Do You Need a Fake Address?

OK, so the title is a bit deceiving....I'm not talking about a fake address that one would use to try to hide from the Mafia or some other type of shady outfit!

What I am talking about is getting an 'alternative' mailing address, namely a "PO box", in order to protect you and your family from those bad-apple tenants.

For those who don't know, a "PO box" or "Post Office box" is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station.  This is different from a safety deposit box that is located in a bank, which is not capable of receiving inbound mail.

In the land lording world, it is not out of the realm of possibility to have tenants get mad at you.....REALLY mad at you.  This could be for a variety of reasons including evictions, lack of maintenance, perceived unfairness....the list could go on forever.

The last thing I want is a tenant-from-hell to come knocking on my front door when he feels he is looking to give me his two cents.  Worse yet, he decides to vandalise my house, vehicle or personal possessions.

For this reason, I rented a PO box from Canada Post.  It is only about $12 per month and you have the security of knowing that your tenants will have great difficulty tracking you down!  Yikes! I sound like I'm a slumlord!  Rest assured..this is NOT THE CASE! :)

I plan to use this "fake address" for all business purposes whether it is a Lease Agreement, Option Agreement, Agreement of Purchase and Sale, or receiving cheques.

Does anyone else use this type of system for their real estate investments?