Your First 90 Days as a Landlord: What to Expect and Avoid

A No-Fluff Guide for New Self-Managing Landlords—And How Nextpad Homes Sets You Up for Success

So, you’ve bought your first rental property.
Congratulations—you’re officially a landlord.

Now what?

If you’re managing the property yourself (and you probably are), the first 90 days are critical. This is when you lay the foundation for how your rental will run, how your tenants will view you, and how profitable your investment will be.

This guide walks you through: ✅ What to expect during your first 3 months
✅ The biggest mistakes new landlords make
✅ What to prioritize early
✅ And how Nextpad Homes gives you the structure, tools, and automation to self-manage like a pro—even if you’re brand new

Month 1: Onboarding, Organization & First Impressions

✅ What to Expect:

• Paperwork

• Questions from tenants

• Small maintenance surprises

• A lot of decisions

If your property already has tenants, your first month will be about transitioning ownership. If it’s vacant, it’s about listing, showing, and leasing.

Either way—this is your setup month.

What to Do:

• Set up a system for rent collection, maintenance, and communication

• Store lease agreements and property documents in one place

• Confirm tenant info: emergency contacts, employment, pets, etc.

• Walk the unit and note any maintenance or safety issues

• Introduce yourself to tenants professionally (email + portal welcome message)

✅ Nextpad Homes makes this easy with built-in digital lease storage, tenant onboarding templates, and an integrated communication portal.

Month 2: Daily Operations & Maintenance Reality Check

✅ What to Expect:

• The first rent payment (and possibly your first late one)

• A few maintenance requests

• Questions about lease terms, policies, or repairs

• Your first opportunity to build trust—or lose it

What to Watch For:

• Late payments: Track when rent comes in and communicate immediately if it doesn’t

• Tenant questions: Answer them clearly and consistently (in writing)

• Maintenance requests: Handle them promptly and professionally

A fast, thoughtful response builds trust. A delayed or disorganized one creates friction you can’t afford early on.

✅ With Nextpad, tenants submit maintenance requests with photos/video, and you get alerts + an organized dashboard to triage and track everything.

Month 3: Setting Expectations & Building Long-Term Systems

What to Expect:

• Routine is starting to set in

• Tenants know what to expect from you (good or bad)

• You’re either scrambling—or systemizing

This is the perfect time to review how your first two months have gone and put systems in place to prevent future chaos.

Key Focus Areas:

• Is rent being paid on time?

• Are maintenance issues being handled promptly?

• Do you have a communication log in case of disputes?

• Are you tracking income and expenses for tax time?

✅ Nextpad Homes gives you rent tracking, maintenance logs, automated lease renewal alerts, and a built-in messaging history—all in one place.

Top Mistakes First-Time Landlords Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Mistake #1: Using Texts & Email for Everything

Messages get lost. Tone gets misunderstood. Nothing’s documented.

Fix it: Use a centralized portal like Nextpad for all tenant communication.

Mistake #2: Skipping Lease Details

Vague, generic leases = confusion and conflict.

Fix it: Use a legally sound, state-specific lease. Nextpad includes customizable templates with e-signatures.

Mistake #3: Waiting Too Long to Fix Maintenance

Minor issues turn into expensive repairs (aka The Snowball Effect).

Fix it: Use a system that tracks issues, assigns vendors, and keeps you accountable.

Mistake #4: Not Tracking Income & Expenses From Day One

You’ll regret this at tax time.

Fix it: Nextpad automatically logs rent payments, tracks vendor expenses, and lets you export tax-ready reports.

Mistake #5: Not Treating It Like a Business

Being too casual leads to late rent, lease violations, and avoidable headaches.

Fix it: Set boundaries, use systems, and stay professional. You can still be a kind landlord without running it like a hobby.

Pro Tips for New Landlords in Their First 90 Days

• Automate everything you can—from rent reminders to lease renewals

• Respond quickly, even if it’s just to say “I’ll check on that”

• Keep documentation on everything—maintenance, payments, communication

• Reinvest in the property—fix things before they break

• Don’t wait until something goes wrong to get organized

The First 90 Days Set the Tone for Everything

Being a landlord isn’t about being on call 24/7—it’s about having systems that run things for you.

If you start strong, stay organized, and show your tenants that you’re reliable and professional, you’ll build a rental business that’s profitable, scalable, and sustainable.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

With Nextpad Homes, You Can:

• Onboard tenants and store digital leases

• Collect rent automatically

• Track maintenance and assign vendors

• Communicate professionally (and document everything)

• Get lease renewal alerts and income/expense reports—automatically

👉 Ready to crush your first 90 days as a landlord?

Use Nextpad Homes to set up your rental business the right way—right from day one.