We thought you landlords and property managers out there would appreciate this infographic!

Provided by Nationwide Insurance

As a landlord you are super busy, so neglecting your rental property is easy to do. When your tenant vacates, you want to fill the vacancy as soon as possible. Balancing you time and money with the necessity for a quick turnaround is tough. At the same time, you want to insure that you get a great, long-term tenant. Of course screening and asking the right questions is very, very important, but the condition of your property will also attract the right clientele. What a dilemma! Too many landlords neglect simple things to get their rental property in rent-ready condition. Here a list in the WRONG things to do.

Mistake #1: Ignore Internet reviews

“They don’t really pay attention nowadays, there are so many reviews” you might think. Wrong. Reviews are as important as ever, and they are shared among your potential tenants. Respond to them, and contest those that might come from your competitors.

Mistake #2: Don’t bother painting

Painting is cost effective and makes a HUGE difference. It covers up holes in the walls, and can make your rental property feel inviting and comforting with the right colors. Neutral colors with bright accents work well.

Mistake #3: Bathroom upgrading is too messy

Oh yeah? Well, consider that the tenant is paying close attention to the bathroom. They don’t want to have to deal with leaky showers, toilets, or sinks. The bathrooms should ‘smell’ fresh and clean, and should have good lighting (NOT florescent bulbs). If you don’t need to replace faucets, be sure they are very clean and shiny! An electric scented candle is a really nice touch.

Mistake #4: Ignoring the all important kitchen

Like the bathroom, tenants often make decisions based on the kitchen. If your appliances are up to date, consider easy repairs such as staining the cabinets, replacing knobs, or adding new flooring. You can sometimes add new flooring on top of the existing flooring at a more reasonable cost. Be sure that the inside of the stove is very clean, as well as the inside of the refrigerator. If those are dirty, that can really turn off a prospective tenant.

Mistake #5: Don’t bother with ‘staging’

Not sure what that means? Staging is attention to the little things that make your rental ‘earthy’ and aesthetically appealing. For a small investment, you can purchase some paintings to match your wall coloring, put area rugs in strategic places, and put pillows or throws in the right spots. Don’t forget that mirrors make the room look bigger, so add mirrors in the kitchen, bedrooms and other choice locations. Go to Pinterest for ideas.

Mistake #6: Don’t consider first impressions

When a prospective renter pulls up to your property, you should catch their eye right away. Isn’t that important when you first meet someone in person? You should dress nicely and professionally when meeting a tenant. Your property should give a first impression as well. Have a welcome mat outside the door, and make sure the door is painted and has polished hardware.  If an outdoor grill is visible, it will impress, and so will on outdoor chair or lounger.

Mistake #7: Don’t waste your time pampering

If you just consider your tenants as money generators, you are probably not a good landlord. They are people that want to start the next chapter of their lives in your dwelling. Make them feel at home by offering a welcome package, possibly with some snacks or chocolates and a bottle of wine. They will appreciate if you have a community newspaper, or some local guides that include local restaurants, nightclubs, and gyms. While you are at it, be sure to offer some incentives for your tenants to pay their rent in a timely manner and give them your contact info right away.

Mistake #8: Just use your previous photos

As you follow the previous advice, don’t forget to take new photos of your beautiful property. Now is the time. Use a high quality camera or cell phone and upload as large of an image as possible. Be sure to include all living areas, the kitchen, bathrooms, and storage areas. DO NOT include people, animals, or areas with bad lighting. You want to make your rental bright and inviting.

Ok, so all this may not be easy. But realize that you will get a return any time you improve your rental property, and you will fill you vacancies faster when your property makes a great first impression. And you will feel good knowing that you are being a good landlord that tenants will want to stay with.

Many landlords are now requiring that their tenants have renters insurance. If you are not one of them, you should consider the benefits for both you as the property manager (or owner) and for the tenant. This comprehensive article was created to help you make an informed decision about renters insurance for your tenants, and to provide some concrete advice about how to approach the subject and execute the plan.

The first thing to consider is whether or not you can ‘required’ you tenants to have it. Generally, but with exceptions, you are free to put a requirement in your lease saying that in order to rent from you, they must get renter’s insurance. You add other provisions such as quiet enjoyment and use of the facilities, so this is just another clause. There are a few exceptions, so you need to be aware of the regulations in the agreements you sign for subsidized housing and your local and state regulations. If you don’t currently require renter’s insurance, you can add that provision to your lease for new renters, and for existing tenants, you can sign a mutual agreement that is amended to your current lease. All of my daughter’s leases had that provision, including the amount required and that the ‘additional interest’ was to be the apartment complex management. In searching for insurance, I found that it really isn’t that expensive unless you (like any insurance) choose a low deductible and add optional c overages. More on that later.   Read the FULL ARTICLE

“With this lease contract, I thee wed”

It’s a marriage between the tenants and the landlord . . . and everything is wonderful! The tenants are so excited to have a new place to live. Decorating is exciting, there are new things to buy, parties to plan, a shorter commute to work, and anticipation is in the air. The landlord is happy, too… finally the money will start coming in again, no more advertising costs and … wait, did I hear the tenant say “parties to plan”?

That’s just life, and part of the things that both landlord and tenants have to deal with in the complex landlord – tenant relationship. Right, life happens, and landlords need to realize that there WILL be bumps in the road. Will you drive fast over the bumps and damage your car, possibly losing control? Or will you carefully maneuver around those bumps, saving your car and your piece of mind?

Or is there an ‘out-of-the-box’ solution? Maybe, just maybe you can get the tenant to ‘fill in’ those bumps for you? Crazy? Not really, and this guide will give you some ideas on how you can work with your tenant to fill in the potholes of your long-term relationship.

I’m talking about ‘incentives’. Ways that you can work with your tenants to make sure that your rent is paid on time, that your tenants are happy with you as their landlord, and that your valuable assets are protected at the same time.

First, look at your tenants as ‘people’. Sounds silly, right? But many landlords just view their renters as money machines that only call them when they want something from you. Guess what? If that is your viewpoint, you are probably an unsuccessful landlord. You may get by with putting off a repair for a while, but then again your tenants may build resentment, damage your property, leave you, and then post a bad review on social media. Should you care? Of course, you should. Besides all of the expenses you will bear, you’ll soon be advertising for new tenants, and it will be even harder because like it or not, most tenants nowadays really will check for reviews about you on social media. If this sounds like tough love, maybe it is …your reputation matters.

Back to the wedding – what is the best way to have a marriage that lasts? Answer: Have a couple that knows each other well and accepts them way they are. In a relationship, that is by taking the time to develop love and understanding of one another. No, I’m not suggesting that you date your tenants – I’m saying that you need to do background checks! As a landlord, you need to know your tenants thoroughly by examining their credit history, employment history, rental history, criminal offenses, evictions and more. Hmmm, maybe that would also prevent some bad marriages too, but I digress. If you don’t do your homework at the beginning, it may not even matter if you take some of the other incentive steps I’ll mention later on.

 Get to know your partner

The tenant usually pays for the background check, so failure to get one is like tossing a coin between getting a bad tenant or a good one. This is THE most important first step!

• Verify that your tenant can pay the rent. That is spelled ‘J.O.B.’. Even if they do have a job that covers the rent you need to be sure that it can also cover all of the credit card debt (think Kohl’s, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers in addition to card companies), car payments, installment payments, living necessities, and an additional ‘cushion’. You have one, don’t you? Who provided the job information? Was it their previous supervisor (preferred) or ‘Cousin Louie’ (not so preferred)? A simple phone call will verify it, so don’t be afraid to punch those buttons. However, don’t ask them to verify how much they make, as that will breach the employers confidentiality with their employee. If you are renting to students, great, but just make sure that the parents are willing to be responsible for the rent as guarantors (I spell-checked that word, so blame Microsoft if it isn’t correct).

• Lighting may not strike twice, but tenant history just might. If your prospective renter was a bad tenant in the last place they rented, it’s pretty likely they won’t be angels for you either. Then again, maybe there was an understandable reason that they broke their lease, so at this point, you’ll need to put on your detective hat and verify the reason for that black mark. Even if they have a decent rental history, you should contact their previous landlord and politely see if they don’t mind answering a few questions about a previous tenant. (There is kind of a secret ‘brotherhood’ (or ‘sisterhood’) among landlords, so most will be happy to oblige). Ask if they paid rent on time, if they maintained their rental property, if they got along with their neighbors, if they followed the property guidelines for use of the facilities, parking, noise, and more. You might find out they were great and just had to move to be closer to school or work, or then again they might have had bonfires on their patio and rehearsed their metal band on Wednesdays and Fridays.

• Criminal history … hmm seriously, do you want to take the risk? Again, this is another red flag that will cause you hours to investigate, so you need to decide if it is worth it. Was it a parking violation, marching at a peace rally, or did they murder their last landlord? Often minor violations won’t show up, but you’ll want to know if there were any DUI’s or sex offenses. You have an obligation to help protect your other tenants, so don’t even think about renting to someone with serious convictions.

• The background check provides other valuable information as well, such as their creditors and credit score. A low credit score is not necessarily a deal killer, but you should know why. Like I said before, life happens. There might be a divorce settlement or medical problems that affect the score, but the ability to pay their rent after expenses should be your primary concern.

Meet and Greet

Ok, so now you are cool with the tenant screening part. Let’s get that lease signed! No, wait. You need to first talk to your tenants in person. If the tenant is a student, try to get the parent/guarantors there or at least on speakerphone. That way you can outline the responsibilities of all parties and have a clear understanding of what you expect of all of them. I like to have a separate meeting from the lease signing party because it is more relaxed and you don’t have to go over every provision of the lease in detail. Plus, you have a way to back out if things don’t go well. By that I mean, that you find out something that would be a deal killer, such as a roommate that isn’t confirmed, a problem with the parent guarantee, incorrect move-in or move-out dates, and so on. Plus, it is just fair to give the potential tenant time to go over the lease in detail so that they can ask questions prior to signing the lease with you. At the lease signing, be absolutely sure that you do go over the lease terms and make sure everyone understands it. Be super-friendly but also make it clear that this is a ‘professional’ relationship and you WILL enforce the terms of the lease strictly.  It is a contract, not a guideline, so prepare your tenant for their legal responsibilities. But you don’t get off that easy, you must guarantee to your tenant that you will also enforce YOUR responsibilities, like enforcing their ‘quiet enjoyment’ (keeping the neighbors quiet), fix things that break (your stuff, not their TV or Xbox), and respond to their request promptly. Remember, when you are married, it takes two responsible people to make both happy.

Watch What You Say

One more thing, I have to warn you about some of the things that you CANNOT ask your tenant. There’s this little thing called the Federal Fair Housing Law or your state might have a separate one – it is a big legal no-no to not pay strict attention to it. Here it is in a nutshell – don’t discriminate! Here are some fairly blatant examples of what NOT to ask a tenant:

• Race – questions like ‘What race are you?’ or ‘Do you want to live with other minorities like you?’
• Color – ‘You have dark skin, are you Hispanic or Caucasian?’
• Religion – ‘I am a Buddhist, so I don’t want any Christmas decorations in your apartment’.
• Sex – ‘I would be glad to have more good-looking women like you here’.
• National Origin – ‘What is your first language?’ or ‘What country were you born in?’
• Familial Status – ‘I don’t want my tenants having kids’.
• Stupid Stuff – ‘A guy and his boyfriend might bother the others’ or ‘Are you divorced?’ or ‘Have you ever been arrested?’ because being ‘arrested’ and ‘convicted’ are very different. Additionally, you cannot only run background checks on select races or genders.

Don’t Be the Bad Guy (or Girl)

Now that you have let your tenants know that you will strictly enforce their lease, you can let them know you are not all that bad. There are ways that you can keep your tenant happy and even get them to work on your behalf (remember filling the potholes?).  Here are some ideas on how you can maintain happy tenants and keep that rent money filling up your mattress.

• Reward your tenants for longevity. No, I don’t mean give preference to the elderly. If they keep your rental property occupied, that is a benefit to you. (Flashback to dealing with security deposits, eviction, legal troubles, and you with a bottle of Jack). For example, you can write a provision in your lease that when they renew their lease, you will give them something special, such as a free carpet cleaning or an interior paint job. This rewards your tenant, and at the same time, it improves your rental property. Another idea (maybe the second year) you could offer to plant some trees or improve the exterior of their rental. Again this is a win-win situation – you get a happy tenant, renewal of your lease, and improve the value of your property at the same time! Each year think of something new that you can do as a longevity reward.

• Next, think of your tenant as a ‘good will ambassador’ for you. Maybe you can provide a financial bonus off a month’s rent if they bring in another tenant for you. Or maybe that incentive could benefit the new renter instead. Be sure that you can verify that the new tenant isn’t a result of your own marketing, and limit it to one or two tenants to protect yourself from abuse of your incentive. By the way, this incentive might also be something else, such as an upgraded appliance, Internet or networking upgrade, ceiling fan, or decorations. You’ll know what the tenants might want by actually spending some time ‘talking’ with them about what they would like to do to improve their ‘home’. Lack of communication is the main reason for so many divorces!

• If they are renting your house, maybe you can get them thinking about buying the home by creating monthly credits toward that purchase. This is different from a ‘lease to own’, which is an actual contract where rent payments go towards purchase of a home. The way that it is different is that a ‘credit’ is applied each time they pay rent on time. ‘On time’ is the key here, because this rewards the tenant for not being late. You’ll have to keep a ledger (available to the tenant) with these credit amounts. After a set time, say 5 years, they will be able to use the credit towards the purchase of the house. This helps keep your renter in the home, and gives them a goal to work towards. Not to mention the ‘on time’ clause … if they pay their rent late, the accrued credit goes away…zilch…nada. (I didn’t take Spanish in High School for nothing!) Then it starts over with the next on-time payment. This is just an idea for out-of-the-box thinking, but you’ll need to provide your tenants with the details and make sure everything is good and legal.

• One of the main reasons for tensions between landlords and tenants are the maintenance requests. This is where your lease is SO important. You only need to fix the things that you include on your lease agreement or those things which involve the health and safety of your tenants. That includes removal of pests (excluding children), locks, fire alarms, neighbors shooting guns, and unhealthy environments (think mold). Of course, things like backed up toilets, dripping faucets, broken ice makers and the like are things that may (or may not be) caused by tenant neglect. Generally you are obligated to fix those types of things, and that will keep your tenants very happy indeed (you hope). However, some tenants are pretty handy around the house, so one way to establish a good relationship is to let them do some minor repairs themselves. Do they do professional painting, plumbing or landscaping? Notice the word ‘professional’. They should be licensed and bonded for any work. But if they are, why not barter for some improvements on your property? Besides rent reduction, you can also wield some of the other incentives mentioned above. Non-professional work could include yard work, handing out flyers (for the non-technical or social media posting for others), installing hanging plants, minor painting or whatever your brilliant mind can conjure up. You’ll need to ok everything in writing and provide the materials in most cases.

Think Out of the Box

These are some things that will help you keep your tenants happy. There are many other things as well, but those fall in the category of ‘amenities’. If you manage an apartment complex, tenants have come to expect an exercise room, laundry facilities, pools, and common areas. But you can always take that one step further by providing a meet-and-greet on a regular basis, movie nights at the pool, or with each new tenant lease agreement signed, send out a ‘welcome’ on social media to the other tenants. Here are more ideas:

• Consider adding a common area for a dog park. It should be fenced, and separated into a ‘big dog’ area and ‘small dog’ area. If you really want to impress, add an obstacle course for the dogs. Be sure to add a sign upon entry that you are not responsible for anything that happens in that area. You don’t want to have to deal with little fluffy ‘Fi-Fi’ that got eaten by ‘Bruiser’. Draw the line on other pets like pigs, goats, horses, and tigers.

• Barbecue areas are popular with tenants, maybe with a horseshoe area (not for real horses, see above), rope toss, Bocce ball, or washer toss.

• Bike racks are a great idea. You tenants will appreciate not having to chain their bike to a tree, stair railing, or having to carrying their bike up 2 flights of stairs. Again be sure to post a ‘not responsible’ sign.

• We can’t get enough. Consider adding electronic entry, security cameras, online applications, online rent payments, an app to alert when laundry is done, or maybe something shiny that just looks like smart technology.

• Discount coupons or coupon books are popular. Contact the local businesses and see if they can provide your tenants with a coupon (available at your front desk), and in turn you might get a free meal or membership. Win-win.

Finally, be sure to keep your rental property clean, well maintained and communication open with your tenant. When you do that, you will have the type of tenant that will be loyal, timely, and together you will smooth over those ‘potholes’ in the road you are traveling on. Happy marriage!

 About the author:

Wayne Gathright is the President of W G Software, Inc., which produces the Tenant File Property Management Software.  The Tenant File is used by over 5,000 landlords, property managers, and owners of rental property. The Tenant File was founded in 1995, and now manages over 200,000 rental units. Wayne has written several books related to property management including ‘What ALL Landlords REALLY Need to KNOW’, and manages a number of other websites related to real estate sales and rentals, tenant management, and rental property.  In his spare time, Wayne is an award winning songwriter in Austin Texas. Visit the Tenant File at: https://www.TenantFile.com.

 

 

It’s all smiles and anticipation at first. The new tenant looking to start off in a new rental home, and the landlord looking forward to a good tenant that pays rent on time and takes care of the apartment. Then the nightmare begins – late rent, property damage, legal issues, and accusations. That’s the deadbeat tenant.

Some bad tenants are really, really good at it. They know the legal ropes and use them to their full advantage in order to stay in your rental as long as possible without having to pay rent. But there are precautions that you can take before, during and after their stay. Here is some advice for landlords on how to handle the situation.

1. Don’t rush the application process. Make sure the tenant has completely filled out everything, and that it is accurate. Ask to see their driver’s license and compare the birth dates and identification with what is on the application. The tenant could be using an alias to hide convictions or past rental history.

2. Be sure to run credit and background checks. Include criminal history, previous rental history, credit history, previous and current debts, sex offender, and more. If their debt is too high, they may not be able to afford your rent. Know how to read everything on the report and what the minimum credit rating should be for your tenant.

3. Call their family and employment references. You might consider asking if a family member would be willing to guarantee their lease to find out how much they really support the applicant. Be sure to ask a lot of questions.

4. Realize that you are not their close friend, you are their landlord. While it is always a good idea to be on a good basis with your tenant, you don’t want to be the one they count on to help them in a financial jam – that is where friends and family come in. They need to realize that as a landlord, you will have to evict them for non-payment of rent, although you will hear plenty of sob stories, both true and made up.

5. Their social media profile may be entirely different from their persona that you see. Check Facebook and Twitter to be sure that they are not using fake names or have a history of drugs or violence.

After they move in, you need to be sure that you protect yourself in case the worst happens.  That includes keeping multiple copies of their lease in a safe place, and documenting every call and issue that happens during their stay. If the rent is late, be sure to promptly send them notice and document any call, email, or note posted at the residence.

Once the legal deadline has passed and you have provided proper notices, you will need to go to your county courthouse, file the eviction notice and pay the fees to have legal notice service by the sheriff or process server. This can be expensive, but it is better than sitting for months without any income. Do not accept partial rent payments from the tenant, because that could start the entire process over again.

The tenant may claim that you did not follow the lease or provide needed repairs, so you really need to make sure that you document everything done throughout the entire stay, especially the move-in and move-out documentation. While you need to be firm in dealing with the tenant, you must also realize that communication should be open and you will need to decide if you will make any concessions at all.

Hopefully you can have a good (professional) relationship with your tenant and everything will work out well. However, planning for the deadbeat tenant may save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Unfortunately, late rent is a fact of life. While you would like to think that all of your tenants will pay rent on time every time, this sadly is not always the case. This is not always a huge deal. We all know that “life happens” and rent can sometimes be delayed, even with the most reliable tenants. If this starts to become a frequent issue – one that is causing you countless headaches – then certainly some steps need to be taken to correct the problem. This article will delve into some recommended ways for handling late rent.

 

Have A Policy Set Down In Writing

 

 

As with many issues when it comes to leasing out property, it is important to have a policy on late rent written down on the lease agreement itself. For one, this allows you to communicate your expectations to the tenant in no uncertain terms. Secondly, it gives you legal recourse if you feel that you are being taken advantage of. The way you handle late rent is up to you. Perhaps a daily fee will be charged after a certain grace period (say, five days). You want a policy that will not scare off most potential tenants, but that will help ensure that your rent money comes in at the beginning of the month, every month. This is, after all, your income. You deserve to receive it on time!

 

Encourage Your Tenants To Set Up Automatic Payments

 

One great way to cut down on late payments is to set up automatic payments. This is more convenient for you and the tenant. With an auto payment set up, the rent will deduct from the tenant’s account and go straight to yours—no need to deal with checks or money orders. Most importantly, you will not receive a late payment because the tenant forgot that it was the first of the month. It is important to let the tenant know that the money needs to be in their account when the automatic payment is due. If they don’t want to set up auto payments, encourage them to at least set up an online bill pay option. They have to remember to submit the payment every month, but at least you will not have to deal with checks. By purchasing some good landlord software, you can give your tenant the option of using automatic payments/online bill pay.

 

Stick To Your Guns

 

As mentioned before, things happen. Sometimes a tenant will have a legitimate emergency that prevents them from paying the rent on time. If this happens habitually though, it is likely that the tenant is taking advantage of you. This is why it is important to charge the late fees that were agreed upon in the lease. In extreme cases, eviction may even be necessary. An eviction isn’t a pleasant experience for any of the parties involved, but if rent is consistently late, it may be best to start over with a new, more reliable tenant.

If you have been a landlord long enough, chances are you have seen your fair share of bad tenants. You have likely dealt with late rent, domestic disturbances, noise complaints, perhaps even destruction of property. You might even be at your wit’s end, wondering where on earth you are going to find a stable, reliable tenant. Do not lose hope! Good tenants are out there, and with the right knowledge and resources, you can find them. This article will offer some pointers on how to ensure that all of your tenants will be an ideal fit for your property.

 

Use Technology To Your Advantage

 

An important step in this process of finding the ideal tenant is screening potential applicants. In this case, it pays to utilize technology. By installing rental property management software on your computer, you greatly increase the tools in your screening arsenal. Such software allows you to run a credit check, a criminal background check, and previous rental history. Knowing this information upfront alleviates the three major concerns that most landlords have: that the tenant pays their debts (and isn’t bogged down with excess bills), that the tenant is a law-abiding citizen, and that the tenant has not caused any issues at other apartments. If the background check raises any red flags, do not hesitate to move on and keep looking. Don’t settle!

 

Be Deliberate With Your Ad Placement

 

 

One good way to attract good tenants is to let good tenants know what you are offering them. This is why it is important to get the word out there regarding your property. Promote your amenities, your location, and the great deals that tenants will get by renting your property. To attract the ideal tenants, it is important to be deliberate about where you are placing these ads. Putting up fliers all over town, or using classified sites like Craigslist will likely attract any and all types, including scammers. Try advertising in more exclusive places, like real-estate guides and websites, or lifestyle magazines. Yes, you will spend more money advertising this way, but having stable tenants in all of your units makes the investment pay off.

 

Wait For Your Check To Clear

 

If you have found a tenant who has signed your lease and given you a check, congratulations! You may be tempted to take down your listing at this point. This is not recommended. While it may be tempting to just relax and know your apartment is rented, you should wait for the check to clear first. While we would like to think the best of people, the truth is that checks bounce, issues arise, and the tenant we thought we were getting ends up being way different than what we expected. Take down your listing and remove your advertisements once the money is in your hand. Trust us, this will save you many headaches. If it turns out you are not getting the money that you thought you were, at least you are in prime position to get another tenant.

If you are a landlord, then maintaining and repairing property for your tenants is a fact of life. Many landlords prefer to let someone else handle the necessary repairs–either superintendents or service companies. While this option can certainly free up a lot of time for the landlord, it can be quite costly. Consider increasing your profit margins by tackling repair projects on your own: adopt the “do it yourself” mentality. While this might see like an intimidating prospect, it is certainly manageable.  Even if you are not exceptionally handy, you will find that most repairs are easy to handle with the right tools and instruction. This article will point you to some resources that will allow you to take a DIY approach to property repairs.

 

 

Hit The Computer To Do Your Research

 

The computer is a great tool for learning how to handle DIY projects around your property. Sites like Youtube have countless videos on how to handle any type of project, whether it involves plumbing, lighting, appliance repair, or any other type of repair that you can imagine. There are also many home improvement websites that provide thorough and helpful information on DIY repairs. By reading the helpful information on these sites, looking at illustrations, and watching videos, you can become a property repair expert much sooner than you might think.

 

Keeping Track Of What Needs To Be Done

 

One of the most difficult aspects of property repair, especially at a large apartment complex, is keeping track of all your work orders and knowing the status of all of your repairs. One convenient, hi-tech solution is to buy software for landlords that greatly helps you track and organize these items. When a tenant puts in a request for you to fix a broken sink, or repair a refrigerator – for example – you can put this work order in and close it out when the job is finished. If the work orders start to pile up, you can be confident that they are all organized and accounted for. If you do end up having to outsource any work, a good work order program will allow you to instantly create checks and email service providers. It is extremely handy having all work order and vendor information in one place.

 

Use Your Own Determination: Do Not Give Up

 

Yes, you might sometimes feel that you are in over your head with repairs, especially at first. Even after watching all of the right videos and learning the tricks of the trade, you may find that some of the repair projects that you take on are beyond your skillset and expertise. Do not give up though! Like everything else, this is a learning process, and you will not be an expert handyman within a day. You might find yourself having to outsource many projects, but try to handle what projects you can. Experience is the greatest teacher you will find, and eventually you will notice that the repairs are getting easier and easier.

Consider Investing In A Rental Property To Supplement Your Income In A Huge Way

If you are looking for a surefire way to increase your income, maybe save some extra money for retirement, consider investing in a rental property. The idea might seem a bit overwhelming – perhaps you never envisioned yourself as a landlord – but rental properties are a safe and increasingly popular investment for people from all walks of life. Given the reliability of the real estate market over time, you are bound to see big returns on your investment. If you are considering this investment, but need a little more convincing, read further. This article will list the many benefits of owning a rental property.

You Will See A Return On Your Investment

There is an element of volatility in all markets, but over time, real estate has been proven to have some of the steadiest gains of any market. Ask anyone who has owned a home for a long time what they paid for it thirty or forty years ago, and what it is worth now. Chances are, the value has gone way up. Buying a rental property means that you will likely make huge profits when you finally do decide to sell. It also means that you will likely be able to increase your rents each year. This is especially true in a big city. In some of the hottest rental markets, the price of rent exceeds the value of a mortgage for a comparable unit! By investing in a rental property, you can make a sizable income upfront, and earn huge resale value down the line–the best of both worlds!

You Are Not Committed For the Long Haul

Another great advantage of owning an income property is that you have great flexibility regarding the length of your investment. If, after a few years, you find that being a landlord is not what you had imagined, you can always sell the property—likely for more than you paid for it. This gives you great freedom of choice regarding your investment. If, however, you do feel like holding onto the property for years, you are free to do that as well. The timing is all up to you.

Your Money Is Not Tied Up

With many investments, it can take a long time until you actually recoup your return. Perhaps you have money sitting in some portfolio, that you cannot deduct without a penalty. When you own a rental property – and especially if that property has zero vacancies – you will receive a steady income every single month. If that income is greater than what you pay for mortgage and upkeep, you have profits rolling in on a monthly basis. With the right lease management software, that money can be deposited straight to your bank account! If you would like to increase your profit margin even more, you can choose to live in a unit on your property. Many landlords choose to live on-site. Not only can this save you money—it will allow you to get to know your tenants and become more actively involved with your property.