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