Rental Housing Journal

JULY 8, 2025

By Michael Coleman and Faris Babineaux Associates, Haynes Boone As of May 7, 2025, Washington state has a new rent control law under House Bill 1217. Washington is now the third state in the country with a statewide rent cap, joining California and Oregon. It only applies to increases on or after that date.

Rent

Bay Property Management Group

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

When people set up their monthly budget, rent is usually the #1 priority, followed by utilities. That’s why some landlords bundle certain utilities with the rent. Still, what utilities are included in the rent, exactly? What Utilities Are Typically Included in the Rent? We’ll get into it below.

Utilities

Bay Property Management Group

APRIL 23, 2025

But before you dive in, there are a few things you should knowthings that goes beyond the basic buy low, rent high advice. Additionally, if you live in one unit and rent the other, you can lower your housing costs while building equity, offering flexibility for homeowners and investors alike. Sounds smart, right?

Single-Family Home

RL Property Management

JULY 16, 2025

Know Your Numbers Before You Buy Buying rental property is one of the smartest ways to build long-term wealth, but only if your financing strategy works for you, not against you. Many investors focus entirely on the property: location, layout, price, or potential rent. But the real key to profitability? Your loan terms. Buy-and-hold?

Finance

Bay Property Management Group

JULY 22, 2025

Main Takeaways Fourplexes offer multiple income streams and easier residential financing (like FHA/VA loans) while enabling “house hacking” for reduced living costs. Since you have four separate units, you can collect rent from multiple tenants all under one roof. Additionally, financing is easier than you might imagine.

Single-Family Home

Buildium

JUNE 9, 2025

Set a realistic budget and decide how you’ll finance acquisitions. Financing the Acquisition Acquiring another company requires funding, and knowing your financing options can help you structure deals that align with your goals and cash flow. Common Financing Options You don’t need to pay for acquisitions in cash upfront.

Property Management

Bay Property Management Group

MAY 15, 2025

Imagine living in (or renting out) an apartment where rent doesnt jump hundreds of dollars each year. Thats the idea behind a rent-stabilized apartment housing with built-in protections to keep rent increases reasonable and tenants in place. How Does Rent Stabilization Work? So, What Does That Really Mean?

Apartment

Buildium

MAY 15, 2025

List your expected rent income and subtract all expenses, such as your mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and vacancy periods. In terms of financing, your professional background can also give you an edge. You can also evaluate creative options such as seller financing or partnerships with much sharper eyes.

Property Management

Buildium

MARCH 19, 2025

Managing rental properties involves more than just collecting rent and maintaining the property. These tools simplify everything from tracking rent payments to generating tax reports, which ultimately saves time and reduces errors. Rental property accounting software offers landlords a practical way to handle these financial tasks.

Rental Property

Fourandhalf

JANUARY 22, 2025

Its a deep diving into: Vendor efficiency Technician efficiency Coordinator efficiency Benchmarking Finances You know what the performance actually is instead of trusting someones gut. No one wants to turn a property when maintenance costs are higher and rents are holding or even compressing. Is that still true?

Residential Property

Bay Property Management Group

MARCH 25, 2025

Renting to tenants who can reliably pay on time, every time. Main Takeaways The income verification process is a core part of finding qualified tenants who can pay the rent on time. A landlord’s top concern is finding tenants who they can rely on to pay the rent on time, every time. So, how do you make that happen?

Apartment

Buildium

JUNE 16, 2025

Example: “If rent is more than 5 days overdue, apply a late fee.” Rent Collection and Delinquency Workflows Rent collection is one of the most time-sensitive workflows, which means it stands to gain a lot from automation. Examples: A lease is signed, a payment is late, a tenant submits a request. Here’s how to approach it.

Property Management

Buildium

MAY 29, 2025

Collecting Rent and Managing Finances: Less Stress, More Consistency Before: Late Checks and Manual Spreadsheets Rent day used to mean waiting for mailed checks, making trips to the bank, and updating ledgers by hand. Scenario: Tenants get automatic reminders a few days before rent is due. Most pay through the app.

Property Management

Buildium

MARCH 19, 2025

Why Rental Leasing Software Is Becoming a Must-Have for Landlords Many landlords start their journey by handling lease agreements, rent payments, and tenant applications manually. Increases Efficiency Landlords often spend hours each week managing paperwork, tracking rent payments, or handling tenant communication.

Lease

Condo Control

JULY 21, 2025

Long-term reserve planning Returning to condo/ HOA finances, ensuring your clients’ reserves are adequately funded is another must. Financial controls are part of a good risk management strategy; you anticipate threats that could potentially affect the association’s finances, then take steps to prevent or respond to those risks.

Management

American Apartment Owners Association

JANUARY 29, 2025

For some, this may mean working out more often or starting a new hobby, but for otherslandlords and property managersit means organizing finances and preparing for the upcoming tax season. Tedious processes like tracking, organizing, and managing your finances are automated, freeing up your time to manage other aspects of your business.

Landlord

Bay Property Management Group

APRIL 4, 2025

Ground leases let tenants develop land without owning it, offering benefits like lower upfront costs but posing risks such as rising rent and loss of improvements. And because theyre taking on more risk, its common for them to ask for higher rent to balance things out, just in case the tenant ends up defaulting.

Lease

Buildium

JUNE 16, 2025

From collecting rent collection to finding leads, we’ll focus on how readily available tools can help you work smarter and more efficiently. Rent payments, maintenance costs, utility bills, and vendor invoices flow into the system without manual input. Automate rent collection to reduce late payments and ease administrative burdens.

Property Management

Buildium

JUNE 12, 2025

Illinois has a diverse and resilient economy anchored by industries like manufacturing, agriculture, finance, healthcare, and logistics. We’ll share rental market statistics for each city, including inventory growth, rent growth, vacancy rates, cap rates, and property price appreciation. Multifamily Cap Rate (Q3-’24): 8.3%

Property Management

Buildium

AUGUST 1, 2025

Property owners expect property managers to do more than just collect rent and handle maintenance. In residential property management, this includes income and expense tracking, balance sheets , cash flow statements, profit and loss statements, rent rolls, and more. The same goes for rental income.

Property

Buildium

JUNE 16, 2025

From leasing to maintenance to finance, they allow property managers to work more efficiently by replacing manual effort with automated execution. Accounting and Rent Collection Automation Tools Financial workflows are where accuracy matters most. Struggling to keep up with rent reminders? Start with rent automation.

Property Management

Buildium

JUNE 25, 2025

Luckily, the same principles apply: keep units occupied, tenants engaged, operations running efficiently, and finances under control. Stay informed about local rent trends, leasing cycles, and tenant preferences. Send reminders for rent payments, deliver policy notices in advance, and share service updates in respectful language.

Apartment Management

Buildium

MAY 29, 2025

When you operate digitally, its easier to: Share detailed reports with real-time data Keep documents organized and shareable Show a clear record of communications, maintenance, and finances The difference is noticeable. Start small: Lease renewals, rent tracking, or maintenance logs. These are your best candidates for digitization.

Property Management

Muldoon Associates

JUNE 5, 2025

If it’s time to talk about financing an investment property , you’re likely ready to purchase something that you’ll rent out. Let’s take a look at some of the options and strategies you have when it comes to financing an investment property. That’s good news. and type (fixed-rate, adjustable-rate). For an FHA loan, only a 3.5%

Finance

Property Management Inc.

JULY 14, 2025

Late rent payments can feel like a curveball. Still, tenants missing rent payments somehow becomes a part of the game. Key Takeaways Offer empathy and consistent communication to handle late rent issues while building tenant trust. Understanding Late Rent Payments Managing late rent payments requires more than frustration.

Rent

Bay Property Management Group

MARCH 14, 2025

Then, if you pass these extra costs onto tenants, the rent may have to go up even more. How Inflation Can Work in Your Favor Higher Rent: When the cost of living rises, rent naturally follows suit. Tenant Affordability & Vacancies: If rent climbs too fast, some tenants might struggle to keep up, leaving you with empty units.

Rental Property

Buildium

MAY 29, 2025

Whether youre handling tenant requests in real time, coordinating with vendors, or keeping tabs on finances, the right tools in your pocket can turn hours of admin into minutes of smooth execution. Online Rent Collection See whos paid , who hasnt, and when payments were made. Some apps allow tenants to pay through a mobile portal.

Property Management

Bay Property Management Group

JUNE 2, 2025

When you meet someone face-to-face, you create space for real conversations and even flexible deals like seller financing or custom timelines. In the meantime, if youre an investor looking to rent out off-market deals or properties in high-potential areas, Bay Property Management Group can help. It also opens the door to trust.

Real Estate

Bay Property Management Group

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

It compares your property’s income to its market value, showing how much of that value you’re getting back in the rent each year as a percentage. On the other hand, if your rental yield is too low, that might indicate you need to raise the rent to increase profitability. The bigger the percentage, the better your returns.

IT

Bay Property Management Group

JULY 24, 2025

Cash In on Rentals As buying slows, renting goes up. Typically, more people look for homes to rent during a recession. And let’s not forget about financing. Yes—but only if your finances are solid. That can mean fewer bidding wars, less overpaying, and more time to inspect and negotiate. So, this is your chance.

Real Estate

American Apartment Owners Association

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

AvalonBay has added about 50 ADUs into some of its California communities.The average 425-square-foot studios and junior one-bedroom units generate rent between $4 and $8 per square foot. On average, the units have been rented out within 30 days and there have been minimal concerns from existing tenants.

Landlord

Buildium

JUNE 12, 2025

On the surface, both offer tools for managing leases, collecting rent, and tracking income and expenses. It covers nearly every aspect of property management, including leasing, rent collection, maintenance tracking, and accounting. This connection shows in Stessa’s finance-first design.

Property Management Software

Bay Property Management Group

MARCH 31, 2025

Duplex Disadvantages: Condos tend to have HOA fees and slower appreciation, while duplexes typically require higher upfront costs, more maintenance, and may be harder, or cost more, to finance. Category Condo Duplex Financing You may be able to get a regular home loan for a condo, just like you would for a house. What is a Condo?

Single-Family Home

Bay Property Management Group

APRIL 11, 2025

So, youre thinking of renting a place with someonemaybe your partner, your best friend, or even your cousin who swears theyre good with finances now. It is: A co-applicant shares full responsibility for rent and lease terms roommates, partners, or family members who apply together are equally liable for payments and property upkeep.

Applications

Bay Property Management Group

JULY 15, 2025

Here are a few things to keep in mind before buying or renting one: 1. Higher Costs Single-family homes typically cost more for investors to buy or rent than condos or apartments. Can You Rent Out an SFH? In general, you’re allowed to rent it out as long as local zoning laws and HOA rules permit it.

Real Estate

RL Property Management

APRIL 3, 2025

But somewhere between chasing late rent, calling plumbers on a Saturday night, and answering resident texts during work meetings, things stopped feeling worth it. Youre Losing Money Due to Vacancies or Rent Pricing Errors 5. Theres no system in place for lease renewals or gradual rent increases. Sound familiar? Youre not alone.

Property Management

Bay Property Management Group

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

So, your landlord will likely have to turn to your security deposit to finance that replacement. In Virginia, your security deposit must be a maximum of 2 months’ rent. So, if your monthly rent in Virginia is $1,000, your landlord’s combined security and pet deposits shouldn’t exceed $2,000.

Lease Agreement