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Yes, it is true – anyone can be a landlord. As long as you have the cash to spare, the tenacity to deal with constant challenges and an optimistic attitude, you have what it takes to succeed. However, there are also some more practical tricks you need up your sleeve in order to make being a landlord work for you. In this short blog, we’ll cover some of the basics of renting that will help you succeed.
 
1. Screen all applicants. Do not skip this step – it is necessary to know who is going to be living on your property. You want to know if they have good credit, a steady job and an upstanding character.
2. List all house rules. Present each prospective tenant with a list of house rules that you then attach to the lease upon signing – in that way, no one can claim ignorance after the fact.
3. Be sure to collect on the first of each month. Don’t let a tenant get away with not paying on time, lest it become a habit.
4. Include late fees on lease. Determine an amount for late payments and stick to it!
5. Be organized. Regardless of whether you have one or one hundred rental units, keep a detailed file of all repairs done to the place, the names of all contractors and an account of all payments received.
6. Know when renewals are coming up and make sure that you are on top of them!
 
Bookmark the Landlord and Tenant Board’s website: www.sjto.gov.on.ca/ltb and have their phone number on speed dial!

Can you be a landlord? The simple answer is “yes,” the true answer is a lot more complicated. However, the path to profit can certainly be achieved if you play your cards right and make a sound rental investment.
 
Being a landlord is one of the surest ways to build equity for yourself and your future. After all, real estate will always appreciate over the long term – even if there are downturns within your time-frame, historically, over a ten year time period property values tend to double. However, being a landlord is not for the faint of heart or for those who want a passive investment.
 
The truth is that being a landlord is an active investment. Whether you have only one rental unit or ten units to oversee, you have to be prepared that when the phone rings, at the other end will be a tenant complaining of a problem that needs fixing. Some people realize quickly that being a landlord is more work than they anticipated and so cut-short their realty dreams. However, proper planning and a realistic view of what is entailed will help you succeed. If you know that you are not handy with a hammer, enlist the aid of someone who is. Get yourself a shortlist of affordable and reliable contractors whom you can call to help you on short notice. Or, you can always hire a property manager to oversee your property and to report any real issues to you. Hiring a property manager only really makes sense if you have enough rental units and profit to make the expense worth your while.
 
The next thing to remember is that the numbers have to work in your favor. If the rent you charge doesn’t cover your carrying costs, your maintenance costs and provide you with a small profit at the end, then the investment is not sound. Whatever rental you buy make sure that the rent will cover your mortgage, insurance, taxes, maintenance and leave you with a little bit to save at the end of the month. If you don’t have that savings margin then any unforeseen circumstances will result in a loss for you that month.
 
So, to recap this quick overview, yes, you can be a landlord! Just remember to following these very simple guildelines:
 
– Crunch the numbers! Make sure the rent you receive every month more than offsets the costs of running your rental property.
– Prepare mentally for an active investment.
– Make a shortlist of go-to contractors who can help with fixes/renovations as needed.
– Know the property laws in your province or state.
– Know your tax laws!

It’s summer in the city – and the heat waves have everyone moving at a slower pace and dreaming of cool, breezy drinks after work. If you aren’t so lucky as to have air conditioning in your Toronto home, there are still other ways of keeping cool during the peak of summer heat.
 
Draw the shades
Before leaving for work in the morning, be sure that all of the curtains, shades and blinds in your home are drawn tight against the sun. Although this may seem counterintuitive when we all long to see sunlight streaming through our windows, this beautiful light will also heat up your home very quickly. The best way to prevent this is to keep the sunshine out.
 
Keep cool air in and hot air out
The next smart move to keeping your home cool is help hot air escape by creating a cross breeze. To create such a breeze you first need to create a vacuum that will help push the hot air out. To do this you have to open the windows on the cool side of your home along with the windows directly opposite those on the other side of your home. If you don’t have windows perfectly across from each other, no worries – as long as you have a path for the air to flow through. Just remember that air flow doesn’t work with angles, so there needs to be a path for the breeze to be created. The most efficient current is created by opening windows on a lower level that let in the cool air and cross windows on an upper level to let the air out.
 
Fans
Fans are always very handy at helping to create a breeze or to increase air flow in a hot, sticky room. Whether hung from a ceiling, standing on a pedestal or one of those new-fangled bladeless options, fans are terrific at moving air on days when nothing seems to move. However, be sure to turn them off when heading to work, because while they do move air around, they also tend to heat the air up as well. So, keeping them off during the day is the best way to keep a room cool for your return.
 
Clothing
Most of us assume that in the heat we have to shed our protective layers – this is actually the opposite of what we should be doing. Instead of protection from the cold, in the summer we need long sleeves and pants in order to protective our skin from the sun’s heat. The clothing should be made of natural fibres, light and light-coloured to maximize their cooling effect – it is the reason why people is hot countries tend to cover up.
 
Ice
Placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan will help to cool the air naturally. As the ice melts, the cool vapor will be picked up by the fan and blown into the air. Holding ice in a cup is also a very effective way of cooling down. Holding the icy cup near your temples will lower your body temperature while breathing out into the cup will help melt the ice, which in turn will release cool mist into the air.

Life in the city has taken on a distinctly country-like feel lately with racoons, skunks and squirrels roaming neighbourhoods at night in search of food. While cute and furry, these critters can cause a lot of damage to property, set up unwanted residence in your home and get into fights with family pets; they are also carriers of very undesirable germs and disease including rabies and the ticks that carry Lyme disease. Keeping these particular animals away from your home is definitely crucial to the proper enjoyment of your outdoor space – especially in the evenings when they are waking up and coming out of their burrows and nests looking for food.
 
The best way to keep these furry pests at bay is through exclusion – fencing off your property so that they can’t come in. However, as this is quite drastic and not necessarily the way most people want to go, there are alternatives that will stop them from coming too close.
 
Deterrents
Sprinkling deterrents around your home can work wonders at keeping these critters at bay. Commonly used sprays include coyote and fox urine – items which can easily be purchased at big box home and garden stores as well as online.
 
Scare them!
Similar to scarecrows placing moving objects in your yard can be enough to scare animals away. If you have trees in your yard, attached long shimmery streamers or anything else that will blow in the wind and move. Items can include windmills, flags or material.
 
Motion sensors
As raccoons and skunks are nocturnal, they only come out at night to forage for food. Adding motion detectors to your lights will cause them to think twice before entering your yard again.
 
Water, water
If you happen to be watching and see the animals when they enter your yard – blast them with a jet of water from your hose. Usually this will deter them from returning.
 
If none of the above solutions work for you, try pest-proofing your place but adding mesh screening around the underneath of porches – making sure that it goes down at least 6 inches and you turn it outwards for about a foot before covering with dirt. In fact, cover any opening to your home with mesh and secure properly. Fill any burrows or nests you find with dirt and use bricks or other heavy objects to keep the lids on garbage cans securely.
 
You can also place live traps around the areas these animals frequent and then call your local borough to find out where you can release them once caught. Whatever you do, remember that animals in the wild are dangerous – regardless of how cute they are and that you should never think of tackling one by yourself.

Summer in the city means sun, fun, barbeques and relaxation. However, it can also mean pests! What can you do to naturally repel insects and bugs from invading your Toronto home? Read on for some fun tips on how to use every-day natural items found around your house to make your home a fortress against pest invasion.
 
Moth be-gone!
Can’t stand moths? Well moths can’t stand cedar – which is why the fragrant wood was traditionally used to build closets. In lieu of a full cedar closet, you can purchase cedar chips or hanging blocks that you can keep in your closets, pantries or anywhere else you want to keep moth-free!
 
Spider-free
After eating those oranges or juicing that lemon – don’t throw out the peels! Citrus peels are a fantastic spider repellant. Just rub surfaces where spiders tend to gather and you won’t have to worry about sleeping with your mouth open anymore. Bonus – citrus smells great and polishes furniture nicely.
 
Mosquito repellant
No one likes being bitten by mosquitoes while trying to enjoy the great outdoors – a simple solution? Eat lots of garlic! Mosquitoes aren’t big garlic fans… the only trouble is it might keep others away from you too!
 
Ant aversion
If you start seeing ants creeping into your home, it’s time to break out the white vinegar and spritz along doors and windows to keep them out.
 
Keeping bugs away from the home
Along with the above remedies – other very effective ways of keeping bugs at bay include sprinkling cinnamon around the place and planting fragrant herbs around your house.
 
There are plenty of other ways to keep pests from ruining your summer-time activities. A simple online search can yield a slew of great ideas that won’t break the bank yet will also be very useful in keeping your home bug-free.

Curb appeal is one of the most important factors in any home sale. Regardless of how updated and renovated the interior of your home is, if that wow factor is missing when prospective buyers pull up outside, it is already working with a strike against it. In fact, many realtors consider curb appeal just as important as a solid foundation and good structure.
 
Here are a few tips that will help you spruce up your home so that people passing by will recognize the gem you own.
 
Keep is neat!
Keeping things neat simply means to cut your lawn, trim your hedges and trees and ensure that any landscaping, including driveways and pathways, are in good shape. If your driveway needs to be resealed or needs to be redone, then it is best to invest in an upgrade – the same holds true for walkways. If your walkway is falling apart, then it is time to have it redone. Although pricey, the investment will pay-off. One thing to keep in mind when redoing your walkway is that a winding walkway will add more interest to your frontage.
 
Flower, shrubs and trees!
Planting flower beds, shrubs and trees can add a lot of charm and natural beauty to your property, If you are not entirely sure what will look good or where to plant things, then we highly recommend hiring a landscape designer who can help you plan your yard. Some designers will even give you the plan with the plant/flower names suggested so that you can do the purchasing and planting yourself.
 
Keep it clean!
Nothing will detract from an otherwise attractive property like dirty siding or tarnished brickwork. If your home looks like it has been through the wringer, then it is time to break out the power washer and give it a thorough cleaning. Not only will doing so brighten up your home, but it will revive tired looking exterior finishes.
 
Adding accents!
Adding an accent colour or feature can also make a huge difference when it comse to curb appeal. A brightly coloured, contrasting front door, decorative window shutters or even a portico can change the look of your home completely
 
Planters
If you don’t have enough land to plant flower beds, then adding flower pots on your steps, next to your door or along your walkway will work just as well.
 
In short getting your home to look good takes little effort and/or investment, and the returns are well worth all of it.