5 Things Successful Landlords Do That Help Them Sleep Easy

Being a real estate investor and landlord has its pros, but there are times when it can be stressful, even overwhelming. And it’s in those moments that you have a decision to make: Let the stress eat away at you, or grab control of the situation.

Five Ways to Lower Your Stress and Get More Sleep

Sleep is an odd thing. We need it to function properly and feel good. But in order to get the sleep we need, we have to make healthy lifestyle choices.

According to a survey of more than 2,000 Americans, Amerisleep found a direct correlation between average sleep per night and average overall happiness. As the article explains, “The time difference is a relatively small one, with perfectly happy people getting only about 24 minutes more sleep per night than completely unhappy people, but even that little bit of extra sleep seems to make a big difference.”

Unfortunately, the stress of being a landlord can keep you up at night and prevent you from getting the sleep you require for health and happiness. You can get caught in a vicious cycle that will eventually wear you down.

If you wish to get more sleep at night – and enjoy the benefits that accompany it – you must lower your stress levels so you’ll have an easier time falling asleep and staying there. Here are five practical ways to do this:

1. Get Organized 

It’s amazing what a little organization can do for you, mentally and practically. Every property you own should have a folder in a filing cabinet and/or your computer.

In these folders, keep titles, financing documents, loan applications, tenant applications, HVAC warranties, service agreements, receipts, copies of rent checks, etc. When all that is readily accessible, you don’t have to waste time tracking down lost documents.

2. Take Preventive Measures

It’s much better to spend a little extra money on preventive measures than to be constantly stressed out over what could happen in an undesirable scenario. The best preventive measure you can take is to invest in adequate insurance.

If you’re renting out a property long term, you need to have a landlord-specific policy. You may also want to look at an umbrella policy to protect yourself personally in the event of specific calamities.

3. Carefully Screen Tenants

You have to be careful about the tenant screening process, and make sure you adhere to the proper laws, but being selective on the front end will save you a lot of trouble later on. Good tenant screening involves more than a background check.

You should meet the prospective renters in person, ask the right questions, consult their references, and request a substantial deposit to ensure they’re serious.

4. Automate Rent Collection

One of the worst parts about being a landlord is waiting on the rent checks to roll in. There always seem to be one or two problem tenants who don’t pay on time and come up with imaginative (or worse, repetitive) excuses for why the check is late. The best trick is to automate rent collection, so there’s less room for such problems.

5. Hire a Property Manager

The more you remove yourself from the dirty, mundane, and monotonous tasks of being a landlord, the less stressed you’re apt to be. It’ll cost you a percentage of your monthly rent but hiring a property manager can be one of the best investments you’ll make – particularly if you have multiple units.

Say Goodbye to Restless Nights

When you’re stressed about your properties, tenants, and income, you may lie awake at night and fail to get adequate sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll be unhappy.

When you’re unhappy, you’re more susceptible to stress and making unhealthy decisions. The easiest way to break this cycle is to gain control of your investments.

By staying organized, implementing smart preventive measures, carefully screening tenants, automating rent collection, and hiring a property manager, you can take charge and sleep well. Don’t put it off!

Source: nuwireinvestor.com

Landlords: These Are the 4 Types of Insurance You May Need

The basics of becoming a landlord are straightforward: Buy a property in a promising neighborhood, fix it up, find tenants, and start charging slightly more than you’re paying in regular costs. But if you want to protect your assets and ensure you’re following every applicable law, things get more complicated.

Consider insurance. The right insurance policy should be able to cover any unexpected financial losses or massive expenses, protecting the profitability of your operation. It can also protect you from legal trouble. But what types of policies do you really need as a landlord?

Legal Requirements

Technically, landlords aren’t legally required to have any type of insurance. However, if you’ve taken out a loan on the home, you may be required by the lender that you have a basic homeowner’s insurance policy. Just note that a conventional homeowner’s policy may not protect you if you’re renting out the property to other tenants.

4 Types of Insurance to Consider

There are many types of insurance that you should consider:

1. Building and property insurance. First, you’ll want a policy that protects your building and property from unexpected damage. Your building is the most significant portion of your investment, and therefore, your biggest financial liability. If something happens to it — such as a roof caving in or a destructive event from a tenant who lives there — you’ll want a comfortable policy that can cover the damages. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying tens of thousands of dollars, possibly compromising your profitability.
2. Liability insurance. You should also have some type of liability insurance in place. Landlord liability varies depending on where you live, but for the most part, you’re responsible for keeping your property in a safe, livable condition. If one of your tenants trips and falls or hurts themselves while living in the property, they may have grounds to file suit against you. Liability insurance protects you from these events, covering your defense costs and compensating victims.
3. Loss of income and business interruption insurance. Landlords may also be able to get a form of business interruption insurance, protecting them from possible interruptions to their stream of rental income. For example, if you’re injured and unable to fulfill your responsibilities as a landlord, you may earn compensation that allows you to keep things running. This type of insurance may also help you secure rental income from tenants who are unable to pay.
4. Protection from specific threats. Property insurance doesn’t cover anything. You’ll want to read your policy closely and get coverage for other specific threats. For example, you might need a separate policy to protect your building from natural disasters like floods, hurricanes or earthquakes.

Landlord Insurance

If you’re looking for a comprehensive policy, you may be able to find a provider who offers collective “landlord insurance,” which offers coverage in several areas, including the four listed above. For the most part, these insurance policies are flexible; you’ll be able to pick the types of coverage and extent of coverage you need, so you can protect yourself from the majority of threats and still stay within your budget. If you’re interested in this type of insurance, it’s advisable to talk to an insurance agent, who will have more insight into the types of policies you need (and the total costs you might face).

Renter’s Insurance

It’s also important to note that your property insurance policy and liability insurance policy won’t protect any of your tenant’s possessions. For example, if leaky plumbing causes water damage to a tenant’s television, your insurance policy may not cover the damages (though it may cover you, if it offers liability coverage). For that, your tenants will need to get a renter’s insurance policy.

Conclusion

As a landlord, you aren’t required to have insurance, but it’s well worth the investment. At a minimum, make sure you have property insurance to protect your house and a liability policy to protect yourself in the event of tenant-related damage. Each new policy will only marginally increase your monthly premiums but may offer substantial additional coverage. So plan conservatively, and protect your investments as comprehensively as you can afford to. One enormous loss could be enough to negate any profit you’d otherwise stand to make.

 

Source: biggerpockets.com