Find the right Property Management

When it comes to deciding whether you or your tenant should pay for the utility costs associated with your rental property, there are several options to consider. While many landlords choose not to pay any utility costs, others prefer to pay for everything while effectively passing on utility costs as part of the overall rent. Still others pay only for utilities that are unlikely to be overused, or for services that will keep the property in good repair, such as trash collection and regular landscaping.

Not only are "green" rental properties becoming increasingly trendy as energy issues continue to gain public awareness, energy efficient rentals benefit both landlords and tenants. While landlords reap the benefits of owning premium, highly desirable properties, tenants get to enjoy cozier dwellings and lower utility bills. With this in mind, we've scoured the Internet to compile a list of the top five home improvements that can cut utility costs.

Many new or inexperienced property investors find themselves with a number of people in their ears trying to help them out. Most veteran investors love nothing more than giving novices their two cents about where and what type of property to buy. For the newbie investor, it can difficult to sort through all the opinions, separate the good advice from the bad, and string all the tidbits of wisdom together into a coherrent strategy.

With this in mind, we recommend that prospective property investors swing by the library or bookstore and do some research. While the market is inundated with publications, magazines and books about how to make the most out of a rental property, there are some select releases we especially recommend.