--- title: Advice for the First-Time Landlord description: Most tenants are nice people who need a place to live. A few bad experiences, though, can sour a new landlord. Here are some suggestions for anyone considering investment property ownership. image: https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/Landlord_handing_over_keys.jpg --- [![MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png?width=464&name=MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png "MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2")](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Insurance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Insurance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) ### Posts by Topic - [Personal Finance (262)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Home (164)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Life Changes (109)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Credit Cards (92)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Security (74)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Credit Score (69)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Auto (60)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Checking (54)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/checking) - [Business (48)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Investments (36)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) - [Mortgage (32)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/mortgage) - [Savings (29)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/savings) - [Scams (29)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/scams) - [Work (28)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/work) - [Debt (25)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/debt) - [Holidays (25)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/holidays) - [Money Management (22)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/money-management) - [Hanscom FCU (21)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/hanscom-fcu) - [Home Ownership (21)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home-ownership) - [Credit Report (20)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-report) - [Government (20)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/government) - [Home Equity (18)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home-equity) - [Budget (17)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/budget) - [Mobile Banking (17)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/mobile-banking) - [Investment Property (16)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investment-property) - [Saving Money (16)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/saving-money) - [Insurance (15)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - [Taxes (15)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/taxes) - [Children (13)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/children) - [College (11)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/college) - [Financial Wellness (11)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/financial-wellness) - [Retirement (11)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/retirement) - [Community (10)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/community) - [Online Banking (10)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/online-banking) - [Estate Planning (8)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/estate-planning) - [COVID (7)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/covid) - [Deals (7)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/deals) - [Death (7)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/death) - [Shopping (7)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/shopping) - [Fraud (6)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/fraud) - [Mass Save (6)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/mass-save) - [Teens (6)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/teens) - [Divorce (5)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/divorce) - [Travel (5)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/travel) - [ATM (4)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/atm) - [Baby (4)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/baby) - [Debit Cards (3)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/debit-cards) - [Motorcycles (3)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/motorcycles) - [Weddings (3)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/weddings) - [Boats (2)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/boats) - [Charity (2)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/charity) - [Family Finance (2)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/family-finance) - [Lending (2)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/lending) - [Credit Unions (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-unions) - [Green (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/green) - [Medical (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/medical) - [Pets (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/pets) - [dormant account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/dormant-account) - [inactive account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/inactive-account) # Advice for the First-Time Landlord ** [Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/author/hanscom-federal-credit-union) ** Jun 15, 2016 ![Landlord_handing_over_keys.jpg](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/Landlord_handing_over_keys.jpg) ### Considering investment property ownership? Here are a few tips. When I left the world of running large data centers to manage properties, I thought the transition would be relatively simple. My partners for my new adventure already owned 200 residential “doors” and 140,000 square feet of commercial space so they had critical mass. Answering tenant calls, I thought, would be just like running an information technology Help Desk – something I knew how to do. But there is always room to learn, and learn I did. Over the next several years, I managed as many as 600 rental units. The most important thing I learned is that most tenants are nice people who need a place to live for a fair rent. A few bad experiences, though, can sour a new landlord, and that is why I offer some suggestions here for anyone considering buying investment property and entering into Life as a Landlord.  1. **Know your tenants. **Always meet your tenants and set expectations around landlord and tenant responsibilities. Check your prospective tenants’ credit using resources like [com](http://www.mrlandlord.com) or other automated resident screening software.  1. **It takes time to sustain profitability in a property. **Whenever you buy an investment property, a period of stabilization is required. Keep up with the property maintenance. It is far less expensive over the long run to maintain a property than it is to repair a property. Arthur Deych, Broker/Owner of Red Tree Real Estate said, “Take a property in need of mostly cosmetic renovation and give yourself at least a year or so to raise the rents to the level required to make it a ‘successful investment.’ Investment property takes time to cultivate the right renovation, the right tenants and the right rents.” > And when tenants see that the landlord cares, they will generally take better care of the property.  1. **Collect your rents**. This may seem obvious, and it should be. But some people look at rent as optional if they are in a pinch. Let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating than paying a mortgage on a building where the tenant(s) are not paying their rent. > There are many excuses for not paying rent. “My car broke down,” “I needed to see the doctor and couldn’t work,” and “My check is late” are just some of the rationale tenants have shared. The truth is, you need to draw a hard line. Your bank isn’t going to be understanding if you can’t pay the mortgage.  1. **Keep utilities separate**. Whenever possible, keep the utilities (water, electric and gas) separate. Often, buildings have varying degrees of separation such as a single water bill and separate electric. Most water bills are predictable, and if you see a wild swing you can immediately find that leaking toilet in the building. > It is important, I found, to keep the heat separated. There is little more frustrating than arriving at a building where you (as the landlord) are paying for heat and see the indoor temperature being regulated by open windows. By having your tenants pay for heat, the costs will be self-regulating.  1. **Know your property. **Real estate is about knowing your numbers, and understanding ratios of income to expenses on various elements. Run your numbers and consider many “what if” scenarios.  1. **Expect surprises.** Issues happen (floods, power issues, leaks). They need to be responded to appropriately (a “no heat” call in the dead of winter, for example, needs attention). Consider whether you have the correct insurance, manpower and funding available to cover emergencies.  To learn more about financing and owning investment property, [contact Phil Purcell](mailto:ppurcell@hfcu.org), Hanscom FCU Vice President of Commercial Lending. For answers to commonly asked questions about investment properties, download our free [*Investment Property Ownership eGuide*](https://go.hfcu.org/is-investment-property-ownership-right-for-you). [![large CTA button to download Hanscom FCU investment property guide](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118438/d6374387-115f-4825-b501-464f4a1a1641.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118438/d6374387-115f-4825-b501-464f4a1a1641) ** [Investments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) [** How We Paid Off $70,000 in Debt in 5 Years ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/how-we-paid-off-70000-in-debt-in-5-years) [** New College Student? 4 Ways to Ace Your Finances This Fall ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/new-college-student-4-ways-to-ace-your-finances-this-fall) ### About Author ![Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/HFCU-Profile-1000x1000.jpg) Hanscom Federal Credit Union Hanscom Federal Credit Union, a purpose-driven $1.9 billion organization based in Littleton, MA, empowers its members to achieve financial wellness. Hanscom FCU serves over 95,000 members across the country and overseas through 16 branches, over 100,000 surcharge-free ATMs, 5,000 contact centers, and a web-based branch. Related Posts [![Here's The Difference Between An Heir And A Beneficiary](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/grandparents%20on%20beach.png) Here's The Difference Between An Heir And A Beneficiary ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/whats-the-difference-between-an-heir-and-a-beneficiary) [![What You Need To Know About Paying Taxes On Crypto](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/What%20You%20Need%20To%20Know%20About%20Paying%20Taxes%20On%20Crypto.png) What You Need To Know About Paying Taxes On Crypto ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-paying-taxes-on-crypto) [![What is a Share Certificate?](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/black%20woman%20looking%20out%20window%20sitting%20in%20front%20of%20laptop.png) What is a Share Certificate? ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-is-a-share-certificate) ** - [**](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/advice-for-the-first-time-landlord/) - [**](https://X.com/share?url=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/advice-for-the-first-time-landlord/) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/advice-for-the-first-time-landlord/&summary=&source=CeBIT) ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ### Comment ### Subscribe To Blog ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### contact **Hanscom Federal Credit Union** 1610 Eglin St. Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 Call us: [800-656-4328](tel:8006564328) [https://www.hfcu.org/](https://www.hfcu.org/) ### About Us [The MoneyWisdom Blog](https://www.hfcu.org/the-moneywisdom-blog.html) ### Social ** ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.facebook.com/HanscomFederalCreditUnion The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://X.com/HanscomFCU The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.instagram.com/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### http://www.youtube.com/c/HanscomFederalCreditUnion The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ### Popular Posts [What You Need to Know About Putting Your Home in a Trust](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-putting-your-home-in-a-trust) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20-%202022-02-10T072804.753.jpg) [What You Need to Know About Your Federal Tax Bracket](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-tax-bracket) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20-%202021-03-22T123305.900.jpg) [6 Boat Types to Get on the Water](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/6-boat-types-to-get-on-the-water) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/Jet_Ski.jpg) [23 Organizations Dedicated to the Needs of Seniors](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/23-organizations-dedicated-to-the-needs-of-seniors) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Senior%20citizens.jpg) [9 Smart Moves for Lottery Winners](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/lottery) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/lottery_winner.jpg) ### Recent Posts - [![National Credit Union Administration](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NCUA-logo-small.png?width=95&name=NCUA-logo-small.png) ](https://www.ncua.gov/) [![Equal Housing Lender](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/EHL-logo-small.png?width=65&name=EHL-logo-small.png)](https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing) - @ 2023 [Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://www.hfcu.org/) - Federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.hfcu.org/content/docs/Privacy_Notice.pdf) **Disclosure:** Hanscom Federal Credit Union does not provide and is not responsible for any products, services, or overall website content available at any third-party sites linked within this blog. Moreover, Hanscom Federal Credit Union's privacy policies do not apply to any of the linked websites within this blog. Please consult the privacy disclosures on those linked sites for further information. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" }, "dateModified" : "February 7, 2022, 9:35:10 PM", "datePublished" : "2016-06-15 16:39:15", "description" : "Most tenants are nice people who need a place to live. A few bad experiences, though, can sour a new landlord. Here are some suggestions for anyone considering investment property ownership.", "headline" : "Advice for the First-Time Landlord", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/118438/images/Landlord_handing_over_keys.jpg" }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://go.hfcu.org/blog/advice-for-the-first-time-landlord", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/118438/Logo%202.jpg" }, "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" } } ```