Tenant moving out after 6 years - Need Help

[Mike Davidson]

When the tenant first rented with me in 2013, I had a property management. Two years into it, I fired my property management company and have had this tenant since. She has been a wonderful tenant the entire time. I have been a landlord for 8 years but have never done any of this myself. She is moving out in March and I have a few questions for re-renting this place:

1. If I use SmartMove for background check, should I still have my potential tenants to fill out an application for my own record keeping? Or SmartMove really become an application in itself. 

2. if the answer to #1 is yes, should I ask all members of the family (above 18) to fill out the application?

3. If the answer to #1 is yes, what is the best place to download the application?

4. Does SmartMove ask the tenant to enter in information for all members of the family or do I need to specifically tell them to do so?

5. SmartMove obviously does the criminal and background check. Is there any way to do income verification and employment history without having to call?

6. The ultimate guide sticky says I must have an attorney check the lease document. How do I find one? Google?

7. Are there other important questions that I am not thinking of? :-)

I have got the rent figured out and have had two showings and they are both interested in renting the place and I just learned yesterday that my tenant is moving out. Things are going a bit faster than I expected and I have to figure out a lot of things, soon. If this becomes too overwhelming, I may end up going with a property management company again.

[Ray Harrell]

Why would you pay a property manager just to rent ONE unit? If you have all these questions about SmartMove, why don't you contact them and get direct answers? If you just found our yesterday your tenant is moving, and you've had two showings already, it doesn't sound like renting it will be an issue. I just don't see paying a year of management fees just to get a lease signed.