Before Owning Rental Property You Must Know These Crucial Facts

Owning rental property can be highly rewarding if you know what it takes to become a successful landlord. Learn the important steps to manage your tenant and rental property with this landlord guide.

Step 1: Find New Tenants for Your Rental Property

After buying your rental property, the first crucial thing is to make sure it doesn't remain vacant. If you want to make money by owning rental property, you will need tenants for rental income.

Effective and common ways of finding new tenants include making use of "for rent" signs, advertising in the local newspaper and word of mouth recommendations. If you are willing to give up about 5 to 10% of your rent, you can also hire a licensed real estate agent to find your tenants.

Step 2: Interview and Pick Reliable, Rent-Paying Tenants


Recent studies have shown that choosing the right tenant can help you avoid up to 80% of your future headaches. There are 2 major steps in this landlord guide when it comes to picking your dream tenant: Credit checks and tenant interviews

When it comes to owning rental property, credit checks mean getting your hands on the credit report of potential tenants. The credit reports will give you a good idea of whether someone is willing and able to pay you the rent.

Tenant interviews are effective for choosing pleasant and cooperative people as your tenant. For the first round of interviews, you should screen your tenants on the telephone. For those short listed ones, you can meet them for face to face interviews and take the chance to show them around your rental property.

Step 3: Sign Your Rental Agreement and Collect Rent from Your Tenants

Now that you have found your perfect tenant, it's time to seal the deal with a written rental agreement. This is a very important landlord document so make sure that you read a good landlord guide on what needs to go into a proper and watertight rental agreement (such as type of tenancy, duration of stay and terms of your lease)

Collecting rent has to be one of the best part of owning rental property but you will have to know how to handle it correctly to enjoy regular rent payments. Make sure you and your tenant agree on a date and method of collecting rent. Most landlords accept their rent by cash, checks or Paypal.

Step 4: Keep Your Rental Property in Shape with Repairs

Owning rental property also means having to maintain in habitable condition according to your local housing safety and health standards. When it comes to property repairs, it's important to know whether the landlord or tenant is responsible for footing the repair bills.

If the rental property needs maintenance and repairs due to daily wear and tear, then it's your responsibility as a landlord to ensure that it is in a livable condition. However if the property damage is caused by your tenant due to neglect or abuse on his part, he will be the one forking out money for the repairs.

Step 5: End Your Rental Agreement Smoothly and Legally


How you can end your rental agreement depends largely on whether you have a periodic tenancy or a fixed term tenancy. With a periodic tenancy you will be allowed to end your tenancy by informing your tenants 30 to 60 days in advance. For a fixed term lease you can only end when it expires unless you have your tenant agrees to it.

Sometimes owning rental property means have to deal with nightmare tenants who don't pay you rent or breaks the terms of your rental agreement. Before you can file your eviction lawsuit, you have to give your tenant a written eviction notice giving him a last chance to clean up his mess.

Teo Zhenjie has been showing landlords how to manage their tenants and rental properties effectively on Propertydo http://www.propertydo.com/ - To learn more important tips on owning rental property, visit his website today for step-by-step real estate guides, free resources and forms.

Teo Zhenjie

Teo Zhenjie has been showing landlords how to manage their tenants and rental properties effectively on Propertydo.com http://www.propertydo.com/ - Visit his website today for step-by-step real estate guides, free resources and forms.

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Best Location: Investing in Rental Property? Maximize Your Income with These 5 Tips

If you are thinking about investing in property which you can rent out there are a number of things that you can do to make sure the property that you buy is a good investment and secondly that the property is always rented out.

The way to maximize your income is to make sure that you observe this formula:

Maximum income = (Highest rent + lowest default + lowest maintenance) x 12 months

How do you get all these things?- well its not easy otherwise everyone would be doing it, however here are 5 top tips that should put you in the best place to achieve your investment objectives.

1. Look for Economic Redevelopment Zones

Watch the national and local news for areas that have been really run down but something big has happened. It could be the announcement of a new Super Casino, new high speed rail link into a big city, the creation of a large inward investment -- think of what happened to property investments in Atlanta,GA when that city hosted the 1996 Olympics.

The development of a town as a commuter hub, the re-development of inner city areas into fashionable places to live are all great places to invest. Once the development starts happening, the Starbucks, Borders, banks and bistros all follow. For today's urban professional these are places that they will want to live- delivering good demand forcing rents higher and reducing the rest of rental vacancy periods.

2. College Towns

Places that are college or university towns are always high on any investors check list. Not only do they guarantee a regular influx of prospective tenants, the youth and energy of students rubs off on the rest of the town- they are happening places with loads of things to do, fun places to eat and good sports facilities.

University "towns" such as Columbus, OH (Ohio State), Tempe, AZ (Arizona State), or Austin, TX (University of Texas) represent solid places to invest as there will always be fresh potential tenants.

The one potential downside is that sometimes students may have difficulty in the transition from having good ole' Mom taking care of everything to taking care of that cleaning and cooking gig-- so check out your students to avoid high maintenance costs!

3. Commuter Towns

These towns may not be the prettiest but their very location means that they are always going to sought out by those workers who need to be within commuting distance of the work but either don't want to or can't afford to live nearer to their work. Places located near to Interstate intersections, great rail stations, local commuter airports, even ferry stations (think Staten Island!) are always going to be chosen by people who need to commute. The presence of the infrastructure allows them to commute further, quicker and more efficiently.

An additional investment benefit here is that as the prices of property nearer to the workplace rise, the value of your property will rise as workers look farther away to get the right accommodation for the money that they are prepared to pay.

4. The State Capital or a Regional Hub

The demand for property in a capital hub city is generally higher that the amount of property available for purchase or rent so although the costs of purchasing such a property may be high, you will be rewarded by high levels of demand, consistent levels of demand and good capital growth.

Look at neighborhoods within the city that have traditionally been seen as the poorer parts as renters will consider these areas which offer better value for money.

5. Your Own Stomping Ground

It's always worth considering places closer to home. Buying a place next door or just down the street from where you live may seem a strange idea but think about it- you know the place, the neighborhood, the facilities and the sort of people who would be your target market.

Having a place that you can literally keep an eye on and act as your own management agency will reduce your operating costs. Even if you decide to employ a management company to manage the property, a local property allows you to keep a watch on how they are taking care of your investment. Having a local property can be less stressful and time-consuming.

Keep these five principles in mind while doing thorough research before buying. Reviewing historical property price, number of residents and location can help you maximize the gain that you will have from reaping the rewards of your investment.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/


About the Author

Glen Franklin is a partner in Community Insight LLC, which operates www.MyDreamLocale.com. MyDreamLocale.com helps you find best places in your price range, compare cost of living and get real estate, school, demographic statistics for locales across the US. Relocation advice you can use.

Read more!

Best Location: Investing in Rental Property? Maximize Your Income with These 5 Tips

If you are thinking about investing in property which you can rent out there are a number of things that you can do to make sure the property that you buy is a good investment and secondly that the property is always rented out.

The way to maximize your income is to make sure that you observe this formula:

Maximum income = (Highest rent + lowest default + lowest maintenance) x 12 months

How do you get all these things?- well its not easy otherwise everyone would be doing it, however here are 5 top tips that should put you in the best place to achieve your investment objectives.

1. Look for Economic Redevelopment Zones

Watch the national and local news for areas that have been really run down but something big has happened. It could be the announcement of a new Super Casino, new high speed rail link into a big city, the creation of a large inward investment -- think of what happened to property investments in Atlanta,GA when that city hosted the 1996 Olympics.

The development of a town as a commuter hub, the re-development of inner city areas into fashionable places to live are all great places to invest. Once the development starts happening, the Starbucks, Borders, banks and bistros all follow. For today's urban professional these are places that they will want to live- delivering good demand forcing rents higher and reducing the rest of rental vacancy periods.

2. College Towns

Places that are college or university towns are always high on any investors check list. Not only do they guarantee a regular influx of prospective tenants, the youth and energy of students rubs off on the rest of the town- they are happening places with loads of things to do, fun places to eat and good sports facilities.

University "towns" such as Columbus, OH (Ohio State), Tempe, AZ (Arizona State), or Austin, TX (University of Texas) represent solid places to invest as there will always be fresh potential tenants.

The one potential downside is that sometimes students may have difficulty in the transition from having good ole' Mom taking care of everything to taking care of that cleaning and cooking gig-- so check out your students to avoid high maintenance costs!

3. Commuter Towns

These towns may not be the prettiest but their very location means that they are always going to sought out by those workers who need to be within commuting distance of the work but either don't want to or can't afford to live nearer to their work. Places located near to Interstate intersections, great rail stations, local commuter airports, even ferry stations (think Staten Island!) are always going to be chosen by people who need to commute. The presence of the infrastructure allows them to commute further, quicker and more efficiently.

An additional investment benefit here is that as the prices of property nearer to the workplace rise, the value of your property will rise as workers look farther away to get the right accommodation for the money that they are prepared to pay.

4. The State Capital or a Regional Hub

The demand for property in a capital hub city is generally higher that the amount of property available for purchase or rent so although the costs of purchasing such a property may be high, you will be rewarded by high levels of demand, consistent levels of demand and good capital growth.

Look at neighborhoods within the city that have traditionally been seen as the poorer parts as renters will consider these areas which offer better value for money.

5. Your Own Stomping Ground

It's always worth considering places closer to home. Buying a place next door or just down the street from where you live may seem a strange idea but think about it- you know the place, the neighborhood, the facilities and the sort of people who would be your target market.

Having a place that you can literally keep an eye on and act as your own management agency will reduce your operating costs. Even if you decide to employ a management company to manage the property, a local property allows you to keep a watch on how they are taking care of your investment. Having a local property can be less stressful and time-consuming.

Keep these five principles in mind while doing thorough research before buying. Reviewing historical property price, number of residents and location can help you maximize the gain that you will have from reaping the rewards of your investment.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

About the Author

Glen Franklin is a partner in Community Insight LLC, which operates www.MyDreamLocale.com. MyDreamLocale.com helps you find best places in your price range, compare cost of living and get real estate, school, demographic statistics for locales across the US. Relocation advice you can use.

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Ways To Pick The Right Rental Property

Before you think about buying, you want to be able to pick the right rental property. Selecting your rental property carefully can save you so much money in the long run. Along with that, it can save you a lot of extra repairs and all sorts of nagging problems.

Always remember location is your number one priority. No matter if its with rental properties or dealing with buying homes. When you select your rental property with care look for rental properties were people need to live, such as around colleges or within easy access to parking, highways, and public transportation.


You must do your best to avoid areas with a high crime rate. An area with a high crime rate will not only reduce the marketing value of your property but also scare away the better tenants leaving you with less desirable tenants who are more likely to damage your property or skip out of paying rent. I'm not saying thats alway the case but it's possible.

Always keep it simple starting out with rental properties. Start with single family homes, duplexes, and four unit apartment buildings because these properties provide the ideal combination of size and manageability until you're ready to take on bigger properties.

Larger apartment complexes might be more profitable, but they can be difficult to manage for someone just getting started in real estate investing. Most of the time starting off larger will work if you're partnering up with someone else with the same desires as you.

You must watch out for buildings made up primarily of one bedroom apartments because they attract single people which generally translates into a much higher turnover rate. Every time someone vacate your property, you have to clean the unit, including the carpets. Sometimes you have to replace the carpeting and repair appliances.

One bedroom apartments can also be more tough to rent because people are generally willing to pay less by sharing a two bedroom apartment. Vacancies are a cost that you don't pay for directly, but you lose whenever the unit stays vacant. When you're investing in real estate just make sure you select your rental properties with care and save yourself problems in the long run.

By: Corobo

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Colon Bolden is a full time internet marketer who works with other industry leading internet marketers from around the world. He specializes in helping others succeed in marketing online home businesses. For more information on continuous ways to profit other than the same traditional way, visit www.wenetprofitsglobal.com

Find more : singapore rental , rental property , properties in Singapore , rental in Singapore , rental Singapore

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10 Questions To Ask Your Property Managment Agency

While most property investors spend a huge amount of effort and energy finding the right property to purchase, they rarely spend the time looking for a good property manager. This is asking for trouble! A good property manager is like an insurance policy on your investment. The main criteria most landlords use to select their managing agency is price alone. This is very short sighted. As the old saying goes ‘you get what you pay for’. A cheap rental real estate agency will typically be operated by over worked staff trying to manage hundred of properties, constantly chasing their tail to keep up with the basics. A dedicated property management agency will ensure that your investment property is thoroughly managed. Your property should receive a higher level of service; more time spent on tenant selection, market research and scheduled inspections. This will ensure that your property is looked after, leased to the most appropriate tenants and achieved the highest rental yield possible.

Some property owners even try to manage their property themselves assuming that property management is simply collecting rent. Property manager’s job is much more than this. A good property manager should:
- Understand the current local real estate market, market forces and how to market your property effectively.
- Price the rent on your property at the right level to quickly rent out investment.
- Perform thorough tenant checks and background checks.
- Write up a comprehensive lease to protect the landlord.
- Lodge a bond on behalf of the landlord, to the authorities.
- Handle all repairs on the property, using only qualified tradesmen.
- Pay insurances, council rates and outgoing on behalf of the property owner.
- Keep up to date on complex and constantly changing legal issues.


Below is a list of 10 questions you should ask your property management agency before signing up for their services.

1. Is the real estate agency a specialised property management firm? Many real estate agencies offer property management as an after thought to the sales team. Property managers are seen as unimportant and are often overworked, looking after much too many properties badly instead of a smaller number effectively.
2. Does the agency have local real estate knowledge and experience? Local rental market knowledge is critical in achieving the lowest vacancy rates and achieving the maximum rental price.
3. Will I receive regular updates on my property? A good property management agency should keep the landlord well informed about their investment at all stages of the leasing process.
4. Will I be assigned one dedicated property manager to deal with? Make sure that you are assigned only one property manager to deal with so that you can achieve an open and communicative relationship.
5. Will my property manager attend court on my behalf? Your rental property manager should manage all aspects of your rental property, including attending court on your behalf if need be.
6. How many properties do your property managers manage? Some mainstream agencies assign up to 300 properties to their property managers. This is much too many for an effective job to be done. Regular inspections, negotiating the best rent, keeping up to date with the property market all take a lot of time and energy. At most we suggest that 100 is the maximum properties a rental agent can effectively manage.
7. Does your agency make regular rental increases on your property? A good property manager should be informed about the rental market and understand what the optimum rent achievable is for your house, unit or apartment.
8. Is the managing director/rental agency owner involved in the property management agency on a day-to-day basis? A well-run rental real estate agency should have the director highly involved in the day to day running of the business.
9. Do you do thorough checks on potential tenants to avoid my house/unit being rented out to bad tenants? All investment property owners should be informed about all lease applicants and their background before deciding on who are the best tenants to lease their property too.
10. Is your agency up to date with the latest Internet advertising media? With all sort of social media around now days, it wpould be waste not to take advantage of these advertising avenues. Make sure your agent is maximising your properties exposure, therefore minimising your vacancy rates.

Just Rent Sydney would answer yes to all of the above!

Just Rent Sydney can handle the transfer of your rental property from your current real estate agency over to us without you having to be involved, making the transition seamless and easy.
Make the smart move.

By: Just Rent Sydney Real Estate Agency

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Just Rent Sydney are Property Management specialsits Sydney. www.justrentsydney.com.au

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