Moving but keeping your house? Here are seven things to check before you rent out your Yuba City, Marysville, Roseville or Placer County home.
Maybe you took a job in another city, moved in with a partner or bought a bigger home, and decided to keep your first house as a rental. You're not alone. Plenty of Yuba-Sutter and Placer County owners become landlords this way, and a little preparation up front saves a lot of stress later.
1. Call your lender and your insurance agent
Some mortgages require you to live in the home for a set period, so check your loan terms before you rent. Then switch your homeowner's policy to a landlord (dwelling fire) policy. A standard homeowner's policy may not cover a home you don't live in.
2. Read your HOA rules
Many homes in Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln sit in HOAs, and some newer neighborhoods elsewhere have association rules too. Their CC&Rs can set minimum lease terms, require tenant registration or limit how many homes in the community can be rented. Know the rules before you advertise.
3. Find out whether rent control applies
California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) caps annual rent increases and requires "just cause" to end many tenancies. Some single-family homes and condos owned by individuals are exempt, but only if the lease includes the required written notice.
4. Price from real local comparables
County-wide averages can be off by hundreds of dollars a month. Look at homes like yours that actually leased recently in your neighborhood. Price too high and the home sits empty; too low and you leave money on the table every month for the life of the lease.
5. Get the home rent-ready
Fix anything that affects health or safety, test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and have the home professionally cleaned. If the home was built before 1978, federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure. If it's in a special flood hazard area, as some homes behind the Yuba-Sutter levees are, California requires a written flood disclosure to your tenant. Good photos of a clean, well-kept home attract better applicants.
6. Screen every applicant the same way
Write down your rental criteria, such as income, credit and rental history, and apply them consistently to every adult applicant. Fair housing law protects many groups, and in California that includes people who pay rent with housing vouchers. Keep application screening fees within the state limit.
7. Handle the deposit and move-in by the book
California generally limits security deposits to one month's rent, with a narrow exception for some small landlords. Do a detailed move-in inspection with time-stamped photos. It's your best protection when the tenant moves out.
Want a hand? We help first-time landlords across Yuba-Sutter and Placer County every step of the way, from pricing to move-in. Get a free rental analysis and we'll tell you what your home should rent for and what it needs to be rent-ready.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Laws change, so check current California and local rules for your property.
