Only good tenant screening can protect you to the best degree, and then follow that up with a month to month agreement, in case your best-screened tenant decides to move in some crazy lover or a pit bull.Use the Nolo Press landlord-tenant agreements. 

It's a tough call overall, but one thing we know for certain - the printing press is going to stop at some point, and nonpayments of rents and mortgages are not going to last forever. 

Learn the basics regarding landlord-tenant law with Nolo Press books:  https://store.nolo.com/products/landlord-tenantIf you are going to be trying to sell someone on the merits of a rental, you should understand the laws that matter to them.

Most laws don't change a lot, so most of it is still on point.I also really love the Nolo Press California landlord rights and responsibility book. 

If your CoC is your most important metric, then you'll be hard pressed to find a better return. 

But sometimes things just happen outside of the landlord's control and this is what it seems like here.I would be hard pressed to pay for a tv when there's no negligence on your part.

I second this Nolo Press tax guide. 

@Charles Press: Finally someone who understands the importance of keep each piece of real estate separate. 

The house has buckeled floors, rotten press bord, etc.

I love the Nolo Press ones.