Your First Rental Property: A Compliance Checklist
The legal must-dos before and after you hand over the keys.
Before the tenant moves in
Use a written lease that complies with your state's requirements, collect a deposit within the legal limit, and document the unit's condition with dated photos and a signed move-in checklist. Confirm where you'll hold the deposit — some states require a separate or interest-bearing account.
During the tenancy
Give receipts for payments, respond to repair requests promptly, and give proper written notice before entering. If you raise the rent, follow your state's notice period exactly. Keep every communication and payment in one place.
At move-out
Do a move-out inspection against the move-in checklist, return the deposit (with any required interest) by your state's deadline, and provide an itemized statement for any deductions. Missing the deadline is the single most common — and most expensive — first-landlord mistake.
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Not legal advice. LandlordKit provides general informational tools, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws change and vary by city and county. Verify the cited statute and consult a licensed attorney before acting on any result.