Head of People

Co-founder & CEO

Content Writer, Stacker

Rental home emergency preparedness for landlords: Learn how to make a rental property safety plan and why it's important in complying with landlord-tenant law.

Creating a Rental Property Safety Plan: Why It's A Legal Must For Landlords

When you own a rental home you have a legal responsibility to make sure it’s a safe and secure place for someone to live. This is why it's so important to plan for what you’ll do if disaster or emergency strikes. A rental property safety plan can protect both your residents and your own interests.

Maintain the premises in a fit and habitable condition

Keep all common areas in a safe condition

Maintain all facilities and appliances supplied in good and safe working order

Provide and maintain working smoke detectors

Comply with federal, state and local housing laws that apply to your rental home

So what happens if someone breaks a window in your rental home? Or a pipe bursts and floods the bathrooms? Or a wildfire damages the home? Any number of scenarios could suddenly make your home unlivable and risk your rental income.

How to create a rental property safety plan

A rental property safety plan can reduce your liability and minimize lost income. It doesn’t need to be a complex document. It’s more to give consideration for how you might deal with an emergency situation. In this article, we’ll cover five key ways to prepare for an emergency and mitigate damage or loss in your rental property. 

Emergency situations and disasters are unpredictable — which is exactly what insurance is for. Having the right insurance coverage should be the first item to plan for when putting your home on the rental market. Standard homeowners insurance will only cover a property that is owner-occupied, so if you move tenants in, it’s time to find a new policy. 

Depending on the type of coverage you select, landlord insurance policies generally protect you and your rental home against:

Structural damage in instances of vandalism, theft, fire, or storms



Liability from injuries that happen on your property or damage caused by your residents and/or their guests



Loss of rental income when the property is uninhabitable during repairs and restoration

It’s worth noting that flood is usually an optional extra for insurance premiums. You can ask about flood protection in your own policy, or look at joining FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. 

If you join the Belong PRO network to manage your rental home, you’ll have the option of adding a dedicated policy to your account. This ensures you are protected as a homeowner and that property damage can be taken care of to keep a roof over the head of your resident. For additional peace of mind, we have the same requirement for your residents, with renters insurance a requirement of all tenants we place. 

Learn More: What Type of Insurance Should I Get For My Rental Property? 

2. Prepare a list of who to call for immediate repairs 

When emergency repairs are needed, how fast can you get someone to your rental home? Do you know who to call or will you be hitting Google to try and hunt someone down? And if you do find someone, do you have the spare cash to pay for the repair bill? 

Contractors and ‘handymen’ are increasingly hard to come by these days. It could take weeks or even months to find someone reliable and willing to take on a small job, such as making repairs on a single rental home. 

That means if you’re a self-managing landlord, you will need to have a list of go-to contractors that you can depend on. Planning for emergency repairs and having a budget handy will make things much smoother if the worst does happen. 

If your home is on the Belong PRO network, your repair plan is all set. Belong PRO homeowners get instant access to our extensive vendor network of over 10,000 professional contractors. All you need to do is notify your Belong concierge, available 24/7 on the app to both you and your residents. You can even choose to spread the costs over the term of your lease, helping you to stay cash flow positive without needing a large contingency fund. 

Discover Belong PRO: See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, Tampa, Jacksonville, Concord, Berkeley, Orlando, Charlotte, and more.

3. Take measures to make your rental home secure

Security risks are not always an emergency, but they have the potential to be. While preventing crime is not your sole responsibility, you do need to take reasonable measures to keep your home secure and limit opportunistic crime where possible. 

If a resident raises a safety concern, this should be addressed quickly. Failure to take action could be seen as negligent — e.g. not fixing a broken window, resulting in a home robbery.

A rental home security plan should include the following items: 

A process for conducting thorough background checks on potential tenants to assess if anyone may pose a threat to your home or others. A trusted property manager or modern alternative like Belong can also manage this for you. 



Installation and maintenance of deadbolts and security gates to reduce the risk of break-ins. 



A contractor to call if you need to repair any broken windows, doors, or other entry points that could provide unauthorized access to the property.



An eviction plan that includes changing the locks and any access codes if you are ever forced to evict a tenant.



Provision in your lease agreement to prohibit illegal activity, based on local and state laws. 

If your residents or neighbors make a complaint or advise you of any suspicious activity, document these concerns and contact local authorities. If your home is managed by Belong PRO, our team will handle all resident contact and manage any emergency situations such as repairing broken locks or even evicting problem tenants. 

Read More: Criminal Activities in Rentals: Can Landlords Be Held Responsible?

4. Create a fire safety plan for your rental

From faulty wiring to kitchen mishaps, fire and smoke can cause serious damage to your rental property and risk to the residents. 

At a legal minimum, you will need to have a working smoke alarm installed in your rental home. Many states including California, Texas and Utah, will also require you to have a carbon monoxide detector installed. But other states, such as Washington, go further and will need written notice of emergency plans under landlord-tenant law. 

To prepare a rental property safety plan that protects your home from fire risk, consider the following action items:

Check your local state and county laws for any fire or emergency provisions.



Put an addendum in your rental agreement that outlines the tenant’s responsibilities to change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.



Place a fire extinguisher and blanket in the kitchen of your rental home so residents can contain small blazes.



Provide residents with resources to inform and protect them (and your home) against fire at ready.gov.



Include no-smoking policies in your lease agreement to reduce fire risk. If you have a property manager write your lease, make sure you’re happy with any terms that apply to disasters, such as relocation policies, before signing.

Read More: Reducing Fire Risks: 9 Tips for Landlords to Safeguard Rental Properties

5. Create a plan for removing water in the event of a flood

When we hear ‘flood’ we often think of natural disasters, but flooding in rental homes can come from a number of sources. On average, 40% of the NFIP flood insurance claims occur outside high-risk flood areas.

In addition to taking out flood insurance, you should prepare a rental property safety plan that includes these risk-reducing action items: 

In the event of a flood, have a plan on how to get rid of standing water as soon as possible. The longer water sits in a home, the greater the risk of unhealthy bacteria and damage from mold and mildew. It’s unlawful to rent out a home with mold damage in many areas, including California, so you want to do what you can to stop it in its tracks. 



Install a smart water sensor that alerts of leaks to avoid flooding and excessive damage to your home.



Get 24/7 Concierge Support and More for Your Rental Home

Get your rental home ready for winter with the fall maintenance checklist, including 6 tips and local advice on essential fall season maintenance for rentals

Show Your Rental Home Some Love With This Essential Fall Maintenance Checklist

It’s fall season and while your focus may be on how many jack-o-lanterns your front lawn needs — it should also be on maintenance for your rental home.

Owners of rental homes have an obligation under state landlord-tenant laws to keep their property in good repair and ensure the home is habitable. Fall is a great time to check on the repair and maintenance needs of your rental before the winter chill sets in. This will ensure your home is free of leaks and has plenty of heat and hot water for your residents, avoiding liability issues. 

The fall and winter months are also when homes sell or rent for less than the warmer months. If you have a home that needs a lot of work, getting it done now will have it in top shape for the peak seasons ahead. 

6 tips for essential fall maintenance on your rental home

Whether your rental home is in Austin or Orlando, Seattle or Sacramento, here are six essential fall maintenance tips for keeping your rental home in the best condition. 

1. Keep gutters clear of leaves and debris

The leaves are starting to fall and where do they land? Straight in the gutters. If gutters get clogged and water can’t flow, it could saturate the roof and lead to deterioration or leaks. Worse still, if left unchecked for winter, water that pools along your roof and in gutters can freeze, creating ‘ice dams’. This can cause expensive dramas — think damaged gutters, torn roof shingles and leaks into your home. Ensure you or your residents are keeping gutters clean and clear and inspect the roof for any leaks. 

If your property has a chimney, it will need a checkup. Chimneys remove dangerous gasses from the fireplace or furnace to keep the air breathable, so schedule an inspection before the winter chill sets in. 

If you supply a clothes dryer in a rental home, it’s about to get more use as the temperatures drop and rain increases. Inspect the lint filter and remind residents to clean this after every use to prevent fires.

When the mercury drops, residents like to keep their rental homes locked up tight with the heater cranked high. This contrast of temperatures, mixed with a lack of ventilation, is a perfect recipe for mold and mildew. Remind residents to keep the home well ventilated, such as running exhaust fans in the bathroom during and after a hot shower and opening windows on clear days. You can also recommend that residents use basic moisture absorbers (such as DampRid) in dark areas like closets and laundry rooms. Not only will it save your home, it will save their clothes and shoes. 

5. Check smoke detectors and fire extinguishers

Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner! With the kitchen about to get a heavy-duty workout, fall is a great time to test smoke detectors to ensure they’re working. It’s a resident’s responsibility to keep batteries replaced and smoke detectors functioning, so remind them during an inspection if needed. You should also check the expiration date of any fire extinguishers as they do have a shelf-life. 

6. Give your residents a gardening checklist

If your home has a garden, your residents will need to rake fallen leaves to avoid damage to the lawn underneath. It’s a good idea to provide your residents with a checklist of how to maintain your lawn during fall and winter, from raking and snow removal, to disconnecting sprinklers that may have run during the warmer months. And if you only fertilize the lawn once a year, fall is the time to do it.

Fall maintenance checklist for rental homes

Check and/or service heating to the home to ensure it’s operating

Check house siding for damage and/or leaks

Check insulation and drafts around windows and doors to fix before winter

Rake leaves/have residents rake leaves and maintain yard

Prune trees and plants of any heat damage from the summer heat 

Shut off any automatic sprinkler systems that have run through the summer

Inspect roof and gutters, clearing out any debris 

Check bathroom caulk and grout for any potential issues and leaks before winter

Check garbage disposals as these get frequently clogged and lead to repair issues

Inspect any clothes dryers and lint filters

Test smoke detectors and check any fire extinguishers

Fall maintenance tips for Florida rental homes

If your Florida rental home has a lawn and yard, the big dose of sun and rain may have encouraged it to get a little unruly. Summer storms could have also caused damage. Fall in Florida is a good time to give gardens some love to ensure you maintain curb appeal and function. Check the exterior of the house for any signs of damage or dirt buildup over the wet season — it might be a good time to give sidings a clean. 

With Florida winters being the mildest in the country, there’s no need to worry about incoming snow or frosty pipes. But, you still have a responsibility to your residents to provide heat, especially hot water. Don’t neglect the water heater in your rental home — a yearly flush can prevent pipes from bursting and let you identify problems or leaks before they get worse. No hot running water gives residents cause to stop paying rent, an outcome far more expensive than maintenance. If your residents lodge a repair for heat or hot water, you will be given seven-days notice to correct the defect/s and the resident can’t be forced to pay rent or threatened with eviction during this period. 

Read More: The Annual Maintenance Checklist for Rental Homes in Florida

Fall maintenance tips for Texas rental homes

Storms and hurricanes peak between August - October in Texas, with 96% of major hurricane days occurring in this 90-day window. This means late-fall is the right time to assess for any repairs required. Remove any loose debris from the yard and prune any trees that have the potential to cause damage through the end of the season. 

If any flooding or damage has occurred, you will be responsible for restoring the home to a livable condition. Your residents will continue to owe rent, but you may need to negotiate a rent pause or reduction while repairs are happening. 

Read More: What Landlords Should Know About Flood Damage (And How To Reduce Risk)

Fall maintenance tip for California rental homes

California state laws have strict conditions for habitability. It's a good idea to use the mild fall season to check things like plumbing, heating, electrical systems, garbage disposals and keep your rental free of potential hazards. Your residents will have to notify you in writing of any issues, but regular maintenance is the best prevention. 

Read More: The Annual Maintenance Checklist for Rental Homes in California

Fall maintenance tips for Seattle rental homes

This Comprehensive Fall Maintenance Checklist Is a Must For All Landlords

Rental Home Maintenance Made Easy

Find out what documentation you need as a landlord to ensure you’re on top of cash flow, ready for tax time, and protected if a lease agreement is breached.

Having These 9 Home-Rental Documents at Hand Will Make You A Much Better Landlord

Staying on top of your rental cash flow, your accounting, your income tax and your legal obligations, all comes down to one thing: paperwork. While there are more interesting ways to spend your time, getting your documentation in order will go a long way in making your life easier. Good recordkeeping can also safeguard your rights if a lease is violated or eviction becomes necessary. 

To get prepared and get on with your day, Belong has put together a list of 9 important documents you’ll need to keep on hand — as well as what you need to dispose of to avoid violating privacy laws. 

The first document you’ll need is an application form to vet people that want to rent your home. If you use management services this will be taken care of, but if you’re going it alone it’s a good idea to hire an attorney. This will ensure your documents collect required information without infringing on any laws around discrimination, security deposits or rental fees. 

You can also access free rental application forms by state on eforms. 

The right documentation is essential when screening tenants legally, as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Tenant screening involves holding very sensitive information about a person, which could place them at risk of identity theft in the wrong hands. For this reason, most people prefer to use tenant screening services or a property management company to handle this documentation. 

If you’re taking a DIY approach, you need a screening checklist. Every question on your list must apply to every applicant. From social security numbers and credit score requirements to references. This standard will help to avoid illegal bias and discrimination.

Rental history and any evictions or loss of security deposits

References from previous landlords or property managers

Landlords are subject to The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) which gives applicants the right to access a copy of any screening reports and dispute inaccurate information. You must provide this documentation if requested. When you are no longer using the information, you can’t simply throw it in the trash. All personal documentation must be disposed of in accordance with FTC rules. 

Another important document you’ll need to have on hand if self-screening is known as an ‘adverse action letter’. If you need to deny an application based on poor credit scores or a consumer report, they need to be notified via an adverse action letter. This letter must include:

The name, address and phone number of the consumer reporting agency that supplied the credit report

Notice of the consumer's right to a free copy of their report from the reporting agency if they ask for it within 60 days

Notice of the right to dispute the accuracy or completeness of any information provided by the credit reporting agency

The consumer’s credit score, if a score was used

This notice is required by the FCRA and will provide information about why they were denied so they can dispute the information or take action to correct it if need be. You can learn more about this requirement on the FTC website. 

A lease agreement is a document that companies like Belong and property managers have on hand that abide by all federal and state landlord-tenant laws when it comes to signing on a resident to live in your home.

A typical lease agreement will last for 12 months, so you should keep this document for the duration of the tenancy and have any renewal papers prepared for people who wish to continue living in the home. 

Most states have rules around rental increases, security deposits, occupancy limits, property maintenance, late fees and more. Some states have specific clauses around bed bugs and lead paint, which may also need to be in the agreement. 

Like a rental application form, it’s a good idea to seek professional advice if you’re creating a lease for the first time. If you have a pet policy in place, you’ll also need a record of this agreement. 

One of the most important records to keep is how much rent has been paid and when. 

As soon as your home becomes a long-term rental, set up a separate bank account to receive rent payments. Next, decide how you’re going to track income and expenses. To do this, create a spreadsheet or use accounting or property management software to create a rental ledger. 

You’ll need records of how much rent has been paid and when for:

Tax submissions and calculating your tax rates for rental income

Providing receipts if tenants want them 

If you’re ever forced to evict a tenant on the grounds of non-payment, you will be required to prove the loss of income, so dates are important. Keep track of when rent is received, including partial payments, late payment and/or any fines collected (if any). 

Keeping financial statements of all outgoing expenses is essential for all rental homeowners, regardless of how the home is managed. You’ll need to keep your own accounting records, because you’ll have expenses that don’t flow through a management company, such as mortgage payments. 

Expense documentation you should keep and record includes:

Interest paid to a lender toward a mortgage on your rental property

Any federal and state taxes paid on the rental property such as property tax

The cost of insurance policies, such as property insurance and liability insurance

The cost of essential repairs and maintenance to the home

The purchase price of your home, to calculate depreciation at tax time

The cost of any home improvements and/or appliances, to calculate depreciation at tax time

Professional services for managing the home, such as Belong or a property management company

Travel and mileage expenses relating to renting out the home, such as property inspections, showing potential residents or maintenance requirements

Any home office expenses relevant to managing the rental property

Any casualty losses incurred, such as damage or theft not covered by insurance

From lease agreements to screening, taxes and privacy laws, good recordkeeping can make you a better landlord and safeguard your rights if something goes wrong.

Record Keeping For Landlords: 9 Documents You Need For a Rental Home

Documentation and Guaranteed Rent at Your Fingertips

Avoid sticky situations and mortgage fraud with 5 essential steps to renting out a mortgaged home.

Can I Rent out a Home with a Mortgage? 5 Important Steps

There are some very lucky homeowners who locked in interest rates back at record-lows. If that's you, you'll think twice before giving that up! This common scenario is creating a new wave of ‘accidental landlords’, who have decided to rent out their home while living somewhere else. 

But can you rent out a home with a mortgage? This question could be more important than you realize. Most lenders have rules and criteria around renting a home they have financed. So before you hand over any keys, this guide will look at five steps you need to take to legally rent out a home with a mortgage.

When you applied for a mortgage, you would have to account for the intended use of the home. It’s likely you told your bank you intended to live there and the interest rate/lending criteria was set on this basis.

It may seem innocent enough to change your mind, but stating on an application that you intend to live in a home that you are buying as an investment property is considered mortgage loan fraud. This is why the first step in your research process is to read over the fine print of your mortgage and check the restrictions on the type of loan you have. 

Most lenders will allow you to rent out a home once you have lived there for 12 months or more — but it’s important to check your own contracts and conditions before proceeding. While you’re checking the fine print, make sure your HOA doesn’t restrict rentals. 

Step 2: Notify your bank or lending institution

This leads us to step 2: Be forthcoming with your lender about your intentions to rent out the home. This will immediately clear up any possible misunderstandings about your mortgage agreement. The lender may need to discuss or alter the terms of your agreement to allow you to rent out the home. 

This also gives you the opportunity to discuss your circumstances. For example, some loan programs such as a USDA, VA, or FHA loan restrict renting out a home within the first year, but may be able to waive this if you need to move for work. 

Step 3: Conduct an accurate rental cash flow analysis

Once you know that you can legally rent out your home, it’s time to do the math.

Your rental cash flow won’t be your rental income minus the mortgage repayments. There’s a lot of expenses, management and maintenance costs you’ll need to take into account. You may be able to claim your mortgage interest on tax, but you’ll also have to pay income tax on any earnings. You’ll also need to account for vacancies, capital gains tax, and depreciation. 

It’s always wise to discuss your financial situation with an accountant to understand your gross operating expenses and the tax implications of renting out your home. 

Read More: How To Do An Accurate Rental Property Cash Flow Analysis

If you have homeowners insurance, it’s time to make a switch. Homeowners insurance only covers owner-occupiers, so you will need dedicated landlords insurance for a long-term rental. Expect to pay an average of 15-20% more for a landlord insurance policy than you would for standard homeowners insurance. While more expensive, the right policy can protect your asset, provide liability coverage and even cover loss of rental income. 

If your home is looked after by BelongPRO, we offer dedicated insurance for rental homes right in the Belong app. You can even choose to deduct monthly repayments from your rental income to simplify your cash flow. 

Read More: What Type of Insurance Should I Get For My Rental Property?

The final step in turning your mortgaged home into a long-term rental is to decide how you want to manage the home. Belong regularly encounters homeowners who feel like they “got it wrong” the first time, or took on more than they bargained for. 

As a company who works with homeowners who are looking for a better alternative to self-managing a rental or are ditching property management, we hear a lot of gripes! Things like “I didn’t realize I would be taking on another part-time job”, or “It became really hard to chase rent when my tenant stopped paying”.

One of Belong’s specialties is working with homeowners that find themselves on the rental market unexpectedly or are taking the challenge of rental home management on for the first time. We offer financial security and peace of mind for homeowners with guaranteed rent, 24/7 support (to you and your residents) and a range of innovative services not available with traditional property management. 

Read More: What Should I Know Before Renting Out My House For The First Time?

Turn your home into a rental, without the worry

Belong looks after rental homes, but we’re no old-school property management company.  Think of us more as a technology company with a human heart. Where long-term renting meets hospitality.

Learn more about BelongPRO and see why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, Tampa, Jacksonville, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Spokane, Concord, Berkeley, Orlando and many more.

Can you rent out a home with a mortgage? Not without a plan. Avoid sticky situations and mortgage fraud with 5 essential steps to renting out a mortgaged home.

Melanie Kershaw

Mel Kershaw is a Content Lead at Belong. With an extensive background working with technology companies including Eventbrite and Yelp, she’s always looking for ways to create educational and informative articles that simplifies tech and solves problems for her audience.

Lucas Hanft

Flora Fiorillo

Ale Resnik

Jane Allison Gunn

Andrea Vale

Lucas Hanft

Flora Fiorillo

Ale Resnik

Jane Allison Gunn

Andrea Vale