Red flags in a rental application landlords should never ignore
You’ve got a unit listed, a handful of applications in your inbox, and every empty day is costing you money. That’s a tough moment to stay picky, and an even worse one to get sloppy. Most bad tenancies trace back to something small on the application that nobody chased, which is why understanding your tenant […]
Rent Collection for Landlords: How to Get Paid On Time Every Month
Getting paid should be the easy part of owning a rental property. You bought the asset, you found the tenant, you signed the lease. The money flows in. That’s the deal. Except it’s not always that clean. We talk to landlords all the time who are sitting on a solid property, a reasonably good tenant, […]
Lease Agreements for Landlords: A Complete Guide
Most rental property owners don’t think about their lease until something goes wrong. A tenant brings in a dog. Someone wants to break their lease six months early. The heating system quits in January and nobody can agree on who handles what. And then you pull out the lease and discover it doesn’t say much […]
What to look for in tenant references
If you’ve spent any time figuring out how tenant screening actually works, you already know that credit scores and pay stubs only tell part of the story. References are where you find the rest. And yet, most landlords blow right past them. We see it constantly. An owner collects three names and numbers, sends a […]
How to check rental history and contact previous landlords
Most rental applications look fine on the surface. Good income, decent credit, friendly email. And then six months later, you’re filing paperwork with the Maine District Court and absorbing $4,000 in lost rent, attorney time, and turnover costs — all because you skipped one phone call. If you’re a rental property owner trying to figure […]
How to verify income and employment for rental applicants
Finding a good tenant starts long before the lease is signed. If you own rental property in Westbrook or anywhere across southern Maine, you already know the local market moves fast. Vacancy rates here have remained relatively low historically, with the rental vacancy rate around 3.7% in recent census data., and that pressure to fill […]
What does a credit check show landlords (and what score is good enough)
If you’re a rental property owner trying to figure out how strict to be on credit, you’re probably getting two kinds of advice. One camp says never approve anyone under 700. The other says trust your gut. Neither is great guidance, and we’ve seen both approaches cost landlords real money. This post breaks down exactly […]
How to run a background check on a rental applicant
Most landlords know they’re supposed to screen tenants. Fewer know what that actually means, and a surprising number are doing it in a way that gives them a false sense of security. We work with owners across Southern Maine, from first-time landlords who just picked up a duplex to investors sitting on 20+ unit portfolios. […]
Tenant Screening for Rental Property Owners: What You Need to Know
You bought a rental property. You want a good tenant in there, paying on time, treating the place well, and renewing their lease. Simple enough, right? Here’s where it gets complicated. The pressure to fill a vacancy fast, combined with Maine’s tight housing supply and a screening process that most owners cobble together themselves, creates […]