First time landlord with first lease renewal agreement.

[John Chea]

Hello everyone, I am a new landlord in Michigan and the time has come to renew my first lease.  So I've come here to learn and gather any suggestions or comments on best practices on how to do this.  A few questions I have are:  How to I go about getting the lease paperwork?  Is this as easy as getting a cookie cutter Michigan rental lease agreement?  Should I consult an attorney to create a new lease or make changes?  The lease and paperwork I feel are a very important step and will prevent future complications any insight tips and suggestions from more experienced landlords/managers would be greatly appreciated.  

[Jacqueline Coombs]

I'm in the same boat! I recently closed on a property with an inherited tenant. I went over and talked to her about whether she wanted to stay with rents increasing. We agreed to let it go over to a M2M with a small increase once her lease from previous owner is up. That way, she can move in spring when weather is better. When I get a new tenant, I plan on using the lease provided by the RPOA ( Rental Property Owners' Association). The association is made up of experienced landlords and it looks to me like they have everything I would want covered in a lease especially Michigan specific stuff. Check them out. They are a great resource! Good luck! A year from now this will be second-nature to us newbies!! ;)