Noah Smith, Columnist

Want to Be a Landlord? Consider This First

Rental properties can be lucrative, but it’s not exactly easy money.

This could be you.

Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America
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Should you be a landlord? That’s a question some middle-class young people may be asking themselves lately. As Millennials ease into early middle age, those with a bit of money saved up will be looking to park it somewhere. But they should be fully aware of what they’re getting themselves into.

Housing, historically, has been one of the best investments available, offering returns almost as good as the stock market: