If you've just rented out your first property, the paperwork and admin can feel overwhelming. Most first-time landlords figure things out by making mistakes. This checklist is the shortcut.
Here's what to have in place before your tenant moves in.
1. A signed tenancy agreement
This is non-negotiable. Get a written lease signed before handing over any keys. It should cover:
- Monthly rent amount and due date
- Lease start and end date
- Deposit amount and how it's held
- Notice period (typically 1-3 months)
- Rules around pets, smoking, subletting
If you're in the EU, your local tenancy law will dictate minimum requirements. Don't use a generic template downloaded from the internet — check with a local solicitor or use a country-specific template.
2. A record of the property's condition
Take photos of every room before the tenant moves in. Timestamp them. This protects you if there's a dispute about damage when they leave.
Some landlords do a formal inventory — a written document listing every item in the property and its condition. For furnished properties this is essential. For unfurnished, photos are usually enough.
3. A system for tracking rent payments
This is where most landlords underestimate the admin. When you have one tenant, tracking rent in your head works fine. When something goes wrong — a late payment, a dispute — you suddenly need a record.
Set up a payment tracking system before the first payment lands. Options:
- Spreadsheet — works, but requires manual updates and no automation
- Dedicated software — handles tracking, reminders, and history automatically
If you're using Leasily, you add the tenant, set the rent amount and due date, and the system generates a payment schedule automatically. Every payment gets logged with the date and status.
4. A way to send rent reminders
Chasing rent is the part of being a landlord nobody enjoys. Set up automatic reminders so you don't have to do it manually.
On Leasily, reminders go out automatically 3 days before rent is due — your tenant gets an email, you don't have to do anything. If it's overdue, a follow-up goes out automatically.
5. Your tenant's contact details on file
Obvious, but worth saying: make sure you have a working email address, phone number, and emergency contact before they move in. You'll need these if something goes wrong at 11pm on a Sunday.
6. A clear maintenance process
Agree upfront on how maintenance requests should be submitted and what the response time is. Something like: "Email me for non-urgent issues, call me for emergencies." This avoids confusion and protects you legally — you can show you were notified and responded.
7. Buildings and contents insurance
Check your standard home insurance — it almost certainly doesn't cover rental properties. You need landlord insurance, which typically covers:
- Building damage
- Loss of rent if the property becomes uninhabitable
- Liability if a tenant is injured
Contents insurance is optional if the property is unfurnished. If you've left furniture or appliances, get it covered.
8. A record of utility readings
Take meter readings on the day the tenant moves in. Gas, electricity, water. This ensures they're not paying for your usage — and you're not getting a bill for theirs.
9. Somewhere to store documents
You'll accumulate documents: the lease, references, deposit paperwork, correspondence. Keep them somewhere organised — even a single Google Drive folder is better than nothing.
With Leasily, you can attach document links to each tenant so everything is in one place.
The first month matters most
The tone you set in the first month usually holds for the rest of the tenancy. A landlord who communicates clearly, sends reminders on time, and responds quickly to issues gets fewer problems. Most tenant-landlord issues come down to poor systems, not bad people.
Set the systems up once and they run themselves.
Leasily is free until July 2026 for all new landlords. No credit card required. You can have your first property set up in about 3 minutes.