The unitentional landlord needs to do their homework by at least researching current rents in their area for their type of property so they have a better idea what to charge.

They need to take advice from a tax adviser or accountant so they know exactly what they can and can’t claim as tax deductions.

They need to understand how to properly market their property.

They need to get a good understanding of the tenant screening process, not just credit checks but background checks, employment verification, talk to previous landlords to assess their prospective tenants payment history.

If they don’t follow a good process they could not only end up with bad tenants but be in a really bad finacial situation.