The Landlord's Kit: A Complete Set of Ready-To-Use Forms, Letters, and Notices to Increase Profits, Take Control, and Eliminate the Hassle (Paperback)

by Jeffrey Taylor (Author) "The time to take control of the landlord-tenant relationship is not when you are having a move-in discussion with an approved applicant..." (more)
Key Phrases: future homebuyer, rental residents, rental address, Tip Number, Rental Manager, New Home Manual (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...you're going to profit from reading "The Landlord's Kit...this superb book rates a solid 10 [out of 10]" -- Robert Bruss, Tribune Media Services

Product Description
A proven toolkit from the nation’s #1 landlording coach.

For Rent. From the initial announcement to dealing with lease violations and property turnover, excellent landlord-tenant communications can mean the difference between making or losing money renting residential properties. The secret to taking control of any tenant situation and nearly eliminating headaches boils down to, "Get it in writing."

The Landlord’s Kit contains more than 100 forms developed by landlording expert Jeffrey Taylor, who shares his 20-plus years of experience owning and managing residential properties and consulting with tens of thousands of landlords.

These tools, divided into five categories-application and verification; leasing; collection and violation; maintenance and management; and retention and turnover-will enable landlords to:

• Verify key information about tenants at the outset of the relationship

• Keep properties in good shape-before, during, and after rental.

• Collect money on time and deal effectively if problems occur.

• Strengthen relationships with good tenants to reduce turnover.

• Document all requirements for move-in and move-out.

• Generate a strong and consistent monthly cash flow.

With myriad details to remember, these notices, letters, disclosure forms, agreements, and checklists are the best way to avoid costly tenant disputes while increasing the likelihood of achieving stellar financial success in the landlording business. The Landlord’s Kit is also a training manual for landlords on how to incorporate these forms into innovative marketing, business, and management concepts that will significantly increase profits and eliminate hassles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Business (September 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793158737
• ISBN-13: 978-0793158737
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #439,034 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bunch of Gimmicks that will make more work for you, September 8, 2005

By	A. De Paz "ADP" (Sherwood, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have a "day job" and own a few rental properties on the side, this book won't help much. It's got some cool ideas for someone that wants to add some pizzazz (read "work") to thier property management practices. I have to admit that I even used one or two ideas. But this isn't a reasonable "how to" for someone who actually needs help learning how to rent properties. I didn't use any of the forms, either. They are too casual and sometimes flippant - I wanted a more professional and legally sound basis to work from. For a comprhensive guide get "Landlording: A Handy Manual for Scrupulous Landlords and Landladies Who Do It Themselves." And don't forget Nolo's "Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide." This topic needs it's own book. Even "Landlording" won't educate you on this topic adequately.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars unrealistic, January 24, 2005

By	John "John" (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews

Most of the information and forms in this book is very appropriate if you have hundreds of tenants knocking down your door to rent your buildings. Or perhaps if you have a hundred rental properties and don't mind if some stay vacant until the perfect tenant arrives. As a landlord with a small number of units and a somewhat tight rental market with low interest rates, I found most of the advice and forms in this book pure fantasy. Also as a one time renter if a landlord approached me with most of these forms or addressed me as this book recommends I would have moved on quickly to the next rental.

45 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Disappointing, September 8, 2003

By	kamatoa - See all my reviews

Although this book would appear to have a lot of promise, it ultimately fails. Like Mr. Taylor's self-proclaimed "Certified Professional Landlord" title (Fill in your name on page 218 for your own bogus certification!), these phony forms are imaginative but have little to no legal standing. Worse, Taylor apparently has little respect for his tenants. One form, the "Tenant Late Rent Warning and Excuses" form ("To be given to new, renewing, and late tenants.") asks tenants to mark a box as to why their rent was late. Sample excuses: I was mugged. "You didn't come by when I had the money," "I didn't have a stamp," "I'm dead." A chuckle for a landlord, but also a cynical and unprofessional suggestion. Taylor's advice on handling phone calls from prospective residents is even worse - he promotes using a hard-sell interrogation on the first contact that seems destined to drive away prospective tenants. Anyone with intentions to do good business would be well served to get more professional advice than this extremely disappointing book.