Accidental landlord: renting out your house for the first time without it taking over your life

Before the first tenant: the six things that prevent most problems

1. Tell your insurer. A homeowner's policy generally does not cover a rented home; you need a landlord (dwelling) policy, and the tenant should carry renter's insurance — make it a lease term.
2. Fix what you have been living with. The sticky door and the slow drain you tolerated become maintenance requests on day three. Do them now while the house is empty and you can let a handyman roam.
3. Photograph everything, dated, before move-in — every room, every appliance, the inside of the oven. This is your deposit dispute defense a year from now.
4. Write down the ages of the furnace, water heater, roof, and appliances. You will need them for the budget and for every vendor call.
5. Find the main water shut-off and the electrical panel, photograph them, and put the photos in the welcome text.
6. Use a state-specific lease, not a generic one. Landlord-tenant law is state law; the clauses on notice to enter, late fees, deposits, and repairs vary. Your state's landlord association or a local attorney's template is worth the fee once.

Set up the maintenance channel on day one

The single decision that determines how much of your life this takes: how the tenant reaches you. Give them one number to text, a response expectation, and a definition of emergency. Put it in the lease, in the welcome text, and on the fridge.

Then hold the line: when they call about a dripping faucet, answer warmly and say "text me a photo so I have it on file." Within a month the channel is set.

Build the vendor list before you need it

You probably have a plumber you have used once and a handyman whose number is in an old text. That is not a list. You need a primary and a backup for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, handyman, and locksmith, with rates known and texting confirmed, and it takes about one afternoon to build. The vendor guide below walks through it.

The mistakes that cost first-timers the most

• Being too available. Answering every text within minutes at 11pm sets the expectation forever. Set a response window and keep it, and let emergencies be the exception.
• Being too unavailable. The opposite failure: a tenant who cannot reach you calls a plumber themselves and deducts it, or calls the city. Silence is the expensive option.
• Doing repairs yourself to save money. Your Saturday is worth more than the handyman's fee, and a licensed trade's work is insured. Do the things you enjoy; hire the rest.
• No reserve. One water heater in month two and the rental is cash-negative for the year. Start the maintenance reserve the day the lease is signed.
• Treating the tenant like a friend or an adversary. They are a customer. Warm, clear, written, and consistent.

Questions