To start a business as a landlord, you should have at least 20% of the purchase price of the property you are thinking about renting out. That will be the down payment on the property. Ideally, you should have more than that because you may need to upgrade the property before you start advertising it to potential renters. If you are planning to take out a mortgage, interest rates are also an issue. It's best to start while rates are low, although they will likely be re-evaluated every five years during the life of the mortgage.