In some states the laws on eviction can be effected when you allow tenants to make deposits, since you can not prevent them from making a partial payment.I use IPN which is part of quickbooks for electronic/online rent payments.I will also highly recommend that you do move in walk thru inspections with your tenants, this will give you an opportunity to answer questions and discuss the difference between damage and wear and tear with your new tenants.

They can be sent back and forth via fax or electronically for the most part. 

I mailed my payment (for March) in a week ago and they processed the check electronically yesterday.

It was mostly (stolen) power tools and electronics.

Recently I set up all of my tenants on the quickbooks IPN payment system which allows them to pay rent electronically for a fee of $0.50 per payment.

reg=cny&app=descriptorVery Favorable> Accountants: $54,880 (Annual openings:80)> Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics: $29,970 (AO:70)> Bartenders: $14,840 (AO:110)> Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks: $30,460 (AO:110)> Bus Drivers, School: $29,660 - (AO:70)> Carpenters: $37,480 - (AO:80)> Cashiers: $15,230 - (AO:500)> Child Care Workers: $17,310 (AO:140)> Serving Workers, Including Fast Food: $14,710 (AO:240)> Construction Managers: $93,730 (AO:30)> Cooks, Fast Food: $14,590 (AO:60)> Cooks, Restaurant: $21,590 (AO:50)> Food Concession, and Coffee Shop: $14,580 (AO:120)> Customer Service Representatives: $29,170 (AO:120)> Dishwashers: $14,560 (AO:60)> Electricians: $53,100 (AO:50)> Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: $48,400 (AO:130)> Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: $35,410 (AO:130)> First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Food Preparation and Serving Workers: $22,450 (AO:90)> First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Office and Administrative Support Workers: $42,560 (AO:90)> Food Preparation Workers: $15,550 (AO:180)> General and Operations Managers: $89,750 (AO:70)> Home Health Aides: $21,750 (AO:100)> Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners: $20,930 (AO:250)> Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers: $22,120 (AO:150)> Lawyers: $82,740 (AO:50)> Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: $32,050 (AO:60)> Maintenance and Repair Workers, General: $31,990 (AO:100)> Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants: $22,090 (AO:80)> Office Clerks, General: $22,950 (AO:170)> Receptionists and Information Clerks: $22,780 (AO:130)> Registered Nurses: $49,510 (AO:250)> Retail Salespersons: $18,010 (AO:510)> Sales Representatives: $50,830 (AO:170)> Secondary School Teachers: $51,940 (AO:130)> Secretaries: $26,530 (AO:120)> Security Guards: $20,960 (AO:110)> Stock Clerks and Order Fillers: $19,490 (AO:150)> Teacher Assistants: $19,780 (AO:250)> Truck Drivers, Light or Delivery Services: $25,630 (AO:70)Least Favorable> Architectural and Civil Drafters: $39,380 (AO:under 10)> Chemical Technicians: $28,450 (AO:10)> Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: $27,630 (AO:10)> Computer Operators: $31,320 (AO:10)> Court, Municipal, and License Clerks: $34,350 (AO:10)> Crossing Guards: $17,050 (AO:10)> Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: $29,990 (AO:10)> Electronics Engineers, Except Computer: $73,650 (AO:10)> Engineers, All Other: $66,780 (AO:under 10)> Forging Machine Setters: $34,240 (AO:under 10)> Human Resources Managers, All Other: $76,460 (AO:under 10)> Insurance Underwriters: $52,720 (AO:10)> Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates: $114,850 (AO:under 10)> Maintenance Workers, Machinery: $40,540 (AO:10)> Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: $55,440 (AO:under 10)> Telemarketers: $17,800 (AO:10)> Travel Agents: $32,430 (AO:under 10)Crime (Division of Criminal Justice Services)http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/crimnet/ojsa/indexcrimes/county_totals.htm===================================================================================Onondago county 2000 vs 2005Index Crime: down 15%Violent Crime: down 2%Murder: down 10%Rape: up 35%Robbery: up 20%Agg Assualt: down 13%Property Crime: down 17%Burglary: down 7%Larceny: down 23%MV theft: up 9%Tax Rates====================================http://www.ongov.net/Realproptax/taxrates.htmlCounty Purposes: $13.705600City Purposes: $7.189600School Purposes: $16.928500County Water Purposes: $0.077600Total City Rate: $37.901300Destiny USA=========================================http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DestiNY_USAPlans, which currently include over 4.5 million square feet (400,000 m²), consist of 13,000 hotel rooms, an indoor aquarium, an indoor recreation of the Erie Canal, a stadium and performing arts center, three golf courses, a 100 acre (400,000 m²) glass-enclosed indoor park, and a 20 acre (80,000 m²) artificial lake.

I also scan them all and keep them electronically so I can easily access them if needed.My application process is all electronic, so I typically store the completed application with the lease AFTER a lease is signed.

No documents are ever lost in the NACA system since we use an electronic document system in which submitted documents are automatically routed to the member's file.

I recommend an electronic keypad lock w/ a code of their choice. 

Try to get extra income Rent appliances washer/dryerOffer electronic payments for a feeif you rent SFH charge for lawn cutsoffer security systems per month rentaloffer electronic lock upgrades -no key needed