Property Management Kit For Dummies

Learn to: Prepare your rental for tenants Make your property stand out from the pack Find and retain the best tenants More than 250 sample contracts, checklists, and operational tools on the CD Become a landlord and successfully manage your properties Do you have what it takes to manage rental property? In Property Management Kit For Dummies you'll discover the right way to prepare your properties for prospective tenants, set the rent and security deposit, clean up properties between tenants, and verify rental applications. In no time at all, you can become a top-notch property manager by working efficiently with employees and contractors to keep your properties safe, secure, and profitable. Consider hands-on management — evaluate your skills and personality to determine whether you should manage your property yourself or hire a management professional Get down to the nitty-gritty — prepare the property for renting, create a reasonable rental contract, develop a comprehensive marketing and advertising campaign, and select tenants wisely Manage your rental — get strategies for moving tenants in and out, collecting and increasing rent, retaining tenants, and dealing with pesky tenants Assemble the right team — discover how to interview, screen, and hire the best employees and contractors to keep your property well-maintained and running smoothly Money, money, money — discover the ins and outs of insurance, taxes, and ways you can increase your income beyond rent Open the book and find: Tips on managing your property yourself or hiring a pro The lowdown on rent, security deposits, and rental contracts Ways you can generate interest in your rental property online and using social media Troubleshooting advice for rent collection problems and housing discrimination complaints How to deal with vacancies, renovations, open houses, evictions, and more State-by-state laws and strategies for handling landlord-tenant issues CD Includes More than 250 forms, including sample contracts and addendums, property inspection checklists, a real estate glossary, and other valuable tools for simplifying day-to-day operations See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Introduction  1 Part I: So You Want to Be a Landlord?  7 Chapter 1: Property Management 101 9 Chapter 2: Do You Have What It Takes to Manage Your Own Rental Property? 21 Chapter 3: Managing Your Property Yourself or Hiring a Pro 33 Chapter 4: Taking Over the Property 47 Part II: Renting Your Property  57 Chapter 5: Getting Your Rental Property Ready for Prospective Tenants 59 Chapter 6: The Big Three of Property Management: Rent, Security Deposits, and Rental Contracts 77 Chapter 7: FOR RENT: Generating Interest in Your Rental 95 Chapter 8: Handling Prospects When They Come A’Calling 125 Chapter 9: Strutting Your Stuff: Making Your Property Stick Out 147 Chapter 10: Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo: Selecting Your Tenants 167 Part III: The Brass Tacks of Managing Rentals  195 Chapter 11: Moving In the Tenants 197 Chapter 12: Collecting and Increasing Rent 219 Chapter 13: Keeping the Good Tenants (And Your Sanity) 235 Chapter 14: Dealing with Problem Tenants 245 Chapter 15: Moving Out the Tenants 261 Part IV: Techniques and Tools for Managing the Property  275 Chapter 16: Working with Employees and Contractors 277 Chapter 17: Maintaining the Property 291 Chapter 18: Keeping Safety and Security in Mind 307 Part V: Money, Money, Money!  327 Chapter 19: Two Necessities of Property Management: Insurance and Taxes 329 Chapter 20: Financial Management and Record–Keeping 341 Chapter 21: Finding New Ways to Increase Your Cash Flow 353 Part VI: The Part of Tens  373 Chapter 22: Ten Reasons to Become a Rental Property Owner 375 Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Rent Your Vacancy 379 Appendix: About the CD  385 Index  393

Robert S. Griswold, MBA, is a successful real estate investor and property manager with a large portfolio of residential and commercial rental properties. He is the real estate expert for NBC San Diego, the lead columnist for the nationally syndicated columns "Rental Roundtable" and "Rental Forum," and co-author of Real Estate Investing For Dummies.