Landlord guides

Written by the people building Prizm P.M., for landlords who manage their own units. No fluff, no gated downloads — just how the work is actually done.

• How to Collect Rent Online as a Small Landlord

  Move off cash, checks and payment apps: what online rent collection costs, how autopay works, and how to switch tenants over without friction.

  8 min read

• Late Rent Fees: What You Can Charge and How to Apply Them Fairly

  Grace periods, flat vs percentage fees, state limits, and how to apply late fees consistently so they hold up if a tenant disputes them.

  7 min read

• How to Run Credit Checks Through Property Management Software

  What a screening report actually shows, what score to require, who pays, and how to keep the process fair-housing compliant.

  9 min read

• Screening Tenants: Credit, Income and References

  A repeatable screening process — written criteria, income verification, landlord references — that protects you and treats every applicant the same.

  8 min read

• Writing a Simple Residential Lease

  The clauses every lease needs, the ones that cause trouble, and how to reuse a template without copying someone else's mistakes.

  9 min read

• Handling Maintenance Requests Without Losing Track of Receipts

  Intake, triage, scheduling and expense logging — a maintenance workflow that keeps tenants informed and your tax records clean.

  7 min read

• Security Deposits: Holding, Deducting and Returning

  How much to collect, where to hold it, what you can legally deduct, and the move-out documentation that prevents deposit disputes.

  8 min read

• Landlord Bookkeeping Basics and What to Hand Your Accountant

  Separate accounts, the income and expense categories that map to Schedule E, and the year-end packet your accountant actually wants.

  8 min read

• Should You Self-Manage or Hire a Property Manager?

  A cost and time comparison for landlords with one to twenty units, and the point where hiring out actually pays for itself.

  7 min read