Finding Good Tenants

The goal of every landlord should be to find the best tenants possible—tenants who pay rent on time, keep their rental in good condition, and don’t cause legal or practical problems. There’s more to finding good tenants than just reviewing rental applications. Landlords will want to have a reliable tenant-finding system in place that incorporates legal and effective advertising, a solid rental application, and thorough screening procedures.

See more articles

What to look out for if you want to advertise your currently-occupied apartment.

See more articles

Your success as a landlord in California depends on knowing and complying with dozens of state, federal, and local antidiscrimination laws.

Should landlords accept a deposit to hold a rental for a potential tenant?

See more articles

Check tenants' credit and avoid legal trouble over discrimination.

Whether and how landlords can use information from an existing or prospective tenant’s criminal history was the subject of an April 3, 2016 “guidance” memo from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Private credit reporting agencies collect and sell credit files and other information about consumers.

Empower Yourself: DIY Products by Nolo

Sidestep the lawyers with do-it-yourself books, documents, and software.

The legal forms and state rules every landlord and property manager needs
Effectively manage your rental property in California using this pair of books.
Easily create a fixed-term lease or a month-to-month rental agreement for residential tenants.
Easily create a residential lease or month-to-month rental agreement for single or multiple tenants in California with this ready-to-use legal form.

Nolo offers hundreds of consumer-friendly, do-it-yourself legal products for all types of legal situations. Browse our full product list.

More Legal Issues

Click below to view more legal issues. Our extensive collection of legal topics ranges across different areas of practice.

Learn About Our Team

Learn About Our Team

Our editors have over 100 years of combined experience practicing law. These professionals have worked in a wide range of legal areas, from estate planning to criminal law to business formation and beyond. They’re experts at explaining complicated legal issues in easy-to-understand terms.

Learn more about the team that manages Nolo’s articles, books, and DIY tools.

Need a Lawyer? We Can Help

Find an experienced, local attorney in three easy steps. Our process is designed for ease and simplicity.

01

Describe Your Case

Briefly tell us about your case, and provide your contact information.

02

Get Connected

We find and instantly list attorneys that can best handle your case.

03

Hire an Attorney

Choose the attorneys you would like to work with.

Integrity and Expertise You Can Rely On

Get Professional Help
Talk to a Landlord-Tenant attorney.
How It Works
  1. Briefly tell us about your case
  2. Provide your contact information
  3. Choose attorneys to contact you