This kind of thing destroys small-time landlords all the time. If you only have one rental property, you're one bad tenant away from incurring a loss that will

This kind of thing destroys small-time landlords all the time. If you only have one rental property, you're one bad tenant away from incurring a loss that will take years to recoup. Succeeding in the real estate game is all about numbers. Lots of properties in a variety of locales spread the risk of one individual tenant bankrupting you.