Having a rental lease agreement in place protects both the landlord and tenant. The Rental Management Lease Agreement will include:

• Defining Rental Management terms and conditions, timelines for when landlord payments will be expected, and shared costs.
• Having a complete rental lease agreement will also include a clause about what happens during maintenance and compliance (in order to comply with the law).
• One of the aspects of significance is registering the agreement at the municipal level in order to settle any problems that arise later (disputable according to law).
• Using a property management platform enables landlords to manage multiple rental agreements in one secure location, track updates, log or write new rental lease agreements, etc., thereby eliminating human error and saving time over a long period of time.

“I used to have difficulty remembering the timeline for Renewing Agreements or would lose the signed agreement altogether before using a digital system; now I have everything stored in one place and don’t have to worry about misplaced documents” — says Rana the property manager working for Baalbek and a public university in Beirut’s vicinity.

Finding qualified tenants is crucial to avoid tenants who will be late-paying or damage property. Steps every landlord should take for tenant screening include:

• Confirmed employment status and income verification.
• Rental history checks and references.
• Background checks and credit checks.
• Meeting tenants in person, or via a video channel, to affirm their reliability and trustworthiness.

In the 2023 survey of landlords in Lebanon, it was reported that 40% of the rental disputes had occurred due to the landlord not screening their tenants, demonstrating the need to screen tenants carefully, in a measured, and structured manner.

Late or missed rent payments are a common dilemma to deal with as a landlord. Knowing how to collect rent online makes collecting rent easier, as it offers another option for tenants to pay their rent with ease.
Benefits of collecting rent online can include:

• Automatic reminders as due dates come.
• Digital receipts for your tenants payment records.
• Cataloging easy payments for accounting and reporting.

Binayati has a Property Management Application that makes it easy to set up your tenant to set up recurring payments, receive digital receipts and provide transparency without chasing your tenants around for payment.

“Collecting rent used to take me hours every month. Now I have an Automated Online Payment option, — Rental Management — and tenants love it!” — says Karim, a landlord in Jounieh.

• Have an Open Line of Communication: Always have a warm, but professional, rapport to discuss with tenants to resolve the situation before a difference of opinions escalates to a conflict.
• Conduct Check-ups on Units: Do an occasional check on your units to address maintenance issues before it grows to be an expense.
• Document Everything: Document everything related to rent, complaints, or repairs to protect yourself from liability, and protect yourself legally.
• Use Property Management Digital Tools: Property management digital tools centralize all of your tasks from Rental Management contracts to maintenance to rent payments – it is great if you are looking for a more organized way to manage your rentals.

Efficient Rental Management is not only about collecting rent, but about building trust with tenants, protecting your investment, and centralizing processes. With lease agreements, tenant screening tips and the ability to collect rent on-line can help landlords in Lebanon reduce their stress levels, disputes, and ultimately maximize their rental income.

Understand how Binayati’s Property Management App allows landlords to manage their rental contracts, tenants’ screenings and collect rent all from One Platform.