For years now I have been trying to educate the courts and the media as to who we (landlords) really are. When asked, most will respond by saying that Landords are greedy people who care nothing about the tenant, but only about the money. In other words, they view us as the "Dastardly Landlord".

The courts, the media, and the tenants believe that landlords have rental properties that look like this.

 And like this

When in actuality we are just business people with families trying to make a living like everyone else.

And who have properties that look like this

Or like this

But unless we get educated as to how to run a rental business or property management company, properly, the courts and the media and the tenants and the neighbors and even our family and friends will always view us as the Dastardly Landlord. And it has been my mission for almost 20 years to change that mindset.

In order to do that, landlords need to get educated on the tenant/landlord laws of their states so that they know what they can do and not do and how to represent themselves in court to where the Judge admires you!

You start off by doing the following:

*Know your area-where to invest

*Cash Flow

*Exit Plan

*Know your City Ordinances - Certificate of Occupancy/Acceptance

*Blight and what it means

*Office Setup

*Role Responsibility

*How to handle evictions

*How to keep tenants long term

*Treat this business as a business, e.g., don't love your house!~

*Learn how to advertise and dont' say words you can't say

*Screen your applicants on the phone, and at the open house.

*Screen with your eyes and with your ears

*How do you do an Open House

*Have an application form - have a criteria- make sure it's legal

*Do credit checks ALWAYS

*Select your tenant

*Study what a Section 8 Tenant involves

*Read my Tenant Phase Article

*The First Month is the Happy Phase

*The Second Month is Adjusting Phase

*The Third Month is the Testing Phase

*The Fourth Month is the Comfort Phase

*After the first year - is the Stable Phase

*The Last Phase is the Moving Phase...the most dangerous phase of them all!

*Training your Tenants

*Types of Leases: Written - Verbal - Annual - Monthly

*Co Signers

*Lease Agreement - How long - What should be in them -- Legal!

*Landlord/Tenant Relationship - important for keeping tenants long term

*The Emotionally aspects of doing an eviction.

*Know your legal forms and how to use them!!!!!

*Send that notice to quit out on the very first day rent is late. Dont' be a Whimp!!!!

*What's it like going to court?

All the things I talk about here are in my book, The Landlord's Guide to a Successful Business.

Nancy Neville, Landlord Consultant, Author