Property Management Kit For Dummies

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