Your Landlord Resource Podcast

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Winterize your rental property before the first freeze, because you don't need a blizzard to end up with a burst pipe. One cold night and one forgotten hose can do it. Kevin and I are racing to close up our family's Tahoe cabins right now, so this one is fresh on our minds.

Kevin kicks things off with freeze prep, including a neighbor's hose that turned into an ice sculpture. Then I share our heating routine and the battery trick we use as proof for insurance. You'll also hear about the...

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ESA rules for landlords made headlines in May 2026, when HUD changed how it handles emotional support animal complaints. Plenty of landlords celebrated. Kevin did too, right up until he kept reading. The key word is complaints, and it changes everything.

First, I answer a listener text about finding the past episodes we mention, because that one has tripped up more of you than we realized. Then I break down what HUD actually changed and the one thing that did not change at all. Kevin follows with the fine print, including three...

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House hacking is buying a property, living in part of it, and renting out the rest so your tenants help cover the mortgage. It works because of the loan, not the rent. Kevin and I have never done it. We have recommended it to our three kids, their friends, and others who may or may not have asked. Our batting average is zero. So when a 23 year old listener in Wisconsin asked for this episode, we finally said yes.

Everybody explains the shiny part. Buy a duplex, live in one side...

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Garbage disposals in rentals are the only appliance I can think of that costs a hundred dollars and can quietly turn into a several thousand dollar problem. And nobody requires you to provide one at all.

Kevin opens with the distinction that decides how fast you have to answer that late night text. A disposal is an amenity, not a habitability item. Except there is one specific moment when it stops being either of those, and it is not the moment most landlords assume.

Then he makes the case...

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The best time to renovate a rental is almost never the moment you finally get sick of looking at the kitchen. Timing is the variable nobody talks about, and it quietly decides whether your money ever comes back.

Kevin opens with a framing that clears up half the confusion on this topic. There are only two kinds of rental renovation, and landlords get into trouble when they apply the rules of one to the other.

From there we get into the window we actually use, why an empty unit...

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Rental appliance repairs are one of those things you never decide until you are forced to. The refrigerator quits on a Friday night. The dishwasher waters the floor instead of the dishes. The washer starts walking across the laundry room like it owes somebody money. And so you ask yourself, how do I handle this?

That was me with our first rental. When that fridge died I had no idea whether it was our problem or the tenant's, and no idea what our lease said either.

Here is what...

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This shorty is a checklist episode where we walk through the nine things (plus a bonus tenth) we do every single time between placing a vacancy ad and getting a prospective tenant through the door for a showing. It's also a preview of what's coming in our upcoming course, From Marketing to Move In.

In This Episode:

•  Writing an ad detailed enough that prospects can pre-qualify themselves before they call

•  Why photos are a form of communication, not decoration (callback to Episode 124)

•  The prescreen...

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Every landlord has to make the decision to DIY a task or hire it out. Something breaks, you have got your phone in one hand, ready to call the tech, and a YouTube tutorial in the other to see if you can manage the task yourself…and you are doing the math.

The idea for this episode came from a listener who asked what he should be doing himself and what he should be paying someone else to do. Honestly? It’s a pretty vague question. That is exactly why it is a...

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If you want to collect rent on time, stop thinking of it as something you chase. Almost every late payment we have dealt with in twenty-plus years was not a character problem. It was a design problem. And design problems you can actually fix.

We had a tenant who paid on the first of every single month, without fail. Her money did not reach our account until the fifth or sixth. She was not late. Her system was. Kevin and I walk you through what we changed after that, plus the...

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It’s 9:40 on a Tuesday night, your phone lights up, and the toilet in your rental is leaking. Do you get in the car, or do you go to sleep and call your plumber in the morning? Emergency maintenance requests are the one call almost every landlord gets wrong at least once, in both directions.

Kevin and I are walking you through the three-tier system we use to sort what gets fixed tonight from what can wait until Thursday. You’ll get our real lists for all three tiers, including one tier...

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So, the lease is signed, the confetti’s basically falling, and then… what? If you’ve ever found yourself scrambling three days before move-in trying to remember whether you actually collected the security deposit, this episode is for you. Kevin and I are walking you through exactly what to do after a tenant signs their lease, starting with the money you need in hand before you ever hand over a key, and the one rule we refuse to break, no matter how much we like a new tenant.

We’re also getting...

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If you've ever stared at a lease wondering whether you need a lease addendum vs new lease entirely, this episode is for you. Kevin and I get asked this question often, and honestly, guessing wrong can leave your paperwork not holding up when you need it most.

I'm walking you through the exact test we use to decide whether a quick addendum will do, or whether it's time to start completely over with a new lease. And once you hear what our contractor found in a supposedly empty closet during a...

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Turnovers are one of those parts of being a landlord that either quietly build your profit, or quietly drain it. After doing more of them than I can count, Kevin and I finally sat down and walked through exactly how we handle every single one, from the moment a tenant gives notice to the day we hand a new tenant their keys.

I'm covering the non-negotiable safety and maintenance checks we run every time, the paint and flooring calls that make a unit feel brand new without blowing the budget, and...

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Most landlords think about taxes in February. By then, the year is already over — and so are most of the opportunities to do anything about it.

In this Shorty episode, we break down why summer is actually the smartest time to get your rental finances in order. You still have months left in the tax year, which means if you find a problem now, you still have time to fix it.

We cover three things every self-managing landlord should be doing right now: getting your expense tracking current, understanding wh...

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Most landlords know exactly how to screen a W-2 employee. Two pay stubs, an employer call, run the three-times-rent math — done. But what happens when the applicant in front of you is a freelance designer, a self-employed contractor, or a college student whose only income is a financial aid check?

In this episode, we walk through exactly how to handle renting to students and freelancers — without guessing, and without exposing yourself to Fair Housing liability. We cover the specific documents to request from self-employed and freelance applicants, why average income and reli...

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You probably know that if your roof leaks, that's on you. But do you actually know who pays when a tenant ignores a slow drip for six months until the subfloor rots? Landlord tenant maintenance responsibilities sound simple on paper, but the real world is full of gray areas that catch self-managing landlords off guard — usually right when it's most expensive to learn the lesson.

In this episode, Kevin and I walk through exactly who is responsible for what at a rental property, starting with the legal foundation every landlord needs to...

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You probably have a lease. But does it have a rental property guest policy?  You know, one that actually defines how long a guest can stay, who's responsible for their behavior, and what happens if they never leave? Most self-managing landlords don't, and it's one of those gaps that feels harmless until a "temporary" houseguest is still there six months later with a key, collecting mail, and keeping in a closet full of belongings you definitely didn't know about.

In this episode, Kevin and I break down what a guest policy i...

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If you've never had a smoking tenant, consider yourself lucky — and unprepared. A smoking policy for landlords isn't just a nice-to-have anymore. It's the industry standard. But if your lease only says "no cigarettes," you may have more gaps than you realize. Vaping, e-cigarettes, cigars, and cannabis all need to be spelled out — and most older leases don't cover them.

Here's what often gets overlooked: the stakes are completely different depending on what kind of property you own. A single-family home carries primarily financial and fire-related risk. But in a duplex or m...

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What if you had a business advisor on call at two in the morning when your tenant sends a threatening email, your insurance company denies a claim, or you need to know your rights before calling your attorney the next day? That advisor exists — and it's AI. In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and I get real about how we use artificial intelligence in our own rental property business, share the specific moments where it saved us time, money, and a lot of stress, and walk you through exactly ho...

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You know the neighborhood when you buy. But do you really know it now that you own and manage the property?

In this Shorty episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and Stacie take a topic they first introduced in Episode 23 and go deeper — moving beyond marketing copy to explore what it truly means to understand the neighborhood surrounding your rental property.

From discovery walks and walk scores to fair housing guardrails and tenant retention, this conversation is packed with practical insights that help self-managing landlords become more co...

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Most landlords spend years building a rental portfolio — and almost no time planning what happens to it when they're gone. Whether you have no estate plan in place or think you have everything handled, this episode may reveal a gap you didn't know existed.

In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and Stacie walk through the most common estate planning mistakes rental property owners make — many of which they discovered firsthand when creating their own living trust. From assuming a simple will is enough, to forgetting to fund the...

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Most landlords don't think twice when a teenager has been living in their rental for years. But the moment that kid turns 18, something quietly shifts — and if you're not paying attention, it can cost you.

In this Shorty episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and I dig into one of those landlord blind spots that doesn't announce itself until something goes wrong. We're talking about what actually happens — legally and practically — when a minor living in your rental unit becomes an adult, and why doing nothing about it is one of...

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Most landlords know they need photos to market a vacant rental. But if that's the only time your camera comes out, you're leaving serious money — and legal protection — on the table.

In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and I dig into why rental property photos are one of the most underutilized tools in a self-managing landlord's toolkit. From attracting quality tenants to winning security deposit disputes, the right photos taken at the right time can make all the difference in how you operate your rental business.

We...

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Running rental properties efficiently often comes down to having the right systems in place. In this episode, Kevin and I walk through a very effective landlord system we’ve created for our rentals — our unit binder.

A unit binder for landlords is a simple system we place inside every rental unit that answers common tenant questions, explains how appliances work, and provides helpful information about the property. Over time, this system has dramatically reduced tenant questions, prevented unnecessary maintenance calls, and helped our tenants handle everyday situations more...

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Owning rental property isn’t just about collecting rent — it’s about running a service-based business. And whether landlords realize it or not, their tenants are customers. The way you communicate, handle maintenance, and manage the living experience inside your rental property can directly impact tenant satisfaction, lease renewals, and the long-term success of your rental business.

In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and I talk about why customer service is such an important part of being a landlord. Many owners assume the best strategy is to...

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Spring is the perfect time for landlords to take a close look at their rental properties after months of winter weather. Wind, rain, snow, and temperature swings can cause hidden damage that many owners won’t notice until problems become expensive repairs.

In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and I share the five spring maintenance tips we focus on every year to help protect our rentals. These inspections help identify small issues before they turn into major structural problems that can cost thousands of dollars to fix.

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Domestic abuse protections in rental housing are something most landlords hope they never have to deal with. Unfortunately, situations involving harassment, intimidation, or safety concerns can arise unexpectedly, and when they do, landlords must understand the legal protections involved.

We share a real experience encountered when a tenant invoked domestic abuse protection and legally withdrew from their lease after only four months. While the situation did not involve physical violence, the tenant claimed ongoing bullying and emotional harassment and provided legal documentation that allowed their lease termination with only 14 days’ notice.

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At first glance, renting to roommates seems like a great idea for landlords. Two tenants splitting the rent should make larger units easier to fill and potentially increase your rental income.

But after years of managing rental properties, Kevin and I have learned that roommate situations can bring a unique set of challenges.

In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, we share our real-world experience renting to roommates and explain why we personally prefer not to. While many roommate households start with the best intentions...

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Becoming a landlord often happens by accident. Maybe you inherited a property or moved and decided to rent instead of sell. But what many new landlords quickly discover is that rental property ownership isn’t just about collecting rent — it’s about operating a regulated housing business.

In this episode we share the lessons experienced landlords repeatedly say they wish they had known before placing their very first tenant. 

We share personal stories from the early days of managing rental properties and the mistakes that taught us some of the mos...

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After years of managing rental property doors the traditional way—with keys, lockboxes, and coordinating access with contractors—Kevin and I decided it was finally time to try something different. In this episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, we talk about why we installed smart locks on our rental properties and what we’ve learned from using them.

We walk through the exact lock we chose, the Kwikset Halo touchscreen smart lock, and why it made sense for our properties. For us, the biggest benefit has been c...

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Kevin and I thought it was time to let our listeners do the talking. In this episode, we count down the Top 5 Most-Listened-To Episodes — the ones you keep coming back to — and break down why they resonated so strongly with self-managing landlords.

The countdown includes Episode 58 on the hidden costs of owning rental properties, Episode 6 on creating standard operating procedures, Episode 95, a fan-favorite Q&A where we tackled real landlord problems, Episode 56 on how and when to transfer your rental property into an LLC, and the number one most-listened-to episode of all...

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Managing utilities in rental properties has become increasingly challenging for small landlords. In this shorty episode of the Your Landlord Resource Podcast, we discuss a strategy many landlords are beginning to implement: charging tenants a flat monthly utility fee.

Many duplexes, fourplexes, and older multifamily buildings have shared water meters, which means landlords often include water, sewer, trash, and recycling in the rent. Historically this worked well when utility costs were predictable. But as rates continue rising in many areas, landlords are often unknowingly subsidizing tenant usage.

...

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Ever feel like you're running a marathon but you can't remember why you started running in the first place?

That was our entire 2025. Between two destination weddings, a home renovation that went 300% over budget (with roofers literally falling through our ceiling THREE TIMES), rental property turnovers, portfolio decisions, and trying to be present for our aging parents and adult kids—we were completely burnt out.

In this raw and honest episode, we're pulling back the curtain on what really happened, why we had to hit pause on the podcast, an...

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In this episode we’re discussing why renters are moving less than at any point in the last 40 years, and whether you manage one unit or ten, this affects your strategy, revenue, and renewals in a big way. So, Kevin and I are unpacking what’s behind the sharp drop in renter mobility and what it means for your business. 

We talk through why renewing a lease is cheaper than moving, why ownership remains out of reach for many renters, and how construction slowdowns and underbuilding are freezing vacancy chain...

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Managing rental properties comes with a big decision: should you handle everything yourself or hire a property manager?

In this episode, Stacie Casella and Kevin Kilroy share the real pros and cons of self-managing versus outsourcing — from cost savings and control to the realities of late-night calls, legal paperwork, and burnout. Together, they discuss how each option fits different lifestyles, investment goals, and seasons of life.

You’ll hear stories from their own experience managing a Sacramento 6-plex, a long-distance four-plex in Idaho, and everything in between — plus practical tips t...

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Stop Guessing, Smart Budgeting — it’s time to take control of your rental property finances.

In this week’s episode of Your Landlord Resource Podcast, we share smart budgeting tips for rental property owners that turn your rentals into a confident, well-run business.

Building on Episodes 78 (Bookkeeping & Accounting Tips for Landlords) and 79 (Accounting Software for Landlords), we discuss how self-managing landlords can create a practical budget, forecast expenses, manage reserves, and plan for profit. You’ll learn how to track cash flow, prepare for maintenance and capi...

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In this week’s episode of Your Landlord Resource Podcast, Kevin and I dive into one of the most common modern-day questions—can landlords legally install video cameras at their rental properties?

We break down the legal guidelines on where cameras are allowed, how to respect tenant privacy, and what to include in your lease addendums to keep you covered. We also talk about the etiquette behind using surveillance, who should have access to footage, and the hidden responsibilities that come with cloud-based storage systems.

Plus, we discuss how to h...

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Fall is here, and that means it’s time for landlords to get ahead of seasonal maintenance and tenant communication before winter sets in. In this shorty episode of Your Landlord Resource Podcast, I’m sharing a quick checklist to help you stay proactive, avoid costly emergencies, and keep your tenants safe and happy.

Kevin and I break down the key areas to focus on: property prep, tenant reminders, seasonal safety checks, and a few timely extras for this year. From HVAC servicing and gutter cleaning to energy efficiency upgrades, you’ll wal...

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As landlords, one of the most important and sometimes confusing, responsibilities we face is handling reasonable accommodation requests from tenants. These requests, protected under the Fair Housing Act, ensure tenants with disabilities have equal access and enjoyment of their rental homes. But where do you draw the line between reasonable and unreasonable? And how do you protect yourself while staying compliant?

In this episode, Kevin and I break down everything you need to know. We’ll explain what reasonable accommodations are, who qualifies for them, and how th...

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As self-managing landlords, one of the toughest parts of the rental process is saying “no” to an applicant. In this episode, Kevin and I break down how to deny a rental application while staying compliant, ethical, and professional.

We cover the legal side, including Fair Housing laws, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and why an Adverse Action Notice is required when denials are tied to credit or background checks. We also explain the differences between straight denials, conditional acceptances, and partial denials—and when each applies.

We’ll share...