How to Rent Your Home
- How to know if your house is a good rental — and what to do if it isn't
- The pricing, screening, and lease mistakes that cost first-time landlords thousands
- When to hire a property manager — and when to do it yourself
Why I wrote this book
"I'm Matthew Whitaker. I built Evernest because of my mom, Laura.
Back in the early '90s, she moved out of her house and decided to rent it out — and manage it herself. She didn't know any better, and neither did most people back then. For years, she made it work.
Then she rented to someone who stopped paying, and by the time she worked through the eviction process on her own, she was out tens of thousands of dollars on a property that should have been making her money.
She was heartbroken — not just the financial hit, but the feeling that she'd been taken advantage of during an already hard season of her life.
I built Evernest because of her. Today we manage 15,000 properties for 9,000 owners across 50 markets. And I wrote this book so the next person doesn't have to learn the hard way."
— Matthew Whitaker, Founder & CEO
What's inside (12 chapters)
- Should you rent your house? The 3 questions that actually decide it (Ch. 1)
- How to set the right rent — without leaving money on the table or sitting vacant (Ch. 2)
- Bank accounts, insurance, LLCs: the landlord setup that protects you (Ch. 4)
- The lease clauses that actually protect you (Ch. 7)
- How to manage the year without losing your weekends (Ch. 9)
- When to hire a property manager — and when to do it yourself (Ch. 12)
- Is your house even a good rental? The hidden factors most first-timers miss (Ch. 2)
- Getting the property ready: the photos, the listing, the screening criteria (Ch. 3)
- How to screen a tenant — and spot the red flags in 2026 (Ch. 6)
- Move-in day: the documentation that saves your security deposit (Ch. 8)
- Renewals, move-outs, and the math on keeping a good tenant (Ch. 10–11)
- The four ways a rental property actually makes you money (Ch. 12)
Already know you want to rent your house?
Skip ahead. Get a free 3-page rental analysis on your specific property. We'll tell you what it should rent for, what it'll cost to manage, and whether the math works.
Questions, answered
We make money when owners hire Evernest to manage their rental properties. The more landlords know what they're doing, the more they choose to work with someone like us — whether that's Evernest or another property manager. So we wrote the book and gave it away. No catch.
PDF. Mobile and desktop-friendly. Delivered to your email within 60 seconds of submitting the form.
No. We use your email to send you the book and occasional follow-up content from Evernest (you can unsubscribe with one click). We don’t sell or share your information with anyone.
No. It’s a complete playbook covering everything a first-time landlord needs to know — written so you can do this on your own if you want to. Evernest is mentioned a few times where relevant, but the book’s job is to teach you what works.
The book still applies. Most of what makes a rental property successful (pricing, screening, leasing, maintenance, taxes) is universal. The market-specific stuff in the book is meant as a framework you can apply anywhere.
Chapter 1 of the book is specifically about that decision: the 3 questions that determine it, the 2026 math, and how to think about it honestly. Many readers tell us they used Chapter 1 to decide — and then sold instead of renting. That’s a valid outcome too.
Why is this book free?
We make money when owners hire Evernest to manage their rental properties. The more landlords know what they're doing, the more they choose to work with someone like us — whether that's Evernest or another property manager. So we wrote the book and gave it away. No catch.
What format is the book in?
PDF. Mobile and desktop-friendly. Delivered to your email within 60 seconds of submitting the form.
Will you sell or share my email?
No. We use your email to send you the book and occasional follow-up content from Evernest (you can unsubscribe with one click). We don't sell or share your information with anyone.
Is this book just an ad for Evernest?
No. It's a complete playbook covering everything a first-time landlord needs to know — written so you can do this on your own if you want to. Evernest is mentioned a few times where relevant, but the book's job is to teach you what works.
What if my house is in a market Evernest doesn't serve?
The book still applies. Most of what makes a rental property successful (pricing, screening, leasing, maintenance, taxes) is universal. The market-specific stuff in the book is meant as a framework you can apply anywhere.
What if I haven't decided yet whether I should rent or sell?
Chapter 1 of the book is specifically about that decision. The 3 questions that determine it, the 2026 math, and how to think about it honestly. Many readers tell us they used Chapter 1 to decide — and then sold instead of renting. That's a valid outcome too.