Top 5 Online Tools for New Landlords and Property Managers

There’s a lot that comes with owning and managing property. If you are new to the landlord game, there are tons of online tools that can save your life. Be sure to educate yourself on what’s out there, to ensure that you’re doing your job to the best of your ability.

Being a landlord isn’t all fun and games, but you can make use of the right tools to help you succeed. Take control of your property management with these online resources.

Tenant screening software

Screening tenants is essential to making sure you have reliable and quality tenants living on your new property. One of the biggest mistakes that new landlords make is forgetting to screen tenants, only to later discover that they weren’t paying their previous landlord or were evicted from other properties.

Luckily, there are easy ways to get around this issue. You can download tenant screening software which allows you to see any eviction reports or criminal records. This doesn’t take long to do, but it is a perfect solution for first-time landlords who want to check that they’re getting quality tenants.

Easy payment technology

Take advantage of the payment technology that’s available online. It’s a lot easier than manually tracking payments and expecting tenants to pay in-person or in the mail. You can use completely online payment systems, or you can go with one that’s a combination of paper statements and online.

You can also use smart payables statement printing services to send invoices and bills. These companies can print and mail all the paperwork for you. Services like this will ease your stress and allow you to focus on other things, like your property and your tenants.

Online maintenance request management

When owning a property, things go wrong pretty often. Issues like broken dishwashers and unhinged doors should be expected. As the landlord, it is your job to make sure there is a system in place for these problems to be fixed.

Having a maintenance request function online is an easy way for residents to make requests and your property handymen to block out time for these repairs. Residents can go check your website and type in their problem, and you can have a plumber or repairman ready to go quickly. This way, everything is documented and there is no phone call tag happening.

Legal advice websites

Knowing your legal rights is essential as a landlord. Keeping track of law changes and improvements is quite the task, but there are lots of websites online that are constantly updated with new laws. You can use these website to search protocols and legal issues that align with your state landlord laws. This is a lifesaver if you need information and don’t have hours to spend researching and contacting a lawyer.

With these sites, you can also figure out when you need a lawyer and what the next steps are. This will save you a lot of money, while also calming your nerves. Expect that legal issues will eventually arise, and have a system in place to handle them.

Fun websites to calm your nerves

The landlord and property management business can get overwhelming sometimes. That’s why it is in your best interest to head to sites like Lighter Side of Real Estate. This site has some great anecdotes about property management issues that landlords like yourself can relate to, and there are plenty more out there.

Anytime you are feeling discouraged or stressed about your properties, head to some fun websites to remind yourself that there are lots of other people dealing with similar problems.