Property Management should mean a lot more than collecting the rent. It should wrap its arms around everything a homeowner could ever need. Feng Shui advice included.

A Short But Invaluable Guide to Feng Shui for Property Owners

We’ll start with a quick definition of feng shui, for those of you not familiar with the ancient practice. It’s a Chinese set of design principles based on arranging furniture in order to optimize harmony with nature. The two words communicate that origin: “feng” translates to “wind,” and “shui” to “water.”

By designing based on the system of laws represented by feng shui – whether it’s a living room or a skyscraper – you can improve the flow of energy, or the qi (pronounced “chee”), and improve the relationship between an individual and the environment.

As a landlord you might not think that the feng shui of your rental property is important.  Quite the opposite. Your home is an extension of you, so any Feng Shui problems will circle back to you (remember that this practice is all about the flow of energy, negative and positive.) 

Read some home-focused haikus written by Belong’s celebrated in-house poet, Sarah T. Jewell

For example, if the people occupying your house have financial problems, those issues will have an impact on you. Similarly, if positive vibes are flowing through the home, those will reach into your life as well. “Feng Shui your rental properties for good luck” this blog urges.

Now that we’ve made the argument, you’re probably wondering what you can do to up your Feng Shui game. Have no fear, we’ve got you covered with the basics, so you can create the positive energy you want in your homes and your life. (You’re all about positive energy yourself, we can feel it!)

First things first — your front door (after all, what’s more firstly than that?). Make sure it doesn’t creak or stick or rub. It should open beautifully, not just because it is the first impression you will make on a prospective resident, but because energy flows in through the same portal. Which means that all the Feng Shui areas of the home – Career, Wisdom, Family, Wealth, Fame, Love, Children, Helpful People, and Health – will benefit from a door that opens with ease and fluidity.

Our thoughts on how plants can bring positive energy to a home

The good news here is that if you have a front door problem, our Belong Pros can remedy the situation for you. They can also address all of the other – umm – sticking points that stand between your home and positive Feng Shui.  For example, painting is essential because a well-maintained home keeps energy flowing, and our Pros are master painters.

There’s also an entire art to choosing the colors most suitable for positive qi. Each color stands for a different aspect of nature. For example, “mid-tone blues and teals represent the wood element (while) wood is connected to growth, vitality, and compassion.”  Red is the most powerful color in Feng Shui, and is used to protect – and also to clear – a home, and the energy of those who inhabit it. Browns and other similar tones introduce earth-related energy, which helps with grounding and stability.

Lighting also has a profound impact on Feng Shui. Here’s a great article with some illuminating tips.

We also need to point out that a bitter enemy of positive Feng Shui is junk. Clutter stops the qi from flowing; even a pile of toys can trap energy. To explain it all, we recommend the book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui: Free Yourself from Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Clutter Forever. Remember that Feng Shui existed millennia before Marie Kondo.

Of course, when it comes to arranging your furniture, Feng Shui continues to play an important role. Here are two YouTube videos about applying the principles to bedrooms and living rooms. They have over a million views between them, so take note!

We believe that this background information and the tips in the links we’ve provided will point you in the right Feng Shui direction. Indeed, once you see the world through the powerful and curative lens of this Chinese practice, you will probably want to make sure your primary house or apartment is aligned. Here are some tips for using Feng Shui to make your home office as productive and joyful as possible. We particularly like the idea of laying the bagua – the Feng Shui energy map – on your desk, and organizing it to optimize the eight areas of your life.  Make sure nothing is interrupting the flow of your wealth corner!

At Belong, our mission is to connect people who own much-loved houses with people who are ready to move in and love them back.  Making sure your house has been organized according to the principles of Feng Shui is a valuable way to demonstrate – and share – that love.

Renters are just people looking for a place to call home. Here's how treating them with a more humane approach can have better results for your rental property.

Renters Are People Too, Let's Treat Them As Such

Renters are more than just ‘tenants’ — they’re people looking for a place to call home. It’s time to ditch your property manager for a company that can see beyond the numbers and take a human approach to finding a person who will adopt your home as their own. 

Even if you’re currently a homeowner, there was probably a point in your life when you were on the other side of things — when you were living in a rental. Think back to what life was like then. Did you act as if your home belonged to someone else? Did you ever invite a friend over to see “the landlord’s house?” Or did you simply say “let’s have dinner at my place”? 

Belong thinks it’s important to keep that dynamic in mind — to remember that when you own a house or apartment on the rental market, you’re not leasing out a dead space. You’re inviting someone to make themselves at home. 

The danger in property managers that treat people like numbers

Property managers rarely refer to the people behind the financial transaction. They’re known simply as ‘prospects’ or ‘tenants’. If your property manager is viewing people this way, they’re not seeing the big picture. Property managers that treat people like numbers won’t find the right people to occupy your home, because they’re not considering the emotional connection that people have to the places they call home. If you experience this when meeting with a property management company, we suggest you run the other way! 

Taking a human approach to renting your home

Looking for great tenants means taking a human approach to renting your home. By treating people in the rental market with the respect they deserve and inviting them to make themselves at home, they’re more likely to treat your house as their own. 

This creates a win-win situation for everyone involved. Renters can feel safe and comfortable in a space that feels like home. As the landlord, you reap the benefits of having a stable rental income from people that are in for the long haul and are in no hurry to move.

That’s why Belong refers to people who rent homes as ‘residents,’ to underline the fact that these are places in which they reside. Residents adopt a home as their own. Similarly, Belong refers to you not as “the landlord”, but as a homeowner. Belong tries to create a mutual respect between our homeowners and residents, with a shared appreciation for a property you’re both invested in.

Turning the rental experience into a hospitality service

Think about the lengths that large hotel brands and even vacation rental services like Airbnb go to make people feel comfortable and even “at home” when they’re staying with them. And yet traditional property management services — the very businesses who are supposed to be finding everyday living accommodation for people — do the complete opposite. 

Belong’s changing that. Its human approach is turning the rental experience into a world-class hospitality service for both you and your residents. Unlike traditional property management services, Belong provides a complete end-to-end service with full transparency. Belong matches houses with residents that are looking for a long term place to live — somewhere to call home. Belong currently offers services to homes in the Bay Area, the LA area, Orange County, Seattle, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa (with many more to come!). See if you qualify today at Belong.com.

These 4 inspiring trends are easy to integrate into your home – and will make potential residents line up at your next open house.

4 Design Trends Every Landlord Needs to Be Aware Of

As the calendar turns to 2022, it’s time to consider what design features can make your home more attractive on the rental market. These 4 inspiring trends are easy to integrate into your home – and will make potential residents line up at your next open house.

It’s true in fashion, music, and movies: with every new year comes new trends. It’s also the case with interior design and décor, which is a subject that our readers care a lot about. After all,  how a home or apartment looks, the visual impression it makes, can determine how much it will bring on the open market. 

Keep in mind, though, that at Belong we don’t fashion ourselves as experts when it comes to design. But we are alert observers, and given how carefully we follow what’s happening in the real estate world, we have naturally developed a sense of what’s cool and what’s not. 

The trends that we predict for 2022 look both forward and back. They are practical and psychological reactions to the seemingly endless pandemic cycle we still find ourselves in, while also anticipating what life will be like once COVID’s firmly in the rear-view mirror. 

Understanding these trends will help you understand the state of mind of your residents, so you can anticipate their wants and needs. 

Design Trend #1: Flexible Layouts/Multi-Hyphenate Rooms

As we’ve spent more and more time at home over the past few years, we’ve begun to re-think what the home is really for – and how it satisfies us - on both a macro and micro scale. 

It’s been happening for a while but is even more true today. The names you typically see assigned to the interconnected boxes on a floor plan are no longer relevant: the “dining room” isn’t used just for dining, nor is the living room reserved exclusively for family time. 

The lines have been blurred permanently. People who are looking at your house aren’t just considering how they’re “supposed” to use each individual space — they’re wondering what else they’ll have to use it for. A kitchen that doubles as a teleconferencing hub, a bedroom that acts as a home office, a playroom that can also be used as a home gym. The landlords and homeowners that can anticipate the needs of their renters and accommodate them will be the ones that have the happiest — and longest-term residents. 

For some inspiration, consider this article from Good Housekeeping, that shows how a simple trundle bed can turn a kids’ playroom into a second bedroom, or how a folding table can turn a dining room into a living room with the drop of a leaf. 

As a result of our being shut in to such a degree over the past few years, biophilic design – design that reflects our desire to be in contact with nature – is trending up this year. That means you should expect to see more skylights, wall-wide windows, and houseplants beautifying your Instagram and Pinterest feeds all year.  The Nordroom also expects to see more natural materials being used in interior design – everything from cork boards to terra cotta floors. These kinds of touches can serve as a reminder of the world we’re missing out on, the world outside our doors; they make us feel warm and nostalgic for the lives we were leading only a few years ago. At their most inspiring, they make it feel like you’re bringing a bit of the out-of-doors into your life.

Speaking of bringing the outdoors inside, we see a return of the sort of natural and earthy tones that were prevalent in the 70s. Not just your browns and oranges (which, according to Vogue, are in this year), but greens, too — seafoam, mint, and sage. Etsy’s most searched color is emerald green – in fact, they’ve named it their color of the year!

We’re not saying you’re going to see a big revival of shag carpets and drug rugs and lava lamps. Instead of feeling retro and passe, we predict these colors will feel soft and subtle, warm and inviting. So if you’re looking for new residents, don’t be afraid of painting the walls a color other than white — at least not this year. In this article from Good Housekeeping, interior designer Beth Diana Smith namechecks Sherwin Williams’ Evergreen Fog. People are looking for interiors that remind them of nature, and subtly evoking that feeling through a smartly chosen wall paint can be a cheap and easy way of accomplishing just that. 

Because we’ve spent so much time indoors — and because whenever a new COVID variant emerges, the only safe place to have social interactions seems to be outside — making the most of whatever outdoor space you have will make your home more attractive. 

But how can you make your outdoor space feel as homey and welcoming as a living room or a den? A new patio or deck, a gazebo or a firepit, a bright shiny new barbecue or grill, fashionable, comfortable outdoor furniture— anything that makes it easier for your residents to spend time outside with their friends will make your home that much more lovable. 

Making your rental home more attractive 

Obviously if you’re self-managing your own rental property it isn’t as important to be on-trend as it is if you’re running your own design consultancy. But still, in order to make your home as desirable and marketable as possible — and to attract the best possible tenants —  it’s smart to be aware of what’s in, and what’s out, when you’re staging and photographing your house.

First impressions matter, whether in-person or video, the photographs and video tours that Belong can create for you. Keeping your property up-to-date signals to potential residents that the house is loved and looked after.  Even your future resident decides to move in their own furniture, who among us doesn’t want to be inspired?

All that makes it that much more likely that they themselves will love and look after it.

Want to learn more about how Belong can help make your home more attractive to potential residents? Click here.

Looking to attract more views at an open house for your rental property? Get inspiration from four trends that are easy to integrate into a rental home.

Poet Sarah T. Jewell wrote a series of haikus for Belong to capture the range of emotions we feel when we have a sense of belonging and safety in a home.

The Poetry of Home: Unexpected Haikus from a Property Manager

Belong believes there are two kinds of domestic bliss: of course there’s the emotional relationship that develops between two people who live together and love each other.  At the same time, there’s the bond that develops between people and the home they live in.

It’s a beautiful thing, the way people respond when they’ve found a place to call home; it inspires a sense of comfort, of joy, even of romance.  A palette of emotions that is maybe best expressed poetically. 

Which is why Belong has commissioned award-winning poet Sarah T. Jewell to write a series of haikus that capture – in the prescribed 5-7-5 syllable count – the range of emotions we feel when we are safe at home. 

The editor-in-chief of Belong’s blog, marketing guru Adam Hanft, was so inspired by Sarah’s work that he was moved to write some haikus of his own.

Feel inspired to write a haiku of your own? Tweet us, or reach out on Facebook!

Property Management has been stuck in the past, find out how Belong are breaking the mold by combining new tech with a human approach to renting out your home.

Looking for a Property Manager? Disruption Has Arrived

Technology is changing many old-fashioned, stuck-in-the-past industries; up until now, property management hasn’t been one of them. But things are moving forward, and fast! Read on to discover how one property management company refuses to take yesterday for an answer.  

When an industry is transformed dramatically – and shakes the status quo – it changes everything. Sometimes though it takes a while to fully accept how profound that change is. But once you accept it, you can’t go back.

For example, think of how different the world was before Uber or Spotify or DoorDash. Now, we can’t imagine what life would be like without them. These are technologies that suddenly made the previous ways of doing things obsolete.

The same holds in the world of property management. If you’re a homeowner – and aren’t following the disruptions in the category – it’s like you’re living in a world where you can’t book a car from your phone, or stream a virtually unlimited music library, or get food delivered from your favorite restaurants.

One major disruptive player in property management is Belong. Like the other examples of change agents, they’ve brought the power of sophisticated, consumer-friendly technology to a tired and under-innovated category. They have created a beautiful product experience. But, unlike Uber and its ilk, Belong doesn’t rely on technology exclusively. They also bring a level of passionate personal attention to the industry. 

To anyone who ever dealt with a conventional property manager and their many failings, the difference between that unfortunate experience, and what Belong delivers, is instantly obvious. 

To start with, Belong is focused entirely on finding people who will love your home as much as you do. That’s core to their DNA, and it’s why the homeowners they represent are usually not investors, but people who are looking to generate income from a family home, or a home they inherited.

To reinforce that personal connection, Belong never calls you a landlord. You’re a homeowner. And the people you are renting to are residents, not tenants. In fact, Belong believes in their tenants to the extent that they are willing to guarantee the rent. No matter what. 

That’s one level of disruption. But Belong has also taken what was a clumsy, manual process and turned all the steps and paperwork into a joyful digital experience. What can be done electronically, is done electronically. What must be done in person – like moving, like repairs and renovations – is managed through a combination of a dedicated Belong Concierge, a vetted network of over 10,000 contractors, and a digital platform.  

You own a home.
We have someone to ❤️  it.

As a further example of Belong’s sophistication, they developed a sophisticated Market Price Optimizer. While old-school property managers just check listings and make a “guesstimate,” Belong’s algorithm takes into account multiple variables to deliver an accurate price that neither leaves money on the table, nor prices the home above the market.

It has been said that you don’t appreciate how broken things are, and how much they need to be fixed, until someone comes along and does it.   If you own a rental home, you may be so used to the broken experience that you’ve stopped thinking about it.  Like the expression goes, “A fish doesn’t know the water.”

But when homeowners move to Belong, and their eyes are opened, they will realize just how much they had to put up with before.  And that they never have to deal with it again, because disruption has arrived.

Here are the 12 steps you need to rent your home on your own. Or just take one step and call Belong.

So You Really Want to Go It Alone? 12 Steps to Renting your Home

There are lots of ways that people who own houses can turn to rent them as a smart economic strategy. Some have to move fast and don’t want to be forced to sell the first available buyer. Others inherited a home. And still others bought a home with an investment opportunity in mind.  

No matter the journey you’re on, renting a home on your own means you need to be aware of - and plan for - a host of legal and financial responsibilities.  These take careful planning and preparation; in fact, there are responsibilities you’re probably not even aware of.

None of this is simple. This is precisely why we created Belong - to take on the heaving lifting for you.  And to arrive at the end of the day with the most important outcome of all: to find someone who will love your house as much as you do.

Based on deep understanding and years of experience, here are the 12 essential steps that everyone needs to follow before renting a home.  If these don’t convince you to turn to Belong as your partner in being a successful homeowner, all we can say is that we wish you luck! And we’re always here if you need us.

Start with an honest level-setting conversation with yourself and your family.  While we’re all looking to “monetize” our real estate in some way - and you can make anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars - it doesn’t make sense in all case. So ask yourself these questions to determine if renting is the best way for you to proceed:

Are you sure you won’t need the house for yourself, or for family, in the next few years?  While you can rent for the short-term, the best rental relationship is long-term - where you give someone a chance to truly “Belong” to the house.

What’s the condition of your home? Often when you live in a home for a while, it’s hard to look at it objectively to determine how “rentable” it is, and what kind of repairs and upgrades will need to be made.

Is the rental market strong in your area? Search sites like Trulia and Zillow to get an idea of what the market conditions are.

If you don’t need your place for a while - and if the property is in good shape (or you have the cash to get it there) - and the market is promising, renting may be a great option!

At the end of the day, renting is an economic calculation. First, set your goals: do you want to break even, make a profit, or are you willing to take a loss in order to gain tax advantages of renting?  And speaking of taxes, you should talk to your accountant about the tax implications of renting before making any final decision.

Next, you need to put together a basic cost-revenue analysis model. The revenue is your rent income - but make sure you build in a reasonable projected vacancy time. The costs include everything from normal maintenance to unexpected items like a leaky roof or a broken furnace.  

Property management costs should be included if you choose to go that route. We’ll get into more detail about what property management includes later on. Speaking as Belong - not your run-of-the-mill property management company - we believe that the value and efficiency we bring more than offsets the fee.

There are a number of online calculators that can help with this analysis. Calculator.net and Zillow’s calculator are two we’d recommend. And again, we advise you to speak to your accountant.

Make sure you include the costs required to upgrade your property to market-level conditions (more on that in the next section).

Of course your property must be up to code. But that’s not enough. A well-maintained home attracts residents who will respect it and care for it. We recommend that you spend time on sites like Trulia to gain insight into “comparables” in your neighborhood. 

If upgrades beyond painting and freshening are required, you’ll need to hire a trustworthy contractor who can deliver within the agreed-upon time period.  Here are some of the best tips we’ve found for finding one. 

In general, don’t impose your taste. Aim for something as broadly popular as possible. If your home ends up looking like it’s straight out of Crate & Barrel or West Elm, that’s a good thing.

Your ability to market your home can not only mean the difference between a profitable investment and a loss-making one, but it can actually attract better residents, those who will love a home as much as you do.

If you make the call to go with Belong, you can be confident that you are working with a team that understands local market conditions, that has the talent to present your house in the best light, that understands the power of virtual tours and brilliant photography, and that has technology that makes scheduling appointments easy and frictionless.

If you decide to market your home on your own, it’s more complicated and time-consuming than you might think. Here are some links to websites and other content to help you with DIY home marketing. 

It’s time to market your home. The quality and number of photos in the listing will impact the interest in your rental. You’ll especially want quality photos if you are competing in the high-end market. 

Potential tenants commonly use sites like Craigslist, Redfin, and Facebook Marketplace to find available listings. Posting to a variety of websites and having “for rent” signs directing local traffic to your rental property will help maximize applications. 

All applicants should be required to give basic information like the names and birthdates of everyone who will live on the property, the social security numbers of the applicants for credit checks, thorough job history, and references (especially from past landlords). There may be more information you’d like to have on file, like an emergency contact, so do some research to make sure the information you collect is both complete and legal to store. Review applications on a first-come-first-serve basis to avoid any appearance of discrimination.

Sorting through applicants is perhaps one of the most stressful steps for a new landlord. How do you know if someone is a good tenant? Will they be clean, respectful, and on time with monthly rent payments?

A few tips to screen your applicants are:

Require an application fee to cover credit and background checks, which will encourage serious applicants only. 

Perform a background and credit check, and call past landlords.  

Check their income history. Since the era of the long-term job is behind us - with the rise of freelancers, consultants, and small business owners - income stability is the most important criterion.

Once you piece together their rental, credit, and job history, you should have a good idea of how they will act in your home.

You will need an insurance provider who understands the best way to protect your investment while keeping costs to a minimum.  One way to do that is to have a high deductible plan, which usually comes with lower monthly premiums.

If you don’t have a good broker, there’s no substitute for word-of-mouth in finding one. We suggest you ask friends and neighbors. Googling is not a good idea - a broker’s ability to come up high in search ratings doesn’t necessarily mean they’re any good.

You should require tenants to have renter’s insurance to cover them from loss of property from theft, flood, fire, and other problems, as well as protect you from being sued in such events. This requirement needs to go into the lease.

So we have our terms straight, the role of a “property manager” includes all of this and more:  

You need to decide if you are going to take on these responsibilities or if you would rather hire a property management company.

Property management companies bill in either flat rates or rent percentages. These fees can be difficult to predict and landlords are sometimes surprised by charges. It also can be hard to leave a long-term contract with an unsatisfactory property management company, so research and interview a few companies before deciding, and think about involving your lawyer. 

We created Belong because we believed that the world of property management was broken and ready for innovation. We deliver a complete, hands-on solution that combines technology with a human touch.

12 Steps to Renting your Home in 2021

Learn how Belong's innovative Smooth Payments can keep your cash-flow running when tenants moved out of your rental property.

How Landlords Can Smooth The Transition Between Tenants

Renting a property is much easier when the home is vacant so you can clean and prepare your home, but it also means missing out on weeks of rental income. Find out how a property management alternative like Belong can smooth the transition between renters in your home. 

As a landlord, a tricky situation you'll encounter more than once is the transition between tenants in your house or apartment. Do you wait for current residents to move out so you can clean and perform any necessary repairs before you start showing? Or do you start showing it ASAP, even if the current tenants are using the floor as a closet and the walls are crying out for a fresh coat of paint?

With others occupying your home, you also may be unaware of issues that lay beneath the surface. Homeowners know all too well how long the simplest repair can take today, given that we are locked in a bitter war for contractors.

Yet, even though it’d be much easier to wait until the home is vacant so you can clean and prep the place, that means you’ll be missing out on at least a month’s worth of income. Traditionally, this has been a catch-22 for which there was no great solution. Until now. 

Introducing Smooth Payments, the alternative to losing rent during vacancies

Belong isn't a traditional property manager, with modern solutions for homeowners such as an innovative new program called Smooth Payments. What is Smooth Payments? It's an option unique to Belong that gives landlords the time to get their property in shape and maximize its value – without any cash flow hits.

It works like this: Belong advances landlords the rent they would otherwise miss out on when their home is vacant between leases. This works like an interest-free loan, with the repayments spread out in instalments over the course of the next lease, when a new tenant moves in. 

Have your home repairs managed efficiently, while receiving income

The benefit of the Smooth Payments approach is that homeowners won't have a squeeze on their cash-flow if a property is vacant while making any necessary repairs or upgrades on place. But that isn't where the support begins and ends. Because you shouldn't have to wait months for repairs to take place or pay through the nose for contractors, Belong also has a dedicated team of expert tradespeople on-staff, known as Belong Pros. The Pros are dedicated, vetted, and experienced tradespeople who are available exclusively (and without mark-up!) to Belong homeowners, making the process of repairs and renovations quicker, easier and cheaper. And it is all transparently managed on Belong’s digital platform.

Make the transition to long-term renters with Belong

Smooth Payments and Pros are just two of the many ways that Belong is making long-term renting loveable for both landlords and tenants. With 71% of Belong Residents renewing their 1-year lease, find out how you could use Smooth Payments and face the tenant transition less often by finding out if your home is eligible here.

You don't need to advertise your rental property as a white box with these 4 simple touches that add liveable personality and attract more renters to your home.

4 Easy Ways to Make Any Rental Property Feel Like Home

While it can be tempting to advertise a rental property as a blank canvas for new residents to personalise, there are simple touches you can add to make a space feel like a home, helping renters picture themselves in the space. 

Our homes are often a reflection of who we are as we put our own furnishings and touches on a space. But what about a rental home on the market for new tenants? You want to give them the freedom to make a space their own, but also make it feel inviting – making it easy for potential residents to imagine themselves living there. You want to give them a sense that your home can be their home, to signal that beyond the four white walls there is a soul, a personality. It’s not that hard to accomplish, and here are 4 simple tips from the experts at Belong based on experience with hundreds of homes.

Floating shelves are highly affordable and so easy to install you’d feel embarrassed hiring a Task Rabbit, floating shelves give any room a subtle lived-in quality, while also serving a function. For example, in a kitchen, they can act as a spice rack; in a living room, you can use them as a striking mantle or bookshelf. 

What’s more, their very presence tells any potential residents that this is a place ready to welcome their memories: there’s room for their wedding photos, their favorite books, and even the tchotchkes they inherited from their grandparents.

The meeting place between the wall and ceiling is a place for detail and charm. The data shows that Millennials want older homes with character and authenticity. 

Belong has talked before about how a picture rail can lend any space a little character and old-world charm; it’s a claim we stand by.  What’s more, when your residents hang their pictures on a rail, they don’t have to bang nails into your walls and damage them.  Here’s an example of how cool picture rails can look.

Simple, but tasteful, renovations can also make a home easy to fall in love with.  Is it time to put in a new sink?  Contemplate a pedestal sink: they’re competitively priced, and add a touch of elegance to the space.  Is the carpet getting a little ragged?  Before you replace it, see what’s been hiding beneath all those years.  Sometimes you’ll find the kind of beautifully preserved hardwood that makes interior designers drool, and also appeals to Millennial tastes.

Nothing says home like piles of comforting blankets. Layer soft throws in your living room for quick access and a cozy aesthetic, or keep a pair of moccasins on hand for colder nights. Adding rugs to otherwise sparse rooms can add a bit of warmth, both underfoot and visually. When you are comfortable, and your house doesn’t feel like a museum where nothing can be touched, you feel at home.

There’s something strange about moving into a new house and noticing its unfamiliar smell. If you’re moving into a house that had one previous owner, or has been around for 100 years, you’ll notice that it has a distinctive scent - good or bad. To make your house feel “homey,” start using room sprays or lighting candles with scents that make you feel calm and comfortable. The flickering light of the flame will add another cozy element to your home as well. If you really want to clear out the old and welcome in the new, think about lighting a bundle of sage and walking through your home, letting the fragrant smoke drift up into corners as you chant a clearing mantra. 

Most of these modest but high-impact upgrades require no contractor assistance. For those that do, remember that when you work with Belong, you have access to their in-house Pros — a dedicated fleet of professional contractors and craftspeople who are ready to help with any installation or upgrade you can imagine!

If local zoning permits it, having a guest house or ADU as a long-term rental is a great way to secure extra income. Learn more about what to consider.

Can You Rent Out a Guest House On Your Property?

More often referred to as Accessory Dwelling Units (or ADUs), guest houses are typically separate, additional living spaces to someone’s primary residence. They can be attached to the main home, be a separate structure, or be located above a garage. You might also call guest houses granny flats or carriage houses. Guest houses can provide a passive income opportunity to property owners, but those interested in renting an ADU on their property should consider some key factors. 

Listing your guest house or ADU as a short term rental 

While listing a guest house for short-term rentals is possible, doing so comes with challenges. Most cities and municipalities require a specific license for short-term rentals. Additionally, short-term rental marketplaces are changing their guidelines to attract and favor guests. Short-term rentals require more maintenance, including regular cleaning, management, and marketing.  

Can your guest home become a long term rental?

To determine if you can rent a guest house or ADU to long-term tenants, you’ll need to learn more about city and county regulations. Your property or neighborhood will likely need to have the appropriate zoning designations. 

To find the zoning restrictions on your local neighborhood, start by searching for your city or county zoning ordinances to find out the allowed uses for your property (for example, San Diego Planning & Development website if your home is in the SD area). You could also call your municipal planning or building department to help them explain how the laws work in your area and get an official opinion on your specific property. 

Similarly, the HOA or homeowner association may prohibit or have specific guidelines around rental properties and ADUs. If the HOA does permit you to rent your guest house, they may request that your lease include particular terms. For example, the HOA may require that you have specific parking guidelines for tenants. 

Finally, it may be helpful to verify any other fire or safety restrictions. You may find that there are requirements for egress windows, sprinkler systems, or learn that a guest house must be within a certain distance of a fire hydrant. Even if a former owner of the property rented out the guest house previously, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s still up to code today. 

If you plan to purchase a home with a guesthouse or ADU, you should discuss your options with a lender. Conventional, FHA, and VA loans each have requirements for buying a home to rent some or all of the property to tenants. For example, an FHA loan requires that the owner lives on the property if they are planning to rent a guesthouse or ADU.  

Considerations for renting a guest house on your property

The location of your guesthouse on your property may influence how you choose to prepare your property for tenants. The space must be easily accessible from the street or parking areas. If there is no clearly defined path to your guesthouse, you may need to add one. You may also want to consider lighting. Is there adequate lighting along pathways, near garages, and entryways?

You may also want to consider ways to create clearly defined boundaries or spaces. Landscaping can help make clear, separate outdoor spaces. Hedges, trees, and paths can also help preserve your privacy and comfort.  

Tenant parking will be an essential consideration in renting a guest house on your property. If there are garages or driveways, you’ll need to decide how you plan to manage parking. Offering off-street parking to tenants can be an excellent way to stand out from other rental options on the market or allow you to increase rental income. 

If you are renting your guest house for the first time, you may need to change your utilities. We recommend researching other rentals in your area to determine if it’s advantageous to require tenants to pay for their utilities or if those costs are included in the rental fee and agreement.

For most rentals, it’s better to separate your utility services. You’ll need to contact each utility provider to see if this is possible. Dividing your utilities may require adding a meter, which often incurs an expense. 

If you plan to rent the guest house on your property, you’ll need to ensure that you and any tenants have adequate storage. In some markets, storage can be an essential factor for potential tenants. While interior storage is always appreciated, you may need to consider where your tenants will store bikes, outdoor equipment, or other recreational items. 

Who will manage the guest house on your property if you choose to rent it? Making this decision may be one of the most important determinations you make, and there are several important factors to consider in making this decision.

Your tenant will likely have maintenance requests throughout their rental term, so you can expect that renting a guesthouse on your property will require additional maintenance. Do you intend to complete the maintenance yourself, or do you have trusted contractors who can assist? It’s important to understand that a certain amount of wear and tear will occur if you rent your guesthouse. 

You may also wish to assess the current condition of your guest house. Is it likely to need repairs in the future? Are the appliances relatively new, or will they need to be replaced soon? You should also evaluate water heaters, heating, and cooling systems. 

Finally, consider how you will manage the maintenance of the property grounds. Who will be responsible for lawn care and maintenance? 

Choosing to rent a guest house on your property comes with many upsides, including additional rental income. However, you may find that it is challenging to have close proximity to your tenants. You will likely see your tenants more frequently, which may be difficult for some homeowners. 

There will be times when you need to address concerns with your tenants. It’s essential that you set clear expectations with them and approach any potential conflicts or concerns with extreme care. This dynamic may not be suitable for everyone.  

Setting and including expectations in the lease 

The best way to avoid any potential conflict or misunderstanding with tenants is to set clear expectations and ensure that they are all included in your lease agreement. Carefully consider which policies might be most important, have them in your lease, and discuss them with prospective tenants. 

Typical areas of concern might include guests, parking, and quiet enjoyment guidelines. Consider working with an attorney specializing in lease agreements if you have not already. Often, they can help guide you to avoid any potential challenges. 

If conflict or lease violations occur, it’s critical to address them promptly. More often than not, these issues result from a misunderstanding or lack of information. You can resolve most concerns calmly and respectfully. 

If the prospect of conflict with your tenant is a concern, you should consider working with a property manager or with a modern alternative like Belong. Both a property manager and Belong can advocate on your behalf and resolve any issues with tenants. Some property managers will offer eviction protection, although be sure to read the fine print as this is often charged at a higher rate and only includes a small amount of coverage. If you choose to work with Belong and we select tenants that don't work out, you are covered for evictions with $15,000 coverages toward legal costs - more than 3x what property management companies offer (if any!). 

Property management for your guest house 

If you plan to rent your guest house, a property manager can offer you significant benefits beyond managing potential misunderstandings or conflicts. Consider how extra support can make renting your guesthouse easier, efficient, and more profitable. At Belong, we believe that renting your guesthouse should be enjoyable. 

As Belong isn't a property management company, but rather a residential network, we take all of the stress out of having tenants (or as we say, residents) living in a guesthouse on the same property. Both you and your residents will have access to a 24/7 concierge service if any issues arise and maintenance requests are handled efficiently by vetted in-house professionals (no hanging around for third-party contractors). 

Maximize rental price and guaranteed rent

Once you choose to work with Belong, you can start receiving rental income almost immediately. We work with homeowners who have both current residents and vacancies. To maximize your rental income, we’ll conduct and share the results of a market pricing analysis.

We guarantee that you’ll receive rent each month you work with us—even if you don’t have a current tenant. We’ll also give you your entire year of rent upfront. That means you’ll have more rental income in your pocket sooner. 

What if renting your guest house didn’t require you to do any maintenance? Belong has a team of professionals who conduct a full, initial inspection report. You’ll have a complete understanding of your guest house condition from the beginning. We’ll continue to complete inspections every quarter, which means fewer surprises in the long run. 

When it comes to finding the best tenants for your guest house, we take pride in managing the process from beginning to end. If you don’t already have a tenant, we’ll take high-quality photos and create a 3-D virtual walkthrough. We’ll use these photos for marketing your property to potential tenants. We’ll also facilitate tours and showing for any interested, qualified tenants. 

If you're looking for the best app for landlords, we've got one better: a people-powered app to manage your rental home with real maintenance & finance options

The Belong App Just Got a Smart, People-Powered Upgrade

Attention homeowners, the Belong app got a major upgrade just for you. The same app that your residents use to log requests and pay their rent can now be used to manage your homes, directly from your smartphone. 

We are pleased to announce that the Belong app now serves everyone in our residential network, with new homeowner features launching this month. 



When your home is on Belong, you can use the app to login and manage your home on any Apple or Android device. 

Keep up with the marketing of your home and view your online listings

Track your rental income and monthly earnings

Get updates on your home and residents directly in the app 

View your lease agreements and information on your residents

Review and approve repairs from our vetted in-house Belong Pros

Make instant requests for upgrades, repairs or removalist services

Plan your future cash flow with Belong’s finance options

And if you need further assistance, you can also chat to your concierge, available 24/7 in the app. 

Access resident and homeowner features from the app 

Sometimes our residents are homeowners too! Whether you want to pay your rent for a home you love or manage repairs on a home you own, simply switch profiles to access the services you need. 

Belong’s app is NOT just an “app for landlords”

If you’ve ever searched through the long lists of “best apps for landlords” you’ll notice there’s a common theme. These apps are designed for property managers, not homeowners. 

What’s the difference? Well, property management is hard work and not every homeowner wants to take on the heavy lifting of self-management (like being permanently on-call if things go wrong!). Apps designed for landlords generally have a bunch of features that support the administration of owning a rental property — but you’re still in for a lot of hard work. 

Belong’s app is designed for homeowners. People who want good residents living in their home, without any extra stress. 

What makes the Belong App’s homeowner features different is its people-power. When you make a request on the Belong app, a real person will take care of the job for you. Whether you need something repaired or upgraded or want to view the photoshoots of your home listing — behind every feature is a vetted professional making your life easier.

Managing your rental home with an app has never been easier. Because with Belong, you’re not doing the work —  just calling the shots.

Download the Belong App from the App Store or Google Play

The only finger you need to lift is the one that’s going to push the download button in your Apple or Android store. 

Not yet a Belong member? We serve Los Angeles, Miami, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and many more. Check here to see if your home is eligible. 

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