This review originally appeared in Real Estate investor’s Monthly.

Solid if unexciting book. I am bemused by all the people who have glommed onto the word “landlord” since Leigh Robinson first wrote his book Landlording in 1975. There’s a Mr. Landlord newsletter (804-467-1427) and numerous books that use the words “landlord” or “landlording” in their title. Before Leigh, the trend was away from the word. You were supposed to say “owner” because “landlord” had bad connotations. Property managers still recommend the word “owner” when dealing with tenants, but “landlord” has become one of the main words for marketing information to owners.

This book by Daniel Goodwin & Richard Rusdorf contains many forms. That’s useful but you must make sure they comply with your local laws. Some forms in the book, like workers comp claim forms from IL, IN, and WI, appear to serve little legitimate purpose. There is no discussion of how to fill them out. And even if there were, it would only help landlords in those states. Their main purpose in the book seems to be to fill up four pages.

The book is soulless, but workmanlike. It’s not as bland as Institute of Real Estate Management books. But the publisher, Dearborn, appears to have had it gone over by editors whose job is to boil the life out of it. I suspect they would say they took out stuff that might offend someone. It’s hard to write an honest book about property management without offending someone. Heck, it’s hard to write honestly about any subject without offending someone.

You should get my book How to Manage Residential Property… and Leigh Robinson’s book Landlording first. But this would make a good third book on management.