In the real estate investment business, we talk a lot about risk management. Much of the time, this is relegated to concepts like portfolio diversification, insurance, and savvy business decisions. One of the things we don’t always talk about, however, is asset protection.

As real estate investors, we all want our properties to stay in tip-top condition. After all, a rental property in good condition means it shows better, retains and accumulates better value, and better satisfies our residents. When we’re not actively working to improve the condition of our investment properties, we certainly don’t want them to be damaged.

The majority of the time, when you see something involving “rentals” and “scams,” most people are expecting to find landlord horror stories and tales of tenants being mistreated. The real estate investor, the landlord or the property manager, in most cases, are the villains of the story. But did you know that there are would-be renters out there looking to take advantage of landlords and real estate investors?