What can you do besides take tenants to court if they do more damage to your property beyond the deposit? I have been a landlord in the past with pretty good success, but tenants usually leave after a years lease. I have also had tenants come to my house demanding there deposit back after 3 days of moving out. How do you get a business loan to buy or remodel rental homes? --108.232.xx.xxx

Hope others have suggestions too. --66.87.xxx.xxx

Thanks PattyK. I was wondering where you would get start up money to purchase real estate. I have 3 acres free and clear, but it is 11 miles from civilization and in a small low income school district. It has and old dilapidated house on it relatives destroyed. Credit score use to be awesome, but is now low due to a failed attempt to relocate. I do own a home, but am not sure what options I have. --108.232.xx.xxx

Fix up old house? Buy property? You need start up money or a plan to invest with no cash. Takes credit or smart mentoring for no money options to sget started, like putting yourself in the middle. --66.87.xxx.xxx

What about advertising to trade land for house.in town that u could use as a rental? --66.87.xxx.xxx

# 3 - Don't fret too much about what you can do to a tenant unless you think they are collectible. Collecting judgments against people with no money is like trying to squeeze blood out of a rock. One way to mitigate the cumulative total of damages is to do quarterly maintenance inspections. My reason is I'm coming by to change the 90 day furnace filter and check for drips under sinks. Note the damages, fix, and bill immediately. Apply any money received to damages first and rent last. Then if they refuse to pay the rent they are short you can evict. Otherwise, yes, you end up with 12 months worth of damages vs. 3 months. Another tactic is to increase your screening standards of whom you will rent to: getting their PAST land lord refs is key. Tenants don't usually just start randomly destroying stuff in your unit, and the past LL reference should reveal this. Current land lords might lie to get rid of a bad tenant. --108.250.xxx.xxx

To keep them from damaging stuff you need to arrange your lease to have payments going to oldest first which might leave the rent payment short, when this happens the eviction system should help you if you follow your state and local tenant laws, form your lease to comply with court so it is short and sweet. --75.94.xxx.xxx

With bad/low credit scores it's hard to find money. We did a loan from a credit union to fix a property we bought and owned free and clear. We already had a track record of borrowing from them so it was easier the 2nd time. It started out small with all kinds of them wanting this and that. 2nd time it was more and just a few questions asking if things had changed or not. --75.160.xxx.xxx

Gary, get a copy of the OK LL Tenant Act. To the answer to your question about a judgement on your tenant garnish their wages. We send then a letter every month to remind them that still owe us money and for your ex tenant coming to your personal home to get their security deposit you have thirty days from when they they move out to return their SD in OK. I would suggest you invest in getting a PO box and use that as your business address and in the future call the police if you feel threats by an ex tenant . We have done it. --166.147.xx.xxx

Gary --108.232.xx.xxx