All guides

12 practical guides for small landlords, newest first.

BookkeepingStessa vs. Baselane vs. a Spreadsheet: Picking a Rental Bookkeeping Setup for 1–10 UnitsA side-by-side look at Stessa, Baselane and a plain spreadsheet for small-landlord bookkeeping: what each does well, where each gets in the way, and how to choose.
TenantsHow to Screen Tenants Step by Step: A Consistent, Fair Process for Small LandlordsA repeatable tenant screening process, from written criteria to the adverse action notice, with the documents to keep and the fair housing traps to avoid.
ToolsThe Small-Landlord Tool Stack for 2026: What's Worth Using (and What to Skip)A job-by-job look at landlord apps and tools for 1–10 units: listing and screening, rent collection, bookkeeping, documents, communication and mileage, with free options first.
Taxes & RecordsSchedule E Line by Line: A Plain-English Walkthrough for Small LandlordsWhat goes on each line of Schedule E Part I, which records support it, and the common mix-ups (repairs vs. improvements, principal vs. interest) to flag for your tax preparer.
TenantsMove-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist for Landlords (Printable)How to run a move-in and move-out inspection that holds up later: a room-by-room printable checklist, photo rules, what counts as normal wear, and how to store the evidence.
Taxes & RecordsHow to Organize Rental Property Receipts and Records (Digital + Paper System)A simple, durable records system for landlords: folder structure, file naming, what to keep and for how long, a 20-minute monthly routine, and the few physical supplies worth buying.
ToolsFirst Rental Property Starter Kit: 12 Things to Have Before Your First Tenant Moves InThe safety gear, access tools, leak detection and spare parts that prevent the most common (and most expensive) first-year landlord problems, with what to check before you buy.
Rent & OperationsHow to Collect Rent Online: Options, Fees and a Setup That Keeps Your Books CleanLandlord rent platforms vs. Zelle, payment apps and checks: who pays the fees, how fast money arrives, what gets recorded automatically, and how to move existing tenants over.
Rent & OperationsHow Much to Set Aside for Rental Maintenance and CapEx (With a Worked Example)Rules of thumb for rental repair reserves, why they fail for older properties, and a component-by-component capex worksheet you can copy, worked through on an example single-family rental.
TenantsSecurity Deposit Basics for Landlords: Collecting, Holding, Returning and Record-KeepingHow security deposits work from lease signing to return: what varies by state, how to hold the money, how to write an itemized deduction statement, and the records that protect you.
Taxes & RecordsHow to Track Mileage and Expenses as a Landlord (2026 Rates, Logs and Common Mistakes)What a landlord's mileage log needs to show, the 2026 IRS standard mileage rates (which changed mid-year), the commuting rule many landlords miss, and a simple weekly expense-tracking routine.
Taxes & RecordsYear-End Landlord Tax Prep Checklist: What to Gather Before You Meet Your PreparerA month-by-month year-end checklist for small landlords, covering what to reconcile in December, which forms arrive in January, the 1099s you may need to send, and the one-folder packet that makes tax prep fast.