I am new to land lording in Texas (Dallas)

[Dan Marl]

Hello everyone!

I will be a new landlord of an SFH in the Dallas area for the first time so I am not familiar with how things are usually "done" in TX or Dallas.

Here are some of my questions.

1. It's a brand new home. So should the rent be higher than comparable but older homes? 

2. Does the landlord usually provide the washer/dryer and fridge? Pros and cons?

3. Should the tenant get renter's insurance?

4. Who usually pays for lawn care?

5. Who usually pays for trash service?

6. Should I install a WIFI thermostat and a Ring Doorbell to entice tenants? What are the pros and cons?

Thank you in advance!

[Lisa Walker]

I'm a local agent & landlord...here's my opinions to your questions. You should have a strong lease set up for them to sign & also establish your renting criteria. If you are new to landlording, it might be wise to hire a property manager to start off.

1) What do the comps for rents say? You should be looking at newer homes or updated ones to compare. Tenants don't care if new or just looks/feels new. Be careful to not overprice and have longer vacancies.

2) Usually not provided unless was abandoned or already there. Many renters have their own. If there, I put that I'm not responsible to replace/fix if it breaks (since not typical to provide these)

3)YES! Make them provide renters insurance.

4)Lawn- depends. If single family, renters usually take care of it. Duplexes & Multifamily, condo etc have different needs and expectations. Address who takes care of in your lease.

5) Trash- unless condo etc, most trash is included in their water bill, which is part of their utilities they should be paying directly. Again, address this in their lease.

6) I wouldn't waste my money here. They could steal it. Also, providing internet access is also a sticky subject, if you had access could be a violation of their privacy. 

Good luck!