Being an accidental landlord can be an overwhelming feeling.
If you never intended to be a landlord, you may not be privy to all of the logistics and responsibilities that it entails. That said, accidental landlords are still landlords, so you'll have to educate yourself on the process of becoming one and the day-to-day duties that you'll be faced with.
In this post, we're going to help you make this new situation a successful one. We'll give you a few tips for getting your San Antonio rental property up and running it effectively. Keep reading and you'll be able to make lemonade with these lemons.
What Is an Accidental Landlord?
There are numerous reasons why someone might become an accidental landlord. Due to the nature of the real estate market, most accidental landlords are people who have trouble affording their mortgage, but for whatever reason, can't sell their homes.
Other accidental landlords inherit their properties from loved ones. Whatever the reason is, accidental landlords make up about 30% of all landlords in the USA.
Make Sure Your Mortage Lender Knows
When you decide to convert your property into a rental property, one of the things you need to do is tell your mortgage lender. They may not require you to do anything, but you have to inform them of your intention to rent it out because it may affect your interest rates.
A lender may want to know how much you're charging for rent and where you'll be living to get a sense of your financial situation. As long as you can afford your mortgage with the new rates, everything should be fine.
Getting Landlord Insurance
You'll have to adjust your insurance policy. Regular homeowners insurance won't cover anything that happens to your property while a tenant is living in it.
Landlord insurance covers things like property damage from tenants, lost rental income when the property is vacant against your will, and liability protection if someone is injured on the property. If you don't get this insurance, there could be legal and financial repercussions.
Taxes
Your tax and accounting situation is going to change when you become a landlord, as you're now running a business. You need to make sure you're declaring all income and keeping track of all of your expenses so that you can make deductions.
Some of the common landlord tax deductions include:
- Cleaning
- Advertising the property
- Insurance
- Property management fees
- Trash removal
- Equipment rental
Property Management Helps Accidental Landlords
Accidental landlords sometimes have no clue how to take on all of the responsibilities that a landlord has, and they may not have time to deal with them. In this scenario, it's almost always best to hire a good property manager.
A property manager, like Home River Group, will deal with literally everything having to do with your investment property. They'll market the property to good tenants, screen them, collect rent, and perform evictions when necessary.
All of this helps to maximize your rental property profits. If you want to learn more about the many benefits of property management for your San Antonio rental, contact us at Home River Group today.
