Ask Lucas : Q&A for Landlords

Kerry from Florida had a tenant pass away in the middle of a fixed lease term. How should she handle the remaining unpaid rent with the estate, and who should pay for all the extra marketing fees to find a new tenant?

Joanne from Seattle is asking how to calculate the income requirement when you are screening multiple joint applicants. Do you use gross or net income when comparing to the rent amount, and what deductions do you look for?

Kelly asks "am I allow to collect double rent on a property when one tenant moves out early?" It's a question that all landlords ask themselves at one point or another. Learn what Lucas recommends, and why.

Trudy from Colorado is asking about the landlord's right to access the property in order to showcase it to prospective applicants. Does she have let him in or can she force him to wait until after she moves out before showing the property?

Sharon from California wants to allow pets in her rentals. However, she's not sure what kind of pet fees or pet deposits she should ask the tenant to pay. Lucas gives his recommendation, and some additional tips for handling pets.

Brenda from Oregon is asking how to perform a yearly property inspection, and what to watch out for when communicating with tenants.

Gwen from London is asking about her obligations as a landlord to eradicate bedbugs from her rental in New York City. The bedbugs appeared after the tenant moved in, and she suspects the tenant brought them in to unit. What should she do?

Jenny is wondering what is the best practice for a "holding deposit" or "good faith deposit", and can it be non-refundable? How does it work?

A recording from our latest live Q&A webinar. Listen to Lucas Hall answer over 20 questions about landlording and property management.

Blake from Maryland is wants to sign a lease with a remote applicant who is currently living in Texas. Will a digital signature hold up in court and what are the best tools to digitally sign a lease?

Ben from California is asking if he can move back into his condo that has been highjacked by a friend, who is now a short-term squatter.

Leah is asking about a landlord’s responsibility to fix issues that might affect habitability verses cosmetic issues.

Lindsey from Iowa asks about adding a very, very unqualified roommate to an existing lease. What are her options and what would I do in this situation?

Francie from Indiana asks about my methods to screen tenants quickly and effectively. Quality tenant screening requires reviewing lots of documentation and talking to other landlords. Learn how I do this in 1 hour or less.

Ryan asks about last month's rent, and why Lucas doesn't ever collect it. Is there a better way to provide security against a tenant who abandons the last month's payment?

Jill from Key West, Florida was promised an apartment but it was rented to someone else instead. She's wondering if the landlord has the right to cancel the agreement with the other tenant within three days, and then sign a lease with her.

Danielle asks a follow-up question to episode 18. Wouldn't it be better to split the utilities by the number of people in each unit, rather than square footage, and what are the pros and cons of doing so?

Elise from Utah asks about her seemingly high gas utility bill. The landlord manages the shared utilities, and it doesn't seem accurate. What's the utility responsibility of multifamily residents, and what is the best way to divide it among the units?

Lucas Hall is interviewed by Money Radio 1510 AM, from Phoenix Arizona. How did you get started, and why do you invest in buy and hold rentals, rather than flips? How can Landlordology and Cozy help a new Landlord? How is it free?

Michael from Fresno, California is a new landlord, and needs to show his property to a prospective tenant. Can Michael showcase the property while the dwelling is occupied by a tenant, and what are the rules for giving proper notice?

Sue has a tenant who is leaving behind a 25-year-old desk. What does she need to do in order to prepare the unit for the next tenant, while complying with laws on abandoned person property in California?

Larry from Massachusetts asks about the rules and regulations to create a bedroom or sleeping space in a basement or attic. What requirements help make a room into a "bedroom"?

Amy is wondering if she should include the cost of utilities in the overall price of rent, or manage them independently and then bill the tenants separately. Lucas discusses the options and provides a third (and better) alternative.

Cynthia asks about Cozy and is concerned about online security. She is also wondering if she needs to collect paper versions of the rental applications before sending the applicants to Cozy to setup accounts.

In this episode, Bo asks about move-in / move-out letters. What kind of information do I list in my welcome and departure letters?

Pete, a tenant from Portland, says his landlord is trying to charge him for the entire cost to replace the carpet. However, the carpet wasn't new when he moved in. How much can the landlord charge Pete, and isn't carpet damage considered "normal wear and tear"? If not, what is the best way to calculate Pete's responsibility?

Dave from Arizona is moving out of state and wants to rent out his current residence. He's never been a landlord before and wondering if he should hire a local property manager, or is he able to manage the property remotely? Further, he's heard that property managers can be expensive, but how much should he expect to pay?

Ted from New Mexico has been collecting paper rent checks for years and is wondering if online rent payments would be a better option for him. However, he's not quite sure how it works, and what the benefits are.

Mike from Madison, Wisconsin is concerned that if he allows his tenants to be at the move-out inspection, they will inhibit the inspection process and try to keep him from documenting all the damages. Mike asks the question: "must I allow them to be present, or can do the inspection without them?"

Guy from Virginia is wondering what happens to his lease when the landlord sells the property. Does it continue or can it be terminated? The landlord wants to terminate the lease early, but Guy doesn't necessarily want to leave. Does he have any rights, and how should this situation be handled?

Rachel from Michigan just bought her first rental property (Hooray!), but is wondering if she should buy a home warranty insurance package.

Vickie from Florida is concerned that her tenant might ignite fireworks in celebration of Independence Day, but she doesn't have anything in her lease restricting it. What can she do?

Today's question is from John in Phoenix, Arizona, who wants to know how much notice he has to provide, and in what situations can he enter a rental property.

Today's question is from Stan in Austin, Texas, who is asking if there is a limit on amount he can raise the rent.

I'm so excited to share with you the newest feature of Landlordology; Ask Lucas! In this inaugural episode, I talk about its purpose to provide a bite-sized question and answer forum for landlords, tenants, and property managers. I'm happy to share what I've learned as a profitable landlord. Let's do this together!