by : Judson Voss

As the price of property drops in most of the U.S. and homes are foreclosed on at record numbers, this is a prime time to invest in some real estate to rent out. After the market has recovered down the road, then you can likely sell the property for a profit. However, as you know, renting out property makes you a landlord. And, becoming a landlord requires some commitment and a good understanding of your landlord rights.

While there is no one single 'landlord legal guide' for you to consult, the use of a good landlord attorney can be priceless if you will be renting out the investment property you own. Your landlord attorney can work with you to make sure that you clearly understand all of your landlord rights and responsibilities right from the start. They can help to advise you on finding good quality tenants, and they can help you when you have a tenant you have to evict as well.

Becoming a landlord is not for everyone. Many real estate investors want to purchase property and then turn around and sell it for a profit. However, when you become a landlord you own that property for a while and have the potential to make more money from it over time than if you quickly flipped it or sold it wholesale to another real estate investor.

If you think about all of the foreclosures happening today, where will all of those people go to live? The quick answer is that they will become renters and there will be literally millions of them in the market for a home to rent in the next few years. Because of the sheer number of potential future renters, becoming a landlord is looking to be a very attractive option for many people who invest in real estate.

As you might imagine, becoming a landlord can be wrought with calls in the middle of the night and complaining tenants. You can help insulate yourself from some of this by hiring a property management company to handle your rental properties.

You can also insulate yourself by offering some of your properties as least option to buy. When you do a lease option you can have your tenant be responsible for repairs and upkeep to the property which keeps you out of the traditional landlord role and one where you are more of a lender with a mortgage interest in the property.

No matter how you look at it, becoming a landlord today looks like it will be profitable for many years to come.