This is just a quite note about the site.  I’m in the process of adding more functionality.  Assuming everything is configured correctly, my Twitter should now update whenever I add a new blog post, so you can be on the edge of your seats clicking with anticipation!  Are you following me on Twitter?  If not, you should be! [click]

In addition, I have added a “Stumble This” button to every post.  If you like a particular post, and are a StumbleUpon user, click the button and gelp generate a little extra traffic to the site for me (please?)

I was speaking to my mother today, on the phone.  My mom, who owned several rental properties at one point, decided to tell me about one of the tenants that she thought was just peachy, until they moved out.

These were the model tenants, the kind that every landlord and investor hopes to get, for every unit, every time.  They were a younger couple with no kids, but they had 2 cats.  Their rent was always in on time (if not early!) every month.  They kept the place well.  He did a lot of the little repairs himself, and there were never any problems.
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Happy Festivus! If you are unfamiliar with the tradition of Festivus, please read up on the tradition over at Wikipedia.  My friends and I have celebrated this tradition for a few years now, and it makes every year that much more … interesting.  It’s the traditions that keep us strong, no matter what the holiday.

Have you had your Festivus Miracle yet?

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(This post is part of our “Landlord Basics” series, which seeks to help the new landlord / investor understand some of the basics of tenant relations and property management.  Click here to view the entire Landlord Basics archive.)

The Landlord Basics series has covered a few different aspects of leases so far, from basics such as what a lease is and what it does (here), to security deposits (here), to late fees (here).  The lease is between a landlord and tenant is so important, that I wanted to do another entry on some various clauses you may want to consider adding to your leave to protect your investment.

These are just ideas from clauses, and if you are looking for specific wording you should check with your lawyer, a local real estate agent, or perhaps someone in your investment club.

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