Read on for our complete list of apps every landlord should have, or use the table of contents below to navigate to a specific section.

What are the best apps for landlords?

Renting out property has developed a reputation for being a tiresome, neverending job thanks to potentially troublesome tenants, constant upkeep, and making sure you’re getting paid on time. Thankfully, this has changed over time as more and more technologies evolve to free up landlords’ valuable time. The reality is that with the right tools, Canadian landlords can save themselves a ton of time and effort by automating essential duties like marketing, tenant screening, and contract signing.

Even better, all of these things can even be done while landlords are on the go as smartphones grow more sophisticated and mobile apps gain popularity. In fact, there are even some apps that do it all, in one place — which brings us to our first section. Read on for the best all-in-one landlord apps available in Canada.

All-in-one landlord apps

Today’s busy landlords need one app that does it all. Listing, marketing, screening tenants, signing lease agreements, and rent payments: these apps can support landlords through every step of the rental journey, albeit to varying degrees. Only one rental app truly lets landlords do everything, even while they’re on the go — and that’s liv.rent. Here’s the top five options for all-in-one rental apps and what each offers.

1. liv.rent

Unsurprisingly, our first pick on this list is liv.rent. In addition to being Canada’s safest rental platform with features like listing verification and the Trust Score, liv.rent allows landlords to post & share listings, screen tenants, sign digital contracts, and perform other rental management duties from anywhere with a handy mobile app. This all-in-one landlord productivity tool has just about everything landlords and property managers could ask for, and best of all — it offers a free Essentials plan for landlords. With a full 12 out of 12 features, liv.rent is truly the full package.

For landlords looking to further streamline their rental process and gain access to the same tools used by professional property managers, liv.rent’s new Growth plan is here to make renting even easier. The Growth plan is effectively an all-in-one property management software package, with all the tools you’ll need to digitize and streamline your rental process from start to finish. For just $48/month, this comprehensive plan includes:

• Unlimited lease protection addendums
• 2 Trust Score reports with credit check per month
• Automated rental advertising (2 per month)
• Shared management tools for up to 3 users

…plus everything in our Essentials plan.

2. Buildium

Buildium is another rental management software that’s available in Canada and offers landlords quite a few useful tools. Designed for property managers, this app is quite capable at handling day-to-day rental operations, but lacks some features that individual landlords might need, like instant chat and efficient, automated advertising.

3. Yardi Breeze

Another complete property management solution, Yardi Breeze is a Canadian platform with an assortment of solutions for busy landlords and property managers. Like Buildium though, Yardi Breeze lacks some features that individual landlords in particular will find useful. The per unit pricing structure may endear some landlords though, despite the platform lacking instant chat and automated advertising.

4. Total Management

Total Management is a web-based rental management service that bills itself as “the easiest property management software on the market”. Its simple interface and ease of use make it a good choice for beginning landlords or those who aren’t so tech-savvy, but it is missing a few key features — most notably the ability to add and customize lease addendums.

5. AppFolio

AppFolio is another popular option that also has 9 of the 12 features we’re ranking for here. Again, the platform is missing an easy, instant way to communicate with tenants, as well as lacking lease addendums and automated rental advertising. However, AppFolio does feature an intuitive, easy-to-use layout and contains some of the most important features landlords look for in their rental management apps, with a per unit pricing structure.

Landlord apps for productivity

Productivity apps are often associated with large-scale businesses trying to organize team members’ day-to-day tasks, but landlords can benefit greatly from them as well. With the seemingly endless to-do lists most landlords face on a daily basis, it can seem impossible to stay organized and accomplish everything on-time. Being able to visualize your tasks and collaborate with property managers, maintenance people and others on your team is key for stress-free renting, and these apps can help.

Of course, liv.rent is also a landlord productivity tool as well, with features like user management, income expense statements, rent payment reminders, and more — in addition to many of the features highlighted here. You can learn more about everything liv.rent offers landlords here.

1. Asana

Asana is a favourite of many workplaces across a variety of diverse industries, and for good reason. Though it’s designed more for enterprise than individual users, this productivity tool has a ton of functionality that can help landlords get and stay organized, like a customizable dashboard for visualizing the workday, prioritization tools, time tracking, and even a focus mode for when you really need to get something done.

2. Hive

Hive offers a similarly broad assortment of productivity features designed to simplify landlords’ busy days and make managing rentals easy and efficient. With 9 out of the 10 features we’re examining present here, Hive is another great option for organizing your day. The only feature it lacks is a dedicated focus mode, which probably won’t be a dealbreaker for many.

3. Todoist

Todoist is an excellent choice for individuals, particularly landlords since its simple interface and broad functionality lend themselves well to renting. Easy categorization tools allow landlords to input their personal tasks, work goals, and rental activity to keep track of every facet of day-to-day life. The only things Todoist lacks are a focus mode and time tracking, which shouldn’t be a huge loss for individual landlords.

4. Calendly

Especially for busy landlords managing multiple listings in addition to personal and work-related commitments, Calendly can come in handy to keep track of appointments and obligations. A hub for scheduling and keeping track of important meetings, landlords are able to easily build and visualize their days and weeks, while ensuring they never miss an inspection, key hand-off, or open house.

5. Evernote

Evernote takes note-taking to the next level with scheduling, task management, and more. For landlords looking to remember important things like renter information and rent payment deadlines, this convenient software is an excellent tool.

liv.rent pro-tip: Landlords can make private notes within their listings to remember key details about tenants, their applications, and other relevant information.

Landlord apps for listing & advertising

Of course, every landlord needs a place to list their units in order to capture leads and get their property rented as fast as possible. A large audience of renters is great, but with rental scams and professional tenants at an all-time high across the country, the quality of renters a platform attracts is far more important. Competition for units is steeper than ever, with landlords often receiving hundreds of applications in one day, so a landlord tool that helps easily filter applications, like liv.rent’s Trust Score is another helpful feature of a good listing platform.

The other key concerns landlords should have when choosing where to post their listings are the ease with which they can share their listings, and the marketing options available to them. While one platform is great, having the ability to post your listing on one platform and share it to other sites makes landlords’ lives much easier and ensures you’ll have a large pool of renters to choose from.

1. Zumper

Zumper is among Canada’s better-known listing platforms, with a variety of key features that can help speed up the application process. This popular site does have tenant screening and other tools like digital contracts and rent payments, but lacks some of the more in-depth rental management and productivity features of all-in-one tools like liv.rent.

2. Zillow

Zillow is best known as a real estate marketplace, but it does have support for rental units as well. Like other platforms on this list, Zillow has handy templates for creating appealing listings, including convenient neighbourhood map for all listings. Zillow has a number of convenient features for managing rentals as well, including rent payments and digital contracts, though again, it’s missing key marketing and organizational tools.

3. Kijiji

Kijiji is a popular marketplace site for buying and selling just about everything, from cars, to furniture, and whatever else you can imagine — and of course, it’s also used to post and rent property too. While it does do the minimum that’s required of it, Kijiji lacks more specialized features like rental applications, tenant screening, support for digital payments, and lease agreements.

4. Rentals.ca

Rentals.ca, as its name suggests, is another popular app for landlords to post and rent apartments, houses and condos. It offers a user-friendly layout and basic functionality like inquiries, listing pages, and some organizational tools — though it lacks any sort of rental management features. Despite this, Rentals.ca does allow landlords to post for free, and the site offers lots of ways to customize your listing and make it stand out, including a photo gallery and neighbourhood score.

5. Craigslist

Another popular marketplace site, Craigslist is still many landlords’ first stop when they need to post rental listings due to its pared-down appeal and ease of use. Though it may come out on top in terms of the number of listings available, the site lacks many of the security features landlords should look for in a rental platform, not to mention any sort of capability besides basic listing.

Landlord apps for tenant screening

Tenant screening is an integral part of the rental process, and has the potential to make or break a tenancy based on how diligent you were in filtering out applicants. Troublesome tenants can cause a number of problems to your unit, neighbours, and of course you, yourself, so the best way to eliminate this risk is to screen tenants thoroughly in advance.

The traditional way of doing this is by performing a credit check using one of Canada’s two major credit bureaus, but there also exist a number of tenant screening apps to help simplify this task and make the results easier to understand. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the top tenant screening software for landlords.

1. SingleKey

SingleKey offers a simple platform that provides detailed reports using Equifax screening. Where SingleKey sets itself apart is in its speed. The site advertises a less than five-minute processing time for checks, which allows landlords to get the answers they’re looking for faster. However, this speed can’t compete with the instant response given by liv.rent through the Trust Score feature, which allows landlords to instantly view necessary renter information the moment they apply to a listing.

In terms of information, SingleKey offers a comprehensive look into tenants’ financial history, combining an overall Tenant Score with a broken down series of metrics that display the most pertinent information for landlords. The platform gives users the ability to pay-as-you-go rather than locking landlords into membership plans, at a rate of $25 per report.

2. Naborly

Naborly is another popular option for screening tenants that also relies on Equifax for the bulk of its information. Similar to liv.rent, Naborly provides landlords with a single score that factors in data like employment history, court records, and credit information. Naborly also makes it easy to get approval for these checks with a built-in application process.

Some landlords may also prefer the flexibility Naborly offers, as there is a flat rate of $25 per check with no additional membership or subscription fees. It’s worth noting though that Naborly is intended to be used solely for tenant screening, and doesn’t offer the additional functionality provided by all-in-one rental platforms like liv.rent. Still, it’s a suitable option for those looking for a straightforward way to obtain important background information on prospective tenants.

3. RentCheck

RentCheck is one of Canada’s first tenant screening services, and offers a fairly standard credit report, with the option to gather even more in-depth information for an additional cost. RentCheck’s reports offer landlords the ability to choose between Canada’s two major credit bureaus, with information like credit utilization, income-to-rent ratio, bankruptcy index, and more. The price is similar to what landlords would expect to pay for a report directly from a credit bureau, and there is also the option to purchase an annual plan for landlords who need to screen tenants more frequently.

4. TVS

TVS is a Canadian tenant screening service that provides basic information on applicants to landlords using reports from either of Canada’s two credit bureaus. Prices vary based on which of the two is opted for, and criminal records are extra. Still, TVS gives a good idea of tenants’ suitability with information like credit utilization, bankruptcy index, and previous addresses.

Landlord apps for contracts & document storage

Lease agreements are one of the most important parts of the rental process, codifying the tenancy and outlining rules to govern the rental period. For many landlords today, paper leases are a thing of the past, as digital contracts offer a more convenient way to send, sign & store leases on the go. The key features here are digital signing and secure storage, both of which help simplify landlords’ business and offer peace of mind knowing that their vital information is protected.

1. DocuSign

DocuSign is Canada’s #1 choice for digital signatures and cloud-based document security, thanks to a full 8 out of 8 features and a handy mobile app. This helpful landlord app ensures that your lease agreements are legally binding, and that you can easily create and keep track of your agreements with features like view receipts, an automated contract history, identity verification, and convenient customizable templates. For landlords, this platform even supports payments so you can arrange to receive rent right through the app.

2. Dropbox (and HelloSign)

Dropbox has long been a major player in secure, cloud-based document storage, but with the addition of HelloSign, a digital contract solution from the same company, landlords can get even more out of the platform. Now, you can create, send, sign and store your contracts and agreements within one platform, with a nearly complete suite of features to support your needs. This one-two punch is still missing support for rent payments though, so landlords will need to look elsewhere for that feature.

3. PandaDoc

Offering a similar array of features, PandaDoc is another option for landlords & property managers looking to create and sign documents on the go. The app still supports eSignatures with secure storage, customizable templates, and identity verification for added protection, but again — it’s limited to document signing, and lacks support for rent payments and other rental management functions.

Other helpful apps for landlords

These apps perform other functions landlords might find useful, and can go a long way to automating simple but time-consuming parts of your rental management operation.

RentZend

Whether you’re looking to purchase a property or are listing your unit for rent for the first time, it’s a good idea to figure out what you’ll need to charge for rent in order to break even and ideally make a profit — especially in the current climate with rising interest rates leading to larger mortgage payments for many homeowners. RentZend is a good option that includes a variety of factors, looking at tax records and estimated rent to give landlords a better picture of how their investment will perform over time.

Pro-tip: For a personalized estimate of how much your property rents for, liv.rent’s rental experts will examine your listing details, neighbourhood and market trends to give you an accurate sense of what to charge. Click below to start your free estimate.

TaskRabbit

Every landlord needs a handyman for the miscellaneous repairs that will inevitably arise for any rental property. If you don’t already have someone available, TaskRabbit is a popular place for landlords, renters, and practically everyone else to find people to help clean, move, repair, and just about anything else you can think of. You can search the platform for workers who are able to assist, and both booking and payments are conveniently processed through the app.

Zolo

Zolo is a popular real estate marketplace with listings across Canada and a variety of other insights. If you’re looking to purchase a property, whether it’s your first or fifth, Zolo is a great place to start your search and get a sense of where prices stand in the neighbourhoods you’re looking in.

Walk Score

Getting to know your neighbourhood is always a good idea before you go to rent out your property. Walkable amenities and transportation options are a big part of what attracts renters, so being able to speak to these things in your listing description can help attract renters. Enter Walk Score — an app designed to rank your property’s location based on how accessible it is by foot, looking at a unique walkability index to give renters a sense of what to expect from their new home.

Pro-tip: All liv.rent listings contain a handy map of the neighbourhood, including walkability to nearby transit options.

CMHC Mortgage Calculators

Mortgage rates are on every landlord’s mind right now as the Bank of Canada’s interest rates increase. If you’re concerned about what your variable-rate mortgage payments will look like, or if you’re thinking about purchasing another property, CMHC’s mortgage calculator app can help add some certainty to your payment rates, frequency and more.

How liv.rent helps landlords

liv.rent combines features from all of the different landlord app categories featured here, giving landlords and property managers a complete solution to your rental needs. This all-in-one platform helps you see more profits by giving you the tools to digitalize and automate your workflow from start to finish. liv.rent features intelligent productivity and management solutions for every step of the process, like the Trust Score – a comprehensive tenant screening metric that provides complete information, including Equifax® credit reports and income & identity verification for faster, more effective screening.

A productivity tool as well, liv.rent gives landlords the ability to save time and perform key rental functions on-the-go with a mobile app, including a full suite of marketing features like multi-platform listing syndication and insights into your listing’s price and performance. All this, in addition to all the features you’d expect from a rental management and listing platform, like automated rent collection, secure cloud-based document storage, digital contracts & addendums, and so much more.

If you’re ready to automate your rental process and make the switch to an easier, all-in-one rental management app solution – explore liv.rent’s affordable pricing plans for landlords and property managers here.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post The 27 best landlord apps for easier renting appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Table of Contents

Short-term vs. long-term rentals

Let’s start by making clear exactly what we mean by short-term vs. long-term rentals. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the subject, with many mistaking short-term rentals for vacation rentals, which are only permitted under certain circumstances in Canadian cities such as Vancouver. For the purposes of this article, short-term rentals refer to tenancies that are one month to six months in length, while long-term rentals are typically rented for six months to one year at a time. Here’s a quick chart to break down some of the defining features of each type of rental contract:

Short-term rental trends in Canada

One reason why landlords may gravitate towards short-term rentals over year-long contracts is based on seasonality. Right now on liv.rent, we’ve seen inquiries for short-term rental units rise significantly in major cities like Vancouver and Toronto, signalling that there’s considerable demand for shorter leases right now. This is likely because of loosening travel restrictions to and from Canada, combined with seasonal factors like students returning to post-secondary schools for the summer semester.

If you’ve been thinking about listing your unit as a short-term rental, now’s a great time to do so. Be sure to read through this article and download our complete guide to make sure short-term rentals are right for you, then when you’re ready, you can post your listing on liv.rent.

How to decide whether to rent short-term or long-term

Before listing your unit as short-term or long-term, there are some questions landlords should ask themselves. We’ll list a few examples here, but the full flowchart is within our downloadable guide to short-term vs. long-term rentals, which you can find below.

Here are some questions to help you decide which type of lease is right for you:

• Have you already received inquiries from renters looking for a short-term contract?
• Are there any schools or seasonal work opportunities in your area that would attract short-term renters?
• Do you have a property manager to help rent out and manage your unit?
• What are your own goals for your rental property? Are profits more important than saving time?
• Are you able to put in the time to maintain a short-term rental?

These questions aren’t intended to steer you in one direction or the other, but they are important to keep in mind before you list your unit and commit to a contract. If you’re still on the fence, our downloadable flowchart should be able to help – you can download your copy above.

Benefits of short-term rentals

As you can see above, there are a few benefits to renting your unit out on a short-term basis. The flexibility of shorter leases can be nice if you’re worried about committing to a tenant, but it doesn’t mean you can skip your tenant screening. Profits are usually what drive landlords towards short-term leases, but be aware that you’ll need to put in more work to get there – as well as risking the chance of vacancies, if there isn’t enough year-round rental activity in your area.

Benefits of long-term rentals

Long-term rental contracts are the standard for a reason, offering stability both in terms of income and tenant relations, and generally requiring less consistent effort from landlords. They do require some commitment though – if a tenant does cause problems, you’ll need to make sure you give the proper notice for your unique situation. Your best bet with these types of contracts is to really be thorough with your tenant screening. We recommend using liv.rent’s Trust Score to get a complete picture of prospective tenants’ rental history.

How to manage short-term and long-term rentals

While there are a lot of similarities in the rental process for short-term vs. long-term rentals, there are just as many differences to be aware of before picking one or the other for your unit. Let’s look now at the basic steps landlords will need to perform for short-term and long-term rentals.

How to manage short-term rentals

For the most part, short-term rentals require the same basic steps as long-term rentals do. Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Finding tenants – To keep your short-term unit occupied year-round, you’ll need to be a bit more proactive with your tenant search. Be aware that there are traditionally slower times of the year for renting, and try to plan your contracts around this. Ideally, contracts will end during busy rental seasons where it’s easier to secure new renters quickly.
   • Pro-tip: Take advantage of liv.rent’s Listing Syndication and Suggested Tenants features to find quality leads faster

2. Screening tenants – Screening tenants can be time-consuming, especially when you’re starting fresh every few months. It can also be harder to gauge short-term renters as they’re more likely to move around a lot, so be sure to look at the complete picture before making any decisions.
   • Pro-tip: Using the Trust Score from liv.rent, you can get complete insights into a renter’s financial and rental history at a moment’s notice and find qualified tenants faster, with less guessing.

3. Signing Contracts – Your lease agreement won’t look much different whether you’re renting for a month, three months, six months, or a year – the key decision you’ll need to make is whether you’d rather rent on a month-to-month basis, or on a fixed term. Month-to-month leases offer even greater flexibility, but you’ll need to be prepared to fill the vacancy with less prior planning, as the law only requires 30 days’ written notice in B.C. for month-to-month tenancies, and 60 days’ notice in Ontario. 
   • Pro-tip: liv.rent allows for digital signing of standard lease agreements for both B.C. and Ontario, as well as a variety of lawyer-vetted lease addendums for added protection.

4. When the lease term ends – What happens when a lease agreement ends is also largely up to you to decide. On a month-to-month contract, the tenancy is ended when the tenant (or you) gives adequate notice. When a fixed-term contract ends, there are three possible outcomes:
   • When the contract ends, the tenancy is presumed to continue on a month-to-month basis until either you or the tenant give notice 
   • A lease extension is signed and a new fixed-term contract begins  
   • The tenant provides proper written notice to end the tenancy at a certain date

How to manage long-term rentals

1. Finding tenants –Your process for finding tenants will be the same as if you were renting on a short-term basis, though ideally a bit less rushed. Since you’ll typically have a bit more warning before your unit becomes vacant, you can post your listing well in advance and take a more considered approach to finding tenants.
   • Pro-tip: Take advantage of liv.rent’s Listing Syndication and Suggested Tenants features to find more quality leads and generate a larger pool of interested renters. 

2. Screening tenants – Since you’re committing to a long-term situation with the renter you choose, you’ll want to put a considerable amount of time and effort into screening applicants to find the perfect fit. Be sure to look at the complete picture rather than just an applicant’s credit score, as there are many factors that determine whether or not a renter is suitable for your property. 
   • Pro-tip: Regardless of which approach or ‘flow’ you take when screening tenants, the Trust Score from liv.rent is an excellent way to view comprehensive rental and financial information quickly and easily 

3. Signing contracts – Most landlords are familiar with signing a year-long lease as these are typically the standard within the rental industry. Signing and keeping a copy of your contracts digitally is always a good idea in case they need to be referred back to at any point, and it’s always a good idea to include lease addendums as well to ensure you’re protected – especially for long-term leases. 
   • Pro-tip: liv.rent users can easily send & sign standard tenancy agreements for both B.C. and Ontario, as well as a variety of customizable lease addendums for everything from smoking policy to parking rules 

4. When the lease term ends – What happens when a lease agreement ends is also largely up to you to decide. On a month-to-month contract, the tenancy is ended when the tenant (or you) give adequate notice. When a fixed-term contract ends, there are three possible outcomes: 
   • When the contract ends, the tenancy is presumed to continue on a month-to-month basis until either you or the tenant give notice
   • A lease extension is signed and a new fixed-term contract begins 
   • The tenant provides proper written notice to end the tenancy at a certain date 

Unsure about whether you should rent your unit as short- or long-term? We can help! Click below to download our easy guide to deciding which rental type is right for you. This handy guide also includes tips for making the most of whatever contract you choose.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post Short-term vs. long-term rentals: which are right for you? appeared first on liv.rent blog.

More so now than ever before, property managers in Canada rely on property management software to assist with just about every part of their business. As technology continues to improve, so do the number of functions property managers can perform digitally, and the possibilities for automation have become near endless. No longer do property managers need to spend countless hours manually screening tenants, cross-posting listings, and other administrative and organizational tasks – property management software has enabled them to focus on what really matters: acquiring more leads and scaling their businesses.

With this has come an increased number of options to choose from. Regardless of whether you’re a new property management company or an experienced business looking to migrate your company’s operations to a new platform, picking the best property management software for your business’ needs is paramount. Here, we’ll be covering the top property management software in Canada based on pricing and twelve key criteria – as well as going into detail about what makes liv.rent so effective and easy to use.

How do I manage properties digitally?

With so many digital platforms rising to fill the needs of today’s property managers, how is one to choose? It’s increasingly difficult to find a one-size-fits-all platform, as every company’s needs are different. Analyzing each software’s pricing structure, availability and features is a job in and of itself – one that busy property managers don’t always have time for.

That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to do the research for you. The following ranking will break down some of the most popular, and best property management software options available for Canadian property managers to give you a better idea of which ones your company should explore further. To read about specific platforms, use the table of contents above to navigate this post.

1. liv.rent

Note: PAD Integration is coming soon

In addition to being an all-in-one rental platform, liv.rent has evolved to become a complete property management solution with all the features today’s property managers expect – with affordable plans designed for every stage of your business’ development.

With a complete 12/12 features, liv.rent has solidified itself as the top option for property managers looking to automate their workflow from tenant screening to signing, collecting rent payments, and more. Not only this, the platform prides itself on creating a trusted community of renters through multi-step verification processes, so property managers can easily recognize and communicate with trusted renters.

liv.rent’s wide range of time-saving features include a comprehensive marketing suite including a customized company landing page, a centralized dashboard for easily managing rent payments, documents, and more, and the new & improved Trust Score – an all-encompassing tenant screening tool designed to give landlords and property managers a complete sense of applicants’ rental and financial history. Not only this, but the platform makes a strong case as one of the safest platforms on this list thanks to secure, cloud-based document storage powered by military-grade encryption for added peace of mind.

For landlords & property managers looking to further streamline their rental process, liv.rent’s new Growth plan is here to make renting easier. The Growth plan is effectively an all-in-one property management software package, with all the tools you’ll need to digitize and streamline your rental process from start to finish. This comprehensive plan includes:

• Unlimited lease protection addendums
• 2 Trust Score reports with credit check per month
• Automated rental advertising (2 per month)
• Shared management tools for up to 3 users

…plus everything in our Essentials plan.

2. Buildium

Buildium comes close to having a complete range of features but falls short by lacking Instant Tenant Chat and Automated Rental Advertising. With that being said, this popular property management software offers plenty of great tools for beginning property managers and experienced businesses alike. Some companies may find the platform’s pricing a bit restrictive though – plans start at $50 per month with only partially unlocked features, and scale exponentially depending on the number of listings your business manages. In order to unlock the full range of features shown above, you’ll likely be paying upwards of $460/month.

3. Yardi Breeze

Yardi is a popular property management software company that offers two distinct versions for property managers: Yardi Breeze, a streamlined version designed for landlords & property managers with small to medium portfolios, and Yardi Voyager which is designed for larger companies. We’re looking at the former here, which is a streamlined version with an appealingly simple layout and an impressive number of features. In fact, Yardi Breeze only lacks instant chat, with tenant communication only available via SMS or email. Still, this platform has a lot to offer and the per-unit pricing structure may appeal to some property managers.

4. Total Management

Total Management is a web-based property management platform that bills itself as “the easiest property management software on the market”. The software has 9 out of the 12 features we’re looking at here, and notably also lacks Instant Tenant Chat as well as pre-loaded lease addendums.

5. AppFolio

AppFolio is another popular option that also has 9 of the 12 features we’re ranking for here. Again, the platform is missing an easy, instant way to communicate with tenants, as well as lacking lease addendums and automated rental advertising. However, AppFolio does feature an intuitive, easy-to-use layout and contains some of the most important features property managers look for.

6. Leasey.AI

Leasey.AI provides a powerful suite of AI-driven property management tools designed to simplify operations and enhance decision-making. While it lacks features like Integrated Lease Negotiation or Automated Payment Tracking, the platform excels in areas such as automated showing, scheduling and property listing syndication across major rental marketplaces. Leasey.AI is particularly well-suited for property managers seeking to leverage advanced technology for streamlined processes and data-driven insights. The platform’s core strengths lie in its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of modern property management.

7. Doorloop

Doorloop has a solid 8 out of 12 features and is a popular choice among landlords and property managers thanks to its easy setup and all-in-one approach. The platform also lets users manage different types of property like commercial and student housing without requiring additional fees, which makes it attractive for companies with varied portfolios. Despite this, the platform still lacks features like instant chat, lease addendums, automated advertising, and rental pricing insights within listings.

8. Re-leased

Primarily focused on managing commercial properties, Re-Leased is a cloud-based software solution that features a centralized dashboard that allows for a number of complex functions within one platform. With 8 out of 12 features, Re-Leased is a good option for property managers whose portfolios are heavy on commercial properties, but doesn’t quite hold up to some options that are more focused on managing residential properties, since the platform doesn’t advertise tenant screening, instant chat, automated advertising, or lease addendums.

9. Building Stack

Building Stack is specifically designed for Canadian property managers and has a variety of pricing options with varying access to the platform’s many features, including a free tier that only facilitates digital rent payments. The customizability may appeal to some property managers, as you can opt to only use Building Stack’s marketing or communication features without paying for more, or opt for the ‘Full Stack’ package. Building stack offers a solid 8/12 features, although it is more expensive per month than other options on this list.

10. Property Vista

Designed specifically for Canadian property managers, Property Vista has a wide range of tools geared towards managing residential properties. One of the more tenant-friendly options on our list, Property Vista has a convenient tenant portal with communication through email, SMS or bulletins, but doesn’t have a built-in instant chat. The platform also falls short on marketing without the option to automate your advertising and also lacks specific insights, addendums, and a centralized dashboard.

11. TurboTenant

Technically designed for landlords rather than property managers, TurboTenant is a rental property management solution with a good amount of features to conduct basic marketing, management and organizational functions. While the platform is free for landlords, this is only because tenants bear most of the financial weight of the application process – including for screening, paying rent, and optional insurance. Landlords can opt to pay for additional services like lease agreements, e-signing and additional forms.

12. SingleKey

SingleKey bills itself as purely a tenant screening and credit check solution, so it doesn’t provide the same scope of functions as other platforms on this list. With that being said, what SingleKey does do, it does quite well. Its screening reports are similarly comprehensive to liv.rent’s Trust Score, but with a pay per use rate rather than being included in a monthly plan. Additionally, SingleKey facilitates digital rent payments for landlords and property managers for additional functionality.

What is the best property management software in Canada?

It’s hard to determine a clear-cut winner for the best property management software in Canada, since this largely depends on your business’ individual needs, what you’re looking for in software, and what your budget is. With that being said, it’s easy to see why so many property managers have turned to liv.rent for its easy-to-use platform, mobile app, affordable & flexible pricing plans and the sheer number of functions property managers can perform.

Although other options like Buildium, Total Management and AppFolio come close in terms of the number of features offered, liv.rent differentiates itself with its trusted community of renters, landlords and property managers, combined with its unique Trust Score tool, allows for a safe, convenient rental process that eliminates much of the guesswork property management companies usually face.

How liv.rent helps property managers

By combining a complete range of marketing and management features, liv.rent helps property managers save time and grow their business by digitalizing and automating their workflow from start to finish. This all-in-one platform features intelligent solutions for every step of the way, like the Trust Score – a comprehensive tenant screening metric that provides complete information, including Equifax® credit reports and income & identity verification for faster, more effective screening.

For those looking to grow their business or scale their company’s portfolio, liv.rent also gives property managers access to a full suite of marketing features like customized company websites, multi-platform listing syndication, and insights into your listing’s price and performance. All this, in addition to all the features you’d expect from a property management tool, like automated rent collection, secure cloud-based document storage, digital contracts & addendums, and so much more.

If you’re ready to automate your rental process and make the switch to an easier, all-in-one property management software solution – explore liv.rent’s affordable pricing plans for landlords and property managers here.

FAQ: The best property management software in Canada

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The post The 12 Best Property Management Software In Canada appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Table of Contents

What are tenancy forms?

Tenancy forms refer to all official documentation exchanged during a tenancy arrangement between a landlord or property manager and their tenants. This can be anything from the lease agreement itself to various notices for ending/renewing tenancies, or even inspection reports. Ontario has a particularly robust system of tenancy forms, which are conveniently broken down into Forms for Landlords and Forms for Tenants, though it’s a good idea for both parties to familiarize themselves with every type of form.

What are the different tenancy forms in Ontario?

Let’s look now at the various types of tenancy forms Ontario landlords and tenants are likely to encounter. For your convenience, we’ll be breaking this information down into categories corresponding to different stages of your tenancy – you can use the Table of Contents above to navigate these different sections.

1. Residential Tenancy Agreement

Ontario’s Residential Tenancy Agreement is the one document that every landlord and renter should be familiar with, as it governs nearly every aspect of a tenancy. This mandatory document is signed by every landlord and tenant at the beginning of their rental term, and outlines the duration of the tenancy, the rental rate and payment terms, whether or not a rent deposit is required, and any restrictions and rules governing the tenancy (e.g. smoking, subletting, insurance). As in B.C., landlords must provide tenants with a copy of their lease agreement within 21 days of signing.

Landlords can also include lease addendums alongside their standard Residential Tenancy Agreement to stipulate further conditions related to the tenancy. For example, a landlord may want to add additional conditions regarding something like subletting, to make clear exactly what’s expected of tenants. These documents should be presented at the same time as the Residential Tenancy Agreement, and are considered legally binding once signed.

Creating and signing both Ontario Standard Leases and customizable, industry-vetted lease addendums is easy on liv.rent. Within their listing dashboard, landlords can send & sign pre-loaded contracts, then store signed copies within secure, cloud-based storage. Click here to learn more about creating digital contracts on the liv.rent platform.

2. Ending your tenancy agreement

A number of situations can arise during the course of a tenancy that causes it to end before the rental term has run its course. Thankfully, Ontario has clear guidelines for how much notice is required for each situation, who is to submit the notice, and which specific form is required to do so.

Landlords

1. N6: Notice to End your Tenancy for Illegal Acts or Misrepresenting Income in a Rent-Geared-to-Income Rental Unit (10 days notice) – Despite its lengthy name, this form is relatively simple. Landlords can serve an N6 if they believe their tenant or someone occupying the unit has committed an illegal act. A less common use of this form is when a tenant living in a Rent-Geared-to-Income unit has misrepresented their income.
2. N4: Notice to End Tenancy Early For Non-payment of Rent (14 days notice**) – Landlords can serve this notice to tenants who don’t pay rent on time, with a specified Termination Date by which the amount owing must be paid. For monthly, bi-weekly, or yearly payment terms, the tenant has 14 days to repay the amount. For daily or weekly payments, the tenant has 7 days to pay the amount in full.
3. N5: Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding (20 days notice*) – The N5 is pretty self-explanatory, and applies to the reasons stated in its title. If this is a tenant’s first time receiving this notice, the termination date must be at least 20 days from when the notice was given. For the second offence, they’ll have 14 days. In either case, the tenant has 7 days to rectify the problems before the landlord can apply to the LTB to have them evicted.
4. N12: Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord, a Purchaser or a Family Member Requires the Rental Unit (2 months notice) – If a landlord or their close family member(s) wish to move in to the rental unit, they must give the tenant 2 months notice.
5. N13: Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish the Rental Unit, Repair it or Convert it to Another Use (4 months notice) – Landlords wishing to demolish their unit or perform substantial repairs or renovations requiring the tenant to move out must provide 120 days, or 4 months notice.

Tenants

1. N11: Agreement to End the Tenancy – This catch-all form is used when landlord and tenant mutually agree to end the tenancy. As such, there are no specific deadlines, and the date set is agreed upon by the two parties and considered legally binding once signed.
   N9: Tenant’s Notice to End the Tenancy (60 days notice) – Tenants can choose to end the tenancy themselves, so long as they serve their landlord an N9 with at least 60 days notice, and the termination date falls on the last day of a fixed term.

*14 days if this is the second notice within 6 months

**7 days if the tenant is renting on a weekly/daily basis

3. Dispute Resolution

Dispute resolution in Ontario is handled by the Landlord and Tenant Board and is divided into separate applications for landlords and renters. The list below comprises some of the most common dispute resolution applications for each party.

Landlords

1. L1 – Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes – After filing an N4, a landlord may choose to apply to evict the tenant and have the LTB enforce payment of the amount owing. In this case, they’d file an L1 application. If the landlord chooses to not evict the tenant but still needs help enforcing rent collection, they can choose to file an L9 – Application to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes.
2. L2 – Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant – For nearly any other reason to evict a tenant other than non-payment of rent, landlords should submit an L2 to the LTB.
3. L3 – Application to End a Tenancy and Evict the Tenant – Tenant Gave Notice or Agreed to End the Tenancy – Though not required, landlords can also choose to apply for an eviction notice if either the tenant gave notice to end the tenancy, or a mutual agreement was reached.

Tenants

1. T1 – Tenant Application for a Rebate of Money the Landlord Owes – If a landlord refuses to return money to their tenant for whatever reason (e.g. withholding security deposit, not returning rent in full upon early termination due to demolition/occupation), the tenant may file a T1 application to have the LTB enforce their proper repayment.
2. T2 – Application About Tenant Rights – If a tenant believes their landlord or property manager violated their Tenant Rights by entering the unit without notice, changing the locks, harassing them, or otherwise interfering with their reasonable enjoyment of the unit, they may file a T2 application with the LTB to remedy the situation.
3. T6 – Tenant Application About Maintenance – Tenants may apply to the LTB if their landlord has not adequately maintained or repaired their unit or the rental property in general.

4. Condition Inspection Report

Although not required by law as in B.C., Ontario landlords and tenants should still collectively complete a Condition Inspection Report in order to establish a baseline for normal wear and tear for the unit, and prevent confusion over damage later on. Any major or minor issues with the unit should be noted in detail in this report, and it’s also a good idea for both parties to document the damage with photos in case evidence is required later on. A thorough condition inspection also gives the tenant a chance to request that the landlord repair anything that may not be functioning as it should.

5. Notice of Rent Increase

Every 12 months landlords may issue an N1 – Notice of Rent Increase to an existing tenant. The amount specified must fall within the allowable rent increase guideline for that calendar year (see chart below). In addition to this, the landlord must also:

• Provide at least 90 days’ written notice.
• Only raise the rent 12 months after the date existing rent was established with tenants or after the last legal rent increase.

Managing tenancy forms digitally

Why should you go digital?

As you can see, Ontario landlords and tenants have plenty of important documents to keep track of. Having these forms up-to-date, accurate, safely stored and readily available is key to protecting yourself and your tenant.

With liv.rent, you’ll have instant access to standard Ontario tenancy agreements as well as our unique lease addendum packages with industry-vetted addendums covering everything from smoking rules to subletting policy. Renters and landlords can send & sign these digital contracts within liv.rent’s instant chat, and copies are safely stored in our secure, cloud-based storage.

How to go digital on liv.rent

Digital contracts are available to all liv.rent users. To access auto-filled tenancy forms and custom lease addendums, verify your account and listing today. Past, current, and upcoming tenancy agreements (contracts) signed on the liv.rent platform can easily be referenced, shared, and exported in just a few clicks. This means access to all of the necessary information that is part of your rental agreement is in the palm of your hands, wherever you go.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

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The post Your Guide To Ontario Tenancy Forms appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Table of Contents

Why reducing vacancies is important

It goes without saying that a landlord’s first priority should be keeping their rental unit occupied as often as possible. An empty property not only means losing out on revenue, but opens up the unfortunate possibility of further expenses from unnoticed damage, theft, as well as additional taxes on empty homes in B.C. and Vancouver specifically. With tenants occupying a unit, you have someone you can hopefully count on to notice any potential risks like a water leak or fire before the damage gets out of control. While the odds of these events happening are slim even in vacant properties, it’s nice to have the peace of mind that comes with having renters you trust.

It isn’t always that easy, though. From posting your listing, to responding to inquiries, to screening and selecting tenants – finding high-quality renters is a lengthy and involved process. Combine this with a landlord’s already busy schedule and it’s not hard to see why so many rental properties sit empty from month to month. Luckily, there are rental platforms like liv.rent that allow landlords to market their listings and find quality tenants faster – all in one place.

Reasons your rental property is vacant

It’s not hard to see why a vacant rental property is such an important concern for landlords and property managers, but recognizing the exact reason why your unit is empty and remedying the situation is much harder. Whether your vacant unit is the result of inefficient marketing or high turnover due to poor tenant screening, there are countless reasons why renters might not be interested in your unit or leave unexpectedly.

Here, we’ll be breaking down some of the most common reasons why your rental property might be vacant and how liv.rent can help you solve each potential problem.

Problem #1 – Rent is too high

Perhaps the most obvious, yet most common reason for rental vacancies is that the unit is priced too high. It’s all too easy to overestimate the rental value of your unit, which practically ensures that otherwise interested renters pass over your listing in favour of something more within their budget.

liv.rent solution:

It’s important to be aware of how your unit’s rental price compares to similar properties in your area in order to stay competitive. Although you may have a certain number in mind, overvaluing your property can end up costing you more than simply lowering the monthly rent, even by $50 or $100.

Say you’re determined to get $2,000 a month for your unit, but renters don’t seem interested. Lowering the rent to $1,900 a month could help you fill the vacancy right away, and you’ll only be losing out on $1,200 per year of potential rental income, compared to $2,000 for every month your unit sits unoccupied.

To help landlords and property managers analyze and compare their rental prices against similar properties, each listing has its own unique dashboard containing valuable insights to help you refine your price and stay competitive. At a glance, view the average rent in your area, as well as how your listing compares. You’ll also find the number of views and applications your listing has received, another good indicator of how your listing is performing.

Problem #2 – Not reaching enough renters

Sometimes, even though you’re doing everything else right, your listing still isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Whether you’re using a rental platform that doesn’t have enough high-intent renters, or you’re not taking advantage of all of the sharing options at your disposal, the problem may just be that you haven’t found the right audience yet.

liv.rent solution:

The bigger your audience, the better your chances of getting your unit rented faster. Not only does liv.rent give landlords access to a larger pool of verified, high–intent renters, but the platform also allows for easy sharing to Craigslist, Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, and more in just a few clicks.

From within your listing dashboard, simply click “Share” to export your listing, pre-formatted for your platform of choice. You can also copy and paste a link to your liv.rent listing that you can share on your own channels, or anywhere else you see fit. For a more detailed explanation of liv.rent’s listing syndication feature, check out the video below.

Problem #3 – Tenant screening that doesn’t work

High turnover due to poor quality tenants is another common cause of frequent rental vacancies. Whether a tenant chooses to end their term unexpectedly or you’re forced to evict them for violating the terms of the lease, having to replace renters at a moment’s notice is a situation no landlord or property manager wants to find themselves in.

liv.rent solution:

Being proactive about your tenant screening and ensuring you have a suitably robust process in place is key to avoiding troublesome tenants entirely. The Trust Score by liv.rent makes this easy, fast, and effective. This comprehensive scoring system analyzes and breaks down renters’ key information including Equifax® credit checks, income & employment verification, and more to give you a complete picture of their rental and financial history. This easy-to-understand metric lets you compare applicants with ease and eliminates the guesswork so you can find high-quality renters every time.

Problem #4 – Ineffective listings & marketing

A lot of work goes into creating, posting and sharing the perfect listing, and it can be hard to take the time out of your busy schedule to worry about marketing. If you’re not getting inquiries on your rental property though, it might be time to re-evaluate what information you’re sharing in your listings. There are a number of details that can make your listing more attractive to renters, and including plenty of photos and videos will also help you stand out.

liv.rent solution:

Creating eye-catching listings that generate more renter leads is easy with liv.rent. Pre-filled listing templates let you create the perfect listing ad in less time, and plenty of customizable fields ensure you don’t forget any key details tenants look for. Listings on liv.rent also have room for up to 20 of your most eye-catching photos, as well as Video Tours – including 3D Tours.

As an added step, be sure to verify your listings. Once you complete the verification process by either uploading property ownership documents or receiving & entering a verification code, your listing will appear with a checkmark icon next to it, indicating to renters that they can proceed with confidence.

Problem #5 – Expectations are too high

At the end of the day, there’s no such thing as the perfect renter. If you’re turning down applicants just because they don’t align with your vision of the ideal tenant or have one missing detail on an otherwise flawless rental resume, it might be time to ease your expectations a bit.

This certainly doesn’t mean settling for a renter you’re unsure about. Finding a tenant with a solid rental and financial history is key, but there is such a thing as being too picky when it comes to choosing who you’ll rent to. If an applicant doesn’t have a perfect credit history but has glowing references from all of their past landlords and has provided proof of income, consider asking them for more information and give them a chance to explain – especially if your unit has been vacant for some time.

liv.rent solution:

Using the Trust Score by liv.rent, landlords can go beyond financial information and gain a more complete sense of an applicant’s rental history, allowing you to make better-informed decisions when selecting tenants. Within the Trust Score, you can view employment and income verification documents, court records as well as a full credit check. By looking at renters’ complete information, you won’t miss out on what could be an excellent tenant just because they don’t have a perfect credit score.

How liv.rent fills vacancies faster

With the right rental platform on your side, preventing and filling vacant units doesn’t have to be hard, or even take much time. If you haven’t already, consider making the switch to liv.rent if you’re experiencing any of the problems described above.

Within this all-in-one rental platform, landlords can create attractive listings, share to Craigslist, Kijiji & Facebook Marketplace, screen prospective tenants with the Trust Score, and ultimately send & sign digital contracts and lease addendums. When all’s said and done, the best way to prevent vacancies is to be prepared with a solid plan for finding quality, long-term tenants.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

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The post 5 Reasons Your Rental Property Is Still Vacant appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Table of Contents

Top 7 most common lease addendums in Canada

Landlords have a variety of lease addendums at their disposal to help add detail to their original lease agreements. Knowing which ones to use for a given rental unit can require experience, but even novice landlords would do well to include addendums for anything they’re concerned about.

Put simply, addenda are a way for landlords to further protect themselves against the many things that can go wrong during a tenancy. If you aren’t armed with the proper legal documentation, any issues with renters can become a murky subject and lead to complicated disputes later on. Thankfully, there’s an easier way to bulletproof your lease and ensure that any potential problems are addressed long before they become an issue. With liv.rent, landlords and property managers can create and sign digital contracts including some of the most common lease addendums, as well as creating their own custom addenda right within the platform. So, what options are available to landlords? Let’s take a look.

Looking for an easier way to create and sign digital contracts and standard lease addendums? Sign up to liv.rent and streamline your rental process today.

1. Smoking Addendum

One of the most common types of addendum landlords and tenants are likely to see is a Smoking Addendum. In both B.C. and Ontario, there are laws in place to ban smoking from indoor public spaces but not within individual residences — rental properties included. For landlords to codify that their unit is designated as non-smoking, they must include the required Smoking Addendum.

This lease addendum will also lay out exactly what is and isn’t allowed within its terms. In this case, it’s standard to make clear what types of smoke are not permitted (vaping/e-cigarettes, tobacco, cannabis), exceptions to these rules, and consequences for refusing to follow them. Smoking Addendums may also prohibit the growing of marijuana/cannabis within the unit as well.

2. Subletting Addendum

Another common issue landlords face is when a tenant needs to sublet their property for whatever reason. Subletting is allowed within both B.C.’s Residential Tenancy Agreement and Ontario’s Standard Lease, but it’s important for landlords to further outline exactly what is required of tenants and how the subletting process will go. In standard leases, the only provision is that a landlord may either accept the sublet or deny it, but the grounds for doing so and further guidelines are not specified.

A Subletting Addendum clarifies these issues, and generally gives landlords permission to run credit/background checks on subletters, in addition to stating the grounds under which they may reject a proposed subletter. A Subletting Addendum will usually also outline what happens if a tenant sublets without the landlord’s permission — generally ending the tenancy for both the original tenant and the subletter unless a new lease is able to be negotiated. This is hugely important for landlords as it clears up any grey area that exists within a standard lease and lets tenants know the precise consequences for subletting without permission.

3. Form K (Strata Property Act) Addendum

This addendum is specific to B.C., but similar addendums concerning condominiums may exist in Ontario as well. The Form K Addendum specifies that tenants in a Strata Corporation must comply with any additional rules and bylaws which are usually laid out in an additional document at the time of signing the lease.

The Form K addendum also lays out what happens when a tenant goes against these rules, generally — fees, denial of access to shared facilities, or payment for any costs incurred from their actions. This is all intended to protect landlords from these penalties, as without an addendum they would generally be on the hook for any liabilities their tenant causes.

4. Rent Payment Expectations Addendum

A standard lease outlines the basics of rent payment, including the amount to be paid, the frequency, which day of the month it’s due, and what is included. It also makes clear that failure to pay rent will result in a Notice to End Tenancy, which allows the landlord to evict the tenant unless they dispute the notice. This is usually clear enough for most situations, but some landlords may want to provide further explanation to ensure tenants understand exactly what happens when they miss rent or pay late multiple times. In this case, they may want to include a Rent Payment Expectations Addendum.

A Rent Payment Expectations Addendum provides further explanation for the situations where rent is not received or is received late. Generally, it will include conditions for fees that arise as a result of non-sufficient funds, as well as letting tenants know that the money for rent must remain in their account until it is withdrawn, even in the event of a public holiday where funds may take longer to come out of their account. It will also clarify any confusion regarding the 10 Day Notice To End Tenancy, including the timeline for dispute.

5. Agreement For Crime Free Housing Addendum

It may seem obvious to state that criminal activity isn’t permitted in rental units, but most standard leases have nothing to say on the subject. While the Criminal Code of Canada is obviously still in play, landlords can also add conditions allowing them to evict tenants based on evidence of criminal activity rather than waiting for a conviction. In this case, they may want to include an Agreement For Crime Free Housing Addendum so that they don’t become entangled in criminal issues as a result of their tenant’s activity.

This addendum makes clear that any criminal activity on the part of the tenant or any guests is grounds for a Notice To End Tenancy, based on evidence rather than a criminal conviction. It also generally states that the addendum itself will supersede the Residential Tenancy Agreement in the case of conflicting terms. While no landlord wants to even think about criminal activity occurring within their rental property, it’s wise to plan for the worst-case scenario and an Agreement For Crime Free Housing Addendum does just that.

6. Suite Painting And Wallpapering Addendum

Tenants often think they can paint or wallpaper their unit at will, which is usually not the case. Making sure a suite has a reasonably fresh coat of paint is the landlord’s responsibility before move-in, and any painting following that needs direct approval from the landlord unless it is professionally done in the exact same colour as was originally there.

A Suite Painting and Wallpapering Addendum puts this in writing, stating that the tenant must have written permission before altering the paint colour of the unit, and must return it to its original state or a state suitable to the landlord before the tenancy ends. This addendum also typically makes clear that the tenant is responsible for any costs for painting and wallpapering the unit, should approval be given. Including these conditions is important for landlords, as most standard leases in Canada contain nothing about painting a unit. If a landlord doesn’t want to be surprised by bright yellow walls the next time they enter the suite, it’s a good idea to include a Suite Painting and Wallpapering Addendum.

7. Tenant Insurance Addendum

Tenant’s insurance is always a welcome sight for landlords, as it helps them ensure that they’ll receive compensation in the event of a tenant causing serious damage to their unit. It also protects tenants themselves against any damage to their personal belongings and any injuries to them or others that may occur within the rental property. While it is usually considered a bonus, some landlords may choose to make it a mandatory condition for tenancy, or strongly recommend it and lay out the potential consequences of not having a policy.

A Tenant Insurance Addendum does just that, making it clear exactly what the tenant could potentially be liable for and stressing the financial burden that can come with not having tenant’s insurance. It will also usually have the tenant agree that any injuries or damage that occur are not the fault of the landlord, except if they’re caused by the landlord’s own negligence. Encouraging renters to insure themselves is never a bad idea, and having this laid out in plain language serves to protect landlords in the event of a tenant trying to sue them for damages later on.

Other common addendums

In addition to the most frequently used addendums outlined above (which, as we’ve mentioned, are all available as templates right here on liv.rent!), there are a number of other addendums landlords frequently use to add detail to their original lease agreements. It’s worth noting that landlords can include almost anything in an addendum, so long as it’s reasonable and within residential tenancy laws for their province, so this list is by no means exhaustive. Let’s look at some of the other type of addendums you may see or use:

Lost Or Damaged Keys Addendum

If a landlord collects a key deposit from their tenants at the time of signing the lease, they’ll want to include this in a separate addendum. The addendum states the amount collected, the conditions for its return, and any additional rules surrounding keys, such as having them copied, lending them to unauthorized individuals, etc.

Additional Occupants Addendum

To ensure that only the tenants on the lease will be staying in the unit, a landlord may want to include an addendum regarding additional occupants. This simply states that only the specified renters are allowed to occupy the unit, and that having additional occupants is grounds for termination of the lease agreement.

Appliance Care Addendum

Maintaining appliances within the unit is generally a landlord’s responsibility, except when repairs are needed due to the tenant’s misuse of the appliance. An Appliance Care Addendum puts this in writing, stating that a tenant must arrange and pay for repair when it is caused by improper use on their part.

Legally Required Disclosure Addendum

Things like lead-based paint, asbestos, or mould must be disclosed to tenants at the time of signing. Usually, this can be included directly in the original lease, but an addendum will suffice should you leave it out.

Option To Purchase Addendum

Landlords can include an addendum that gives renters the option to purchase the rental property at the end of their lease. This is usually a detailed document that outlines how the transfer of property will occur, the price, and other stipulations.

Pet Addendum

Most standard leases include the option to include a pet deposit, and landlords can insist on a pet-free unit altogether, but they can also include an addendum that sets out specific conditions regarding the type and quantity of pets allowed, and other rules regarding their behaviour within the rental property.

How to create lease addendums on liv.rent

Now that we’ve gone over the many types of lease addendums available to landlords, let’s discuss how you can easily apply these to your own rental process. In Part 1 of our series on lease addendums, we gave a basic overview of how to create your own addenda, and where you could find templates online. Thankfully, you won’t have to look far.

Using liv.rent, landlords can easily create their own addendums right within the platform, upload their own existing addendums, as well as access and include a variety of standard addendum templates we’ve created for you. These can be edited to your specific needs and included alongside your lease agreement when it’s time for a tenant to digitally sign contracts. This is a fantastic way for landlords to add detail to their original lease agreements and further protect themselves against the many issues that can arise during a tenancy. Normally, creating your own lease addendums requires time and a legal expert’s advice to ensure everything is in the right place, but we’re here to help streamline the process by giving landlords access to a variety of common addenda right within the liv.rent platform.

Watch our How-To Video for more information on how to use liv.rent to create and sign digital contracts and lease addendums.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post Understanding Lease Addendums Part 2: Common Addendums And How To Use Them appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Standard tenancy agreements aren’t always exhaustive. There could be any number of reasons a landlord may want to modify or add to a lease, including specifying terms related to pets, smoking, insurance, or rent payment. This is where a lease addendum comes in handy.

Experienced landlords almost always include addenda alongside the lease agreement, to ensure they’re completely covered for all eventualities. It’s hugely important to lay out all of the terms and conditions of a tenancy in clear, legal language in order to prevent disputes down the line. Ultimately, this is beneficial to the tenant as well as they know exactly where they stand rather than having to debate what is or is not permitted. In Part 1 of our series on lease addendums, we’ll be going over what exactly they are, what landlords should include in them, and how they can help foster better relations between landlord and tenant.

Table of Contents

What is a lease addendum?

A lease addendum is a separate document from the original lease agreement that provides additional information that the lease itself doesn’t cover. Sometimes these can be required by law to disclose a problem with the unit (lead paint, asbestos, mold, etc.), but most often they are the result of savvy landlords trying to cover their bases. Maybe they had a previous tenant who constantly had guests staying with them, or maybe unwanted renovations occurred behind the landlord’s back. Whatever the case, it’s best to counter these grey-area issues by addressing them directly in an addendum.

How to use a lease addendum

Lease addenda are invaluable tools for renters and landlords alike, but how do they fit into the rental process?

An addendum is a one or two page document presented alongside the original lease agreement and is considered an extension of this document. It is legally binding in the same way, and enforceable accordingly. As such, it’s necessary to include the same basic elements as on the original lease. This includes:

• Full names of both parties
• Date
• Address of the rental property
• The word ‘Addendum’ (not strictly necessary, but helps with organization and clarity)

It’s worth noting as well that generally each separate topic should be contained in its own addendum. For example, if you’d like to specify additional terms related to both smoking and renovations, these would each need their own individual addendum. Landlords can choose to write these documents themselves or download one of the many templates available online (you can find a variety of common addendum templates, as well as custom options right here on liv.rent), but in any case, it’s a good idea to check with a lawyer to ensure your addendum’s validity before signing. This goes for tenants as well – if what you’re being asked to sign is unclear or seems entirely unfair, it’s worthwhile to contact the residential tenancy board to double-check.

Another situation that may arise is when a landlord wishes to introduce an addendum during the tenancy term. When an addendum is provided as part of a rental agreement, it is considered part and parcel to the original lease and renters can be refused if they don’t sign. If, however, a landlord wishes to introduce an addendum a month into the tenancy, the renter is under no obligation to sign and the landlord cannot legally enforce the specified terms if they don’t. Should the tenant choose to sign, those new terms become just as valid as the original tenancy agreement.

What should I add to a lease addendum?

Lease addenda are important tools for making sure a tenancy agreement is rock-solid and accounts for any issues that may arise. As long as the terms are reasonable, landlords can put almost anything in an addendum and it is up to the tenant to decide whether they still wish to sign. For some of the most commonly used addendums, landlords can easily include pre-loaded standard contracts directly on the liv.rent platform. Here are some of the lease addenda you’re likely to encounter:

• Pets — In both BC and Ontario, landlords can choose whether or not to rent to someone with pets, as well as outlining specific conditions as to what kind of pets are allowed, how many, and other reasonable rules that tenants must follow.
• Smoking — Rules regarding smoking in a unit or on the property are generally outlined in the initial lease agreement, but it’s a good practice for landlords to clarify these rules and the consequences for breaking them in an addendum.
• Renovation — Tenants often believe that they have more freedom to renovate their unit than they actually do, leading to confusion and disagreement later on. A renovation addendum helps clear up any misunderstanding by making clear exactly what changes renters can make to their unit, which they have to consult the landlord for, and who’s responsible for different kinds of property maintenance.
• Legally required disclosures — Things like lead-based paint, asbestos, or mold must be disclosed to tenants at the time of signing. Usually, this can be included directly in the original lease, but an addendum will suffice should you leave it out.
• Additional addenda — Within reason and adhering to local tenancy laws, of course, landlords can specify almost anything in an addendum. If there’s an issue you’re particularly concerned about, there’s no harm in putting it in an addendum to be sure you’re protected later on.

In Part 2 of our series on lease addendums, we’ll be providing a more comprehensive look at the different types of addendums, including downloadable templates you can use. Subscribe to stay in the loop!

Where to find lease addendum templates

For landlords concerned about having to write their own lease addendums and ensure they’re covering everything, templates are a great alternative. For the majority of common subjects, there are tons of downloadable templates out there that can easily be customized to your unique needs. However, it’s important to make sure the guidelines specified here are in accordance with your local tenancy laws.

Thankfully, liv.rent offers a variety of standard and customizable templates available right within the platform. This way, landlords can easily attach these to their digital contracts for convenient viewing and signing. For more information on how to use this feature, watch our how-to guide on the subject.

The benefits of adding an addendum to lease

For landlords and renters alike, addendums are an excellent way to establish clear guidelines and recourse in the event of something occurring that wasn’t outlined in the original lease agreement. While it’s usually unlikely that you will ever have to defer to an addendum during a tenancy, the “better safe than sorry” rule certainly applies here. For tenants as well, it’s much easier to have your responsibilities and rules outlined upfront rather than becoming embroiled in a dispute later.

Overall, a lease addendum gives both parties a clearer picture of the tenancy and allows for greater flexibility and protection on the part of the landlord. You may choose to include a pet addendum for one rental property but not another, for example, and rather than having to rewrite your standard lease agreement every time, you can simply attach an addendum where necessary. Another option for savvy landlords is creating your own custom addendum templates on the liv.rent platform so they’re ready to use for future tenancy agreements.

FAQ: lease addendums explained

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post Understanding Lease Addendums Part 1: What Is A Lease Addendum? appeared first on liv.rent blog.

In this “Ask An Expert,” we’re talking to Duuo’s Partner Success Specialist. Duuo is an insurance distributor that’s backed by The Co-operators, and Katie Garland knows first hand about the concerns landlords and renters have about tenant insurance.

She spoke with liv.rent to help demystify insurance and how Duuo’s automated online services can streamline your business or move-in process.

Let’s learn more about tenant insurance now and see why both landlords and tenants should keep it at the top of their move-in checklist:

Table of Contents

What is tenant insurance?

We’ll break down the three key features of tenant insurance: personal liability, additional living expenses, and contents coverage.

Personal liability

Personal liability provides coverage in the event that your negligence causes damage to someone or someone’s stuff.

“So if someone comes into your apartment, trips over a loose power cord, falls, and then decides to sue you for their medical bills or loss of income as a result of their injury, then the personal liability section of your policy is designed to cover you,” Katie said.

Additional living expenses

“If your home, because of an insured loss or a covered claim, becomes uninhabitable, then the additional living expenses portion of your policy is meant to cover the cost of alternate accommodations,” said Katie.

“It also covers a portion of the costs for food and other items to help get you by until you can go back to your residence.”

For example, say your upstairs neighbour floods their apartment, and subsequently yours and you need to stay at a hotel or Airbnb while your suite undergoes emergency repairs. Additional living expenses can help cover those costs.

Contents coverage

And then finally, there’s contents coverage, and Katie said that “this element of the policy is designed to cover your personal belongings within your residence or while they’re away from your home in storage.”

Basically, if your stuff gets damaged, stolen, or misplaced, then this part of your policy is designed to help you replace the items. 

“One thing I always like to remind people is to make sure that you have adequate coverage for your contents,” she said. 

Why tenant insurance matters

Why do renters need it? Doesn’t a landlord’s insurance cover them?

Tenant Insurance is designed to protect a renter and their stuff. Landlords have their own insurance, but if a renter is responsible for any damage caused to the unit, then a landlord’s insurance company could turn to the tenant to cover the costs.

“A lot of people think that situations like theft, a kitchen fire, or water damage will never happen to them. It’s something we hear about with other people, but it’s hard to imagine in our own lives.”

“It’s better to have it in place and it’s just another thing to check off the checklist when you’re moving into a new space,” said Katie.

“It doesn’t take very long to sign up for coverage, so it’s something that can be done really quickly and easily,” Katie said.

Tenant insurance tips for renters

What’s a big misconception about insurance?

Katie said that one of the largest misconceptions is when people neglect to get insurance because they feel like they don’t own many things or their belongings aren’t of much value. So, if you’re wondering if you need tenant insurance, then it’s time for you to take stock of things.

“People always say, ‘well, I don’t have that much stuff so I don’t need $25,000 worth of coverage,’ but if you truly sat in your apartment and looked around at everything you have, and if you had to purchase everything again — It would add up very quickly.”

Even the small things like your toiletries, kitchen staples, and clothing can be expensive to replace. Having coverage for that is helpful because you don’t want to spend money to replace things you already had.

What’s a quick tip about insurance you wish renters knew?

“I think just finding the coverage that works for you is really important,” said Katie.

“I know with Duuo, we’re very flexible with our coverages, so you can kind of make it fit to what you need. We understand that tenant insurance can be tricky, so people like me are always available to help answer any questions you might have about your coverage,” she said.

She also points out that you know yourself and you can trust yourself, but there’s something else to consider if you’re on the fence about insurance.

“You know what you’re doing, but can you also trust your neighbours to be 100% careful all the time? You never know what’s going to happen.”

So even if you’re a responsible tenant, if your neighbour causes a fire or flood due to their negligence, it will adversely affect you. So, having tenants insurance is a proactive approach that can offer a lot of peace of mind.

“I know I’ll be safe. I know I’ll be cautious, but I’m also gonna be able to take care of myself should something happen,” is the mindset Katie thinks is important to have.

Tenant insurance tips for landlords

Why should landlords ask tenants to get insurance?

“Bottom line, it’s about safety and you want to protect your tenants. You’re doing everything you can to protect the home that they’re living in, but you also want them to be able to protect themselves if something ever happened.”

“Tenant insurance adds that extra layer of trust and protection between the tenant and the landlord. Just knowing that a landlord is looking out for their tenant’s best interest and in return, the tenant should do the same,” said Katie.

She said that one of the biggest reasons why landlords are keen to partner with Duuo is because they make it easy to get their tenants covered. Through their partnership program, they offer easy tools that help landlords track coverage while offering special rates to the tenants of their partner buildings.

No property manager or landlord wants to see their tenants end up in a difficult situation. They may even have to move out due to the financial burden of losing their home.

What’s Duuo insurance?

What makes Duuo different?

Now that you might have a better understanding of tenant insurance and its importance, why go with Duuo?

“We are online and on-demand, which means tenants can purchase coverage in just a few minutes without having to speak to a broker,” said Katie.

“We offer month-to-month policies without service or cancellation fees, so you don’t really feel locked in and you have the ability to adapt to the changing world,” she said.

Duuo’s flexibility makes them a good choice for renters who are on the move because it’s easy to cancel your old policy and start your new one in your next home. They also have additional information about tenant insurance available on their blog.

liv.rent & Duuo

How do liv.rent and Duuo use digitalization to improve the lives of renters and landlords?

“I think there’s a lot of things in this world that are stressful,” said Katie, “I know that moving and getting a place can be taxing, but I think with what liv.rent is doing and what Duuo is doing — it takes away that stress.”

By having a digital-first approach to insurance and renting, liv.rent and Duuo are helping landlords and tenants to save time, save energy.

Landlords and tenants can reach Duuo now to learn about their personalized onboarding programs for landlords that provide tenants with specific coverage that they need.

With preferred partner rates, tenants will appreciate you looking out for them and getting them a better deal.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post Ask An Expert: Duuo’s Katie Garland On Tenant Insurance FAQs appeared first on liv.rent blog.

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What do I ask a potential tenant?

Beyond knowing their basic information, there are important questions to ask during tenant screening that reveals more than what goes on their rental application.

Essentially, you want to know what they’re like, what they’re looking for, and why they’re moving. Knowing these three pieces of information will help you determine if you’re going to be a good fit together.

Pro tip: asking questions is a two-way street. You want your potential tenants to ask questions so that they feel confident that it’s a good fit for them too. You want a happy tenant! Otherwise, you’ll have to go through the whole process again soon.

There are three phases, or touchpoints, where you’ll want to ask questions:

1. Initial contact when they first reach out and have not applied yet.
2. At a showing when you meet them for the first time and they’re looking at the unit (either in-person or digitally.)
3. After they’ve applied but before they’ve signed the lease.

1. Questions to ask tenants before they apply

At this stage, you want to ask questions that will eliminate them from your pool of potential candidates as soon as possible if they’re not a good fit.

• What move-in date are you hoping for?
• How many people will be living in the suite?
• What do you do for work?
• The price of the unit is $X, does that fit your budget?

2. What to ask tenants at a showing

At this stage, you want to be conversational but through with the questions you ask to determine if they’re going to be a good fit for your unit, you want to ask some open-ended questions, get a sense of their personality, and see if they’ll be easy for you to communicate with.

• Why are you moving?
• Why did you move out of your last place/why are you leaving?
• How long have you lived at your current residence?
• Why are you moving into this area/What attracts you to this neighbourhood?
• How long have you been looking for a place?
• Have you looked at other nearby rentals?
• Do you have previous landlord references?
• If I need to do a credit check, does that work for you? (get consent for a credit check if you plan to perform one)

Pro tip: If they’re a student, be sure to ask how they will cover their rent — do they work part-time? do they have scholarships or bursaries? is their family providing financial assistance?

Questions to ask a tenant’s references

Before you offer them a lease, you’re going to want to check their previous landlord references if applicable.

• First, verify the address & personal info of the renter.
• How were they as a tenant?
• Did they pay rent on time consistently, any issues?
• Why are they moving?
• Did you have any issues with them regarding noise, safety concerns, or damage to the suite?
• Did any neighbouring units or buildings complain about the tenant at any point?
• Will you be returning their security deposit back to them in full or did you need to use some to fix the damage?

Pro tip: In some cases, like renting to first-time renters, students, or newcomers, they may not have previous landlord references. In these cases, you can ask for supplemental employment and financial documentation. Also, you can request employment or personal references.

3. Questions to ask tenants before they sign the lease

• Do you have a car/require parking?
• Do you smoke?
• Do you have (or plan to get) pets?
• Do you have any final questions or questions about the lease?

Pro tip: If your unit is in a strata building, give them a list of the strata rules and ask if they’re going to be able to follow those in addition to everything set out in the lease.

More about leases in Canada:

• Ontario Standard Lease Explained
• BC Residential Tenancy Agreement Explained

Professional property management tips from liv.rent

1. Use liv.rent as your rental hub and tell all your inquiries to apply through liv.rent before you schedule any viewings so that you’re left with a pool of quality, high-intent renters.

2. Leverage the Trust Score in your tenant screening process — combining data from social media, reported employment and income information, and an Equifax credit report, the Trust Score is an intelligent rating system to see a renter’s credibility at a glance.

3. Use a tool like the Landlord Dashboard to stay organized and keep all your rental documents in one place and easily compare applicants at the tail end of your tenant screening process.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post 56 Questions Every Landlord Should Ask Applicants Before They Sign A Lease appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Whether you manage a large portfolio of rental units or you’re just getting started as a new landlord, everything you need to get started and to thrive is in this guide. Bookmark it, email it to yourself, and keep it handy to help you become an expert at streamlining your rental processes.

Before we dive into all our features, know that you can use our platform based on your needs (i.e. you don’t have to use all the features, just pick the ones you need.)

Whether you want to automate your entire rental process or you’re only interested in one of our features like contract creation or listing syndication, we make it possible.

Pro tip: want the TL;DR? Read our Quick Start Guide: 3 Keys To Listing & Renting Efficiently.

1. Getting started

Download the app

You might be tired of hearing “there’s an app for that,” but the liv.rent app can instantly connect you with your tenants and leads to avoiding the headache of having communication spread out across email, phone, and texting.

With the app, you’ll be notified any time there’s been:

• an inquiry
• an application
• a rent payment has been received

Plus, when you head to your unit for a showing, you will have all the documents you need in your pocket — no paperwork necessary.

Book a free demo

Landlords and property managers can book a free 30-minute discovery demo with Paula Azevedo, liv.rent’s Business Development Manager.

This is a good way to learn about the platform and how you can use it to your advantage. Together, we’ll explore your profile and talk about your unique needs to show you how our solutions can help you streamline your rental process.

During the call, our team can walk you through a live demo. We’ll show you how to post a listing, browse suggested tenants, syndicate listings, and review applications. And, later down the rental process, we can show you how to create contracts and send payment requests.

Get verified

Watch now: Landlord Onboarding — 3 Keys To Success

Getting verified on liv.rent is your biggest key to success. In fact, all published listings on our platform with unverified profiles will be hidden within a week to help keep our community safe by protecting against identity theft or fraud occurrences.

Both your profile and your listings can be verified.

>> Verify your profile

Once your identity has been confirmed, our records of your government-issued photo ID and all copies of authentication information are immediately and securely destroyed. Then, you will have earned your blue checkmark verification badge and can officially start your journey towards simplified renting.

Fill out your profile completely, including a photo. For personal and family accounts, you can share your government-issued ID securely through the liv.rent platform. For business accounts, we also require a copy of your business license.

Our team will then conduct a strict verification process, during which your selfie photo will be requested to match your documents and confirm your identity.

>> Verify your listing

Verify your listings for a competitive advantage on liv.rent and prove your trustworthiness as a landlord or property manager to renters. There are two ways to verify your listing:

Note: liv.rent will hide suspicious or duplicate listings until we have verified the listing.

1. Document verification
   • We check official documents such as property tax forms and land title documents, or representation documents.
2. Mail verification
   • We will mail a postcard to the rental property that includes a code for landlords to enter into the app to finalize verification.

Learn more:

• The liv.rent Verification Process
• How To Become Verified On liv.rent

2. Listing your rental

Add your first listing

Your listing is where your entire rental journey on liv.rent begins. In your landlord dashboard, on the “Listings” page, you can click the button “Create new listing” to get started.

1. Select property and rental space types.
   From here, you’ll be able to select the property type:
   • Apartment
   • House
   • Townhouse
   
   
2. And a rental space that best defines your unit:
   • Entire apartment
   • Partial apartment
   • A single room
   
   
3. Provide your address details.
   Simply start by typing in the address and your building information from our database will appear. You can also opt to hide the unit number to protect your information.


4. Enter additional details.
   We have carefully refined the process to include all the relevant information renters will want to know about your unit to help save time and energy – eliminating the back and forth communication regarding your suite. Additional details include things like:
   • Unit size
   • Number of bedrooms & bathrooms
   • Smoking & pet policies
   • Lease terms
   • Features included
   • Utilities
   • Parking & storage
   • Description
   • Photos & video tours

3. Marketing your listing

Landlord dashboard

The landlord dashboard brings together everything you need to know about your listings in one simplified view. Here are just a few of its many functions:

1. Digital filing cabinet
   • Storage of all your rental documents and chat history with tenants.
2. Listing insights
   • Smart market rental rate comparisons for similar units, helping you to price accordingly.
3. Listings management
   • A summary overview of all your active listings and their current status.
4. Applicant comparison
   • Compare applicants to your unit by key data like profession and desired move-in date.
5. 3D VR property tours
   • Your home base for uploading virtual 3D or VR tours of your listings.
6. Private notes
   • Landlords, property managers, and agents can add their notes to listings.
7. Suggested tenants
   • Auto-suggested renters whose preferences match your unit.

Learn more:

• Landlord Dashboard: Digital Tools for Landlords & Property Managers

Centralize leads to liv.rent

Power users of our platform use it as their digital rental hub where they bring together all leads from different channels and funnel them to liv.rent, so, in other words — your liv.rent listing is your home base where you can direct all your leads.

So, if you get a phone call about the unit or message from Facebook Marketplace, you can direct them to your liv.rent listing and ask that they apply through this portal.

Not only does this ensure that you’re dealing with serious inquiries only (remember: when it comes to leads, quality is better than quantity,) but now you can also take advantage of our features to screen tenants with ease.

Pro tip: If you have more than one listing on liv.rent, you can share your landlord profile with leads no matter where you connected so they can see all your listings available at a glance.

Listing syndication

Maximize your listing’s exposure with our easy-to-use syndication feature. With liv.rent, you can fill out your listing once and push it out through our multi-channel syndication.

On your listing, you can click “share.” Then, you’ll have the option to publish it to Craigslist, Kijiji, and Facebook Marketplace easily.

Featured listings

liv.rent can help your listing receive the attention it deserves with all its tools. However, our featured listings are the fastest way to see results because they can increase:

• Listing views by 300%
• Inquiries and applications by 65%

Pro tip: If you are interested in the featured listings package, you can reach our team today.

4. Tenant screening

The Trust Score

Renters on the liv.rent platform can complete their profiles by getting a Trust Score, a comprehensive indicator of their credibility as a renter. By integrating our own data with information from Equifax® credit checks, we’re able to provide landlords with more comprehensive information to help them quickly & reliably gauge applicants’ suitability:

• Credit information from Equifax®
• Income-to-rent ratio
• Court record verification (where applicable)
• Number of accounts checked to qualify their payment record
• Collections record
• Bankruptcy index
• Detailed risk assessment
• Credit utilization

Plus, their Trust Score score shows you:

• Which piece of ID they use for Identification Verification
• Their social verification through their LinkedIn profile
• Income & employment verification including:
  • T4s
  • Paystubs
  • Employment letters

Learn more:

• The Trust Score: Updated
• Trust Score vs. Other Credit Scoring Systems

Suggested tenants

When you post your listing, we will automatically create a list of prospective tenants. This is generated by matching tenants’ indicated preferences with your listing details.

You can filter your suggested tenants as well, choosing only from those who have verified their profiles and completed them in full.

Learn more:

• What are suggested tenants?

Expert-level tips

Finally, if you’re still looking for ways to level up your rental processes, then you should join our Facebook communities for landlords. Join our Landlords & Property Managers Facebook Communities for:

• Vancouver
• Toronto

liv.rent also frequently offers live webinars and mini-trainings about using the platform and beyond. Visit our Eventbrite page to sign up for the next event.

5. Lease agreements

Digital contracts

A paperless rental process saves you time and trees. Adopting our digital contracts can help you eliminate the stress and uncertainty of navigating the B.C. and Ontario standard lease agreements, ensuring a more error-free application process.

With an easy-to-use interface, you can create and save reusable customized addendums for you and your tenant with just a few clicks.

Custom addendum templates are extremely helpful, especially for first-time landlords, and they will be auto integrated into your digital B.C. or Ontario standard lease agreement.

Once the contract is ready for signing, send it to your tenant in your chat timeline together so they can add their e-signature. These are true contracts, and as such, these hold the same binding power as paper documents. After signing, the contract is saved securely for you on our platform. You’re able to access it at any time, even on the go with our app.

Pro tip: liv.rent can assist in custom contract creation for business and enterprise users.

Learn more:

• Ontario Standard Lease Explained
• BC Residential Tenancy Agreement Explained

Lease extensions on liv.rent

Check your lease to see what you and your tenant had agreed upon at the end of the fixed-term lease.

Typically, at the end of a fixed-term tenancy, your tenant will by default transition to a month-to-month lease in B.C. and Ontario.

If this is the case, then the lease is automatically extended for you, unless of course either the landlord or tenant gives notice that they intend to end the lease when the term is finished. You may ask a tenant to sign another fixed-term lease, but you cannot compel them to do so.

Using liv.rent, it’s easy to extend or renew a lease for a fixed term by going to your tenant dashboard. Under “tenancy” and “resources,” you can find the option to renew the contract.

At this point, the old lease will be duplicated with new revised dates plus any additional information or changes. You can then send it in your chat to the tenant for them to sign and send back.

Ending a lease on liv.rent

If you have decided to end your lease and have the legal grounds to do so (check your lease and your local guidelines to ensure compliance,) then you can use liv.rent to end the lease.

Under “tenancy” and “resources,” select “end tenancy.” Then, you’ll have to pick the date on which you would like to end the tenancy.
Next, your tenant can choose one of three options:

1. I do not want to end tenancy
2. Agree to end tenancy
3. Request Liv Support

Note: all parties who have signed the lease agreement must agree to end the tenancy for it to be concluded.

>> Forcing the end of a tenancy

There’s also an option to “Force End Tenancy,” which comes up when landlords have sent a request to end the tenancy and the tenant is unresponsive.

They must indicate the reason why they are forcing the end of the tenancy. Then, this completes the process and the unit can now be rented again to the next prospective tenants.

Learn more:

• Landlord Guide: How to End or Extend a Tenancy Agreement
• Ending a Tenancy on liv.rent
• How To Relist A Property
• Provincial guidelines for renting in Ontario / B.C.

6. Digital storage locker

Chat history

Forget Facebook messages, emails, phone calls, and texts. When you use the liv.rent platform for all your communication with leads, applicants, and tenants — everything you need is right at your fingertips.

With our chat feature:

• Prospective tenants can ask questions about listings.
• Renters can send applications through the chat.
• Landlords can share additional information about their units and ask questions.
• Landlords can send lease agreements.
• Renters can sign lease agreements and send them back to landlords.

Keeping everything in a centralized channel means that you’ll never miss a piece of communication and you’ll have all the relevant info you need to take care of your property on hand.

Rental payments

Rent payments can be accepted through the liv.rent platform, too. Imagine that you no longer have to organize and cash cheques — instead, you simply send a payment request to your tenant in the chat timeline and they’ll pay it.

Renters have the option to pay for rent with credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex,) by UnionPay, and even by bitcoin. There are two ways to use liv.rent to collect rent payments from your tenants:

1. If your tenant is paying by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express, then you can accept payments through Stripe. Connect your Stripe account with liv.rent and when tenants make payments, it will be deposited into your Stripe account, which pays it out to your bank account.
2. If your tenant chooses to pay by UnionPay or bitcoin, then you can set up a direct deposit by putting your bank account information in your liv.rent profile.

Learn more:

• How To Pay Rent To Your Landlord
• How To Pay For Rent With Bitcoin On liv.rent

Continuing landlord & property manager education

Thank you for conferring with our guide. We hope you now have a good understanding of the liv.rent platform, along with its tools and benefits. Next, we invite you to:

• Subscribe to liv.rent updates to be the first to learn about new rental market data, platform features, and more
• Book a free 30-minute discovery demo with our team
• Explore our liv.rent resource blog for more assistance for landlords

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The post The Complete User Guide To liv.rent For Landlords & Property Managers appeared first on liv.rent blog.