Guides

Landlord guides

Straight answers on rental paperwork, expenses and tenancy records. Written for landlords with a handful of units, not property managers with a thousand.

Latest · 3 min read

What Is Normal Wear and Tear? A Landlord's Guide

Normal wear and tear is deterioration caused by ordinary use, and no national rule defines it. Where the line sits, who decides it, and what makes a deduction hold up.

Records Documents

· 5 min read

What Is the Average Rent Increase Per Year?

US rent rose 2.8% in the year to June 2026, the slowest since 2021. The measured figure, eight years of history, and why the average is not your number.

Leases Records

· 6 min read

What Does Prorated Rent Mean? A Landlord's Guide

Prorated rent is rent charged for part of a month rather than the whole month. Here are the three ways to work it out, which one to put in the lease, and what the law actually says.

Leases Records

· 6 min read

How Do You Fill Out a Rent Receipt?

A rent receipt needs seven things: date, amount, who paid, who received it, the property, the period covered, and a signature. Here is how to fill one in.

Receipts Records

· 2 min read

How Should a Small Landlord Track Rental Expenses and Income?

One dated entry per dollar, tagged to the property it belongs to, with the receipt attached. Here is the minimum that survives a tax question.

Expenses Records

· 2 min read

What Belongs in a Lease Record?

The signed lease is the contract. The lease record is the four fields you actually query: who, how much, from when, and until when. Here is why you keep both.

Leases Records

· 2 min read

What Is a Rental Property? What Counts, and What Does Not

A rental property is the address on the deed, not the rooms inside it. Here is where to draw the line, and why every expense and document hangs off that decision.

Properties Records

· 3 min read

What Is a Rent Ledger? A Plain-English Guide for Landlords

A rent ledger is a dated record of every rent payment for a unit. Here is what belongs in one, why you need it, and how to keep one without a spreadsheet.

Records Expenses

· 2 min read

What Is a Rental Unit, and Why Track Each One Separately?

A unit is the rentable space a lease attaches to. Splitting a property into units is what lets you answer who rents what, and which space is empty.

Properties Leases

· 3 min read

What Is a Tenancy Timeline, and Why Does It Win Disputes?

A dated log of everything that happened at a unit: move-ins, inspections, repairs, notes, with photos attached. It is the record that beats memory at a tribunal.

Timeline Documents

· 2 min read

Which Rental Documents Should You Keep, and For How Long?

Keep anything you might have to prove, attached to the property it belongs to. Here is the short list, the retention rule of thumb, and why folders fail.

Documents Records

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