Prior to entering the note business, I was a landlord, owning a couple properties and renting them for about 12 years. I did everything myself, learned as I went along, and of course, made a lot of mistakes.
When I began my note business, I realized all the similarities to being a landlord. The basic mistakes are the same and doing things the right way are also the same.
Few years ago I came across an article from Scott Trench, CEO of BiggerPockets.com, where he outlined some key mistakes that new landlords make.
Here are 7 mistakes that new landlords need to avoid:
- Not treating being a landlord as a business
- Underestimating costs
- Not valuing your time
- No consistent screening process
- Getting too friendly with tenants
- Not keeping up with law changes
- Know your neighbors
If you are on the verge of being a landlord for the 1st time, hope these ideas will help you avoid mistakes that could cost you a lot of money and grief. Being a landlord is a business and needs to be treated as such.