7

May

Rental Income – Six Ways To Protect It

by Derek Weeks - Denver Realtor
Published in: Owning Rental properties

Right now in the Denver real estate market there are many homes for sale due to the high number of foreclosures. If you want a great rental investment then you should contact a real estate agent and ask if you can see the Denver homes for sale. It is important to protect your rental income because if you property is not rented then you will lose money on your real estate investment. Here are some tips on how to protect your rental income:

The first thing that you need to do is to thoroughly understand the rental process. You need to assess the neighborhood and see how to market your property to the right tenants. If the property is near a road in a bad neighborhood then it is not a good idea to market your property to families because they are more likely to move out because it is a safety issue. If the neighborhood is in an area known for crime then investing in a security fence, deadbolt locks, and a security system can be a good investment. This shows prospective tenants that you care and helps to protect your property from criminals.

The second thing that you need to do is to ask prospective tenants the right questions; you need to have a good idea about the lifestyle and personality of the people that you rent to. For instance, renting to college seniors might not be a good idea because they will graduate and move out; you should look for long term renters that are settled down and have a stable form of income. You should ask about income, marital status, credit history, previous addresses, previous landlords, and if the tenants have children or pets.

The third thing that you need to do is to always try to keep your apartment occupied. You can do this by avoid month to month leases in favor of one year leases. This helps to ensure that even if the tenant breaks the lease early that you will have their security deposit. One term leases are good and you can send out a renewal lease three months prior to see if your tenants want to renew their lease for another year. If they do not want to renew the lease then you have three months to find new tenants for your property.

The fourth thing that you need to do is to be an involved landlord many landlords delay making repairs and do not talk to their tenants at all. You need to be involved in the upkeep of your property so that it looks great and satisfies your tenants. If your tenants know you then they are will be less likely to avoid paying their rent or moving to another location in the area.

The fifth thing that you need to do is to have a good network of friends and relatives so that if there is a vacancy it can be filled very quickly. Everyone has a friend or acquaintance that needs a new place to live so making these connections can really pay off for you.

The sixth thing that you need to do is to try to keep the rent amount the same unless you are getting a new tenant. Renters do not like to have their rents increased every year so try as hard as you can to keep the rent stabilized so that people do not have to vacate the property due to financial reasons.

Hopefully these tips will help you protect your rental income; there are great Denver homes for sale so you should get out there and buy before the Denver real estate market starts booming again.

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