It’ that time of the week again!

Send all your questions to jason@realrenta.com.

We have been getting some very challenging ones that we just love!

Q: What are the rules regarding asking for upfront rental payments?  I have properties in different states, are there any differences?

A: Great question! In most states, a landlord cannot ask for more than one month’s rent in advance if the rent is $350 a week or less.  You need to check the respective rules for your state if the rent is higher than this.

Q. Recently I advertised my property on Gumtree and it was used in a scam. The scammer stole my photos and address and tricked potential tenants into paying for a locksmith and a deposit. How can I make sure this doesn’t happen again?

A: Watermark your photos with your phone number and email address. Scammers won’t bother trying, to steal your images if they are watermarked. They will pick a property that does not have watermarked images.

Q: I am thinking of allowing pets into my property when I put it up for rent again. I am a bit nervous about doing this but I have been told that it will increase the number of high quality applicants.

A: This is actually true and more and more landlords are seeing the benefits of renting to pet owners. To allay your fears, ask the applicants for a pet resume and you can also get them to sign a pet application agreement. You can include an application fee, rent fees per pet, and even a fee for pet inspections or a violation fee, if the pet causes damage. The fees will ensure that you are more likely to get serious and responsible pet owners.

RealRenta Landlords can record additional fees to tenants, in the manual ledger for non rent payments.

Try RealRrenta for Free for up to 2 months now: www.realrenta.com.au