they didn't know were mistakes. Illegal late fees, missed security deposit deadlines, inconsistent screening, no adverse action notice: here are the 10 most common errors and exactly how to prevent them.
Templates
Lease Renewal Letter to Tenant: Templates + Tips for Landlords
Three copy-paste lease renewal letter templates — standard renewal, rent increase, and month-to-month conversion — plus when to send, what to include, how to deliver, and the mistakes that cost landlords money.
Guide
How to Run a Background Check on a Tenant: A Landlord's Guide
A practical guide to tenant background checks — what they include, how to run one legally, what the FCRA and Fair Housing Act require, how much they cost, and the most common mistakes landlords make.
Guide
How to Manage a Rental Property: A Complete Guide for First-Time Landlords
From move-in setup and tenant screening to rent collection, expense tracking, maintenance, and legal compliance — the 7 areas every first-time landlord needs to get right.
Pricing Guide
How Much Does Property Management Software Cost? (2025 Pricing Guide)
The price range is $0 to $500+/month — and most small landlords are shopping in the wrong tier entirely. Here's what property management software actually costs for 2–10 properties, what drives the difference, and how to avoid paying for features you'll never use.
Guide
Rental Property Accounting: A Simple Guide for Small Landlords
The 5 accounts every landlord needs to track, common bookkeeping mistakes that cost money at tax time, how to build a simple system without fancy software, and when spreadsheets stop being enough.
Guide
Landlord Tax Deductions: The Complete Guide for Small Landlords
The 10 biggest rental property tax deductions, repairs vs. improvements, depreciation explained simply, record-keeping tips, and the common mistakes that cause small landlords to overpay taxes every year.
Guide
How to Write a Lease Agreement: A Complete Landlord's Guide (2025)
Every clause a landlord needs, optional protections worth adding, state-specific rules, the mistakes that get landlords burned most often, and how to store leases so nothing slips through the cracks.
Checklist
Landlord Checklist: Everything You Need Before Renting Out a Property
The complete landlord checklist — property prep, legal requirements, tenant screening, move-in documentation, financial setup, and ongoing management. Skip a step and you'll pay for it later.
Guide
How to Handle Late Rent Payments: A Step-by-Step Guide for Landlords
Tenant late on rent? Here's the step-by-step process — written notices, late fees, documentation, pay-or-quit notices, and how to prevent it next time. No fluff.
Guide
How to Collect Rent Online: The Complete Guide for Small Landlords
Most small landlords still collect rent via Venmo, Zelle, or cash — which creates late payments, no paper trail, and tax headaches. Here's how online rent collection actually works, what to look for in a tool, and how to set it up once and let it run.
Guide
How to Raise Rent: A Landlord's Step-by-Step Guide
When you can legally raise rent, how much to increase it, how to give proper notice, how to write a rent increase letter, and what to do if your tenant pushes back — a practical guide for small landlords.
Guide
Landlord Insurance: What Coverage Do You Actually Need?
Homeowner's insurance doesn't cover rentals — and most small landlords don't find out until they file a claim. Here's what landlord insurance covers, how much it costs, and what to look for when shopping.
Guide
Landlord Responsibilities for Repairs and Maintenance: What You're Required to Fix
What landlords must legally maintain, what they're not required to fix, how fast you must respond to repair requests, and how to document everything properly to protect yourself in a dispute.
Guide
Security Deposit Disputes: What Landlords Need to Know (and How to Avoid Them)
How to handle a security deposit dispute — documentation, allowable deductions, state return deadlines, and what happens when a landlord misses the deadline.
Guide
How to Screen Tenants: A Step-by-Step Guide for Landlords
The complete tenant screening process — rental application, background and credit check, income verification, landlord references, and adverse action notices. Plain English guide for first-time landlords.
Guide
What Is a Month-to-Month Lease? A Landlord's Guide
Pros, cons, notice requirements, how to raise rent, and how to end a month-to-month rental agreement — everything small landlords need to know.
Guide
Rent Increase Notice: How Much and How Early?
How much notice landlords must give before raising rent, how much you can raise it, how to write a rent increase letter, and what to do if your tenant pushes back.
Guide
How to Evict a Tenant: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Landlords
The complete eviction process — from issuing the correct written notice to the writ of possession. A plain-English guide for small landlords who have never evicted anyone before.
Guide
Lease Renewal: A Landlord's Guide to Renewing a Tenant's Lease the Right Way
When to start, what to update, how to raise rent legally, and what to do when a tenant goes quiet. Everything small landlords need to handle renewals without getting caught off guard.
Guide
Tenant Screening Criteria: What Landlords Should Document
Protect yourself from fair housing liability. Here's what to document before reviewing any applicant.
Guide
Rent-to-Income Ratio: What Landlords Should Require
The 3x income rule explained — how to calculate it, what counts as income, how to verify it, and how to apply it consistently to stay fair housing compliant.
Guide
Late Fee Laws by State: What Landlords Can (and Can't) Charge
Landlord late fee rules vary by state — and a fee that's too high can void your lease clause. Here's what landlords need to know about late fee caps, grace periods, and how to stay compliant.
Guide
Fair Housing Laws: What Every Small Landlord Must Know
Fair Housing violations cost landlords $16,000–$65,000+ per complaint. Here's what the law covers, what counts as a violation, and how documentation keeps you protected.
Guide
Security Deposit Laws by State: What Landlords Need to Know
Limits, return deadlines, and penalties for all 50 states + D.C. The two mistakes that expose small landlords to 2–3× penalties — and how to avoid them.
Guide
How to Track Rental Income and Expenses
What to record, which Schedule E categories matter, common mistakes (repairs vs. improvements, missing mileage), and when a spreadsheet stops being enough.
Guide
Property Management Software for Small Landlords: Do You Really Need It?
Most small landlords start with spreadsheets — and that's fine, until it isn't. Here's how to tell when software actually makes sense for landlords managing 2–10 properties.
Comparison
Best Rent Collection Apps for Small Landlords (2–10 Properties)
Venmo isn't a rent collection strategy. Here's an honest breakdown of the real options for small landlords — and what to look for before you sign up.
Read more →Guide
Landlord Maintenance Request Tracker — Free Template + Best Tools
How to track tenant maintenance requests as a landlord — free Google Sheets template, what to look for in a tracker, and when to upgrade from spreadsheets.
Read more →Guide
Tenant Overpaid Rent? Here's What Landlords Should Do (Step-by-Step)
A tenant paid too much rent — now what? How to confirm the overpayment, notify your tenant, agree on a refund method, and record it cleanly in your ledger.
Checklist
Summer Landlord Checklist: 7 Things to Do Before August
Lease renewals, HVAC inspections, expense reviews — here's what every small landlord should tackle before August hits.
Checklist
What Every Landlord Should Do Before July 4th
Don't let the holiday weekend catch you off guard. 7 things every small landlord should handle before July 4th — rent reminders, expense reconciliation, and automating collection.
Free Download: The Landlord Compliance Checklist
25 things that can get you sued — and how to stay protected.