If the housing market is slow right now and you feel that you will not be able to sell your house for a high enough price, you may want to consider renting it out instead of selling it. Renting a house can be a great way to generate income in the future, but it requires some work too. If you are considering this option, here are three things you may want to do.

Determine if there is a need for rental property in your area

Renting a house is only going to be profitable if you have a tenant in the house paying rent to you each month. Because of this, you should find out if there is a need for rental property in your area, and a simple way to find this out is by talking to a real estate agency. When people need homes to rent, they often call real estate agents for help locating a property to rent. Real estate agents typically know if there is a demand for rental properties, and they can even help you rent your house out if you decide to go through with this.

Talk to a real estate lawyer

A second thing you may want to consider doing is talking to a real estate lawyer about this. The lawyer you speak to can give you advice about renting your house out, and he or she can also help you create a good, effective lease to use. Having a good lease that protects you is vital if you plan on renting out your home.

Hire a property management firm

The third thing you should consider doing is hiring a property management company for help, unless you are ready to take on all the responsibilities of being a landlord. If you do not have time to be a landlord, hiring a property manager is the best option you have.

A property management firm can help you find good tenants for your house and will do a variety of other things, including:

• Collect rent
• Keep up with the maintenance and repairs
• Handle evictions if necessary
• Perform background checks
• Take emergency phone calls
• Handle issues the tenants have

Paying a property manager to take on these duties is often the easiest route to take when renting out a house. It will cost you a little bit of money, but it will be well worth it. To learn more about property management firms and the services they provide, contact one in your area today.