The current state of the economy and real estate market aren't just affecting homeowners, home sellers and real estate agents. If you purchased investment properties for the "passive income stream" most get-rich-quick gurus recommend, you're probably pretty nervous about that investment right now, especially if you're relying on rental income to offset your mortgage costs.

Whether you have investments in multiple apartment buildings, vacation properties or a single bachelor apartment in your basement, you can't afford to have vacancies. In your adventures as a landlord, have you considered hiring a professional home stager to enhance the appeal of your rental units?

If you have a property to rent, whether it's a 19-unit apartment building or a 2 bedroom semi-detached, as soon as a tenant vacates the premises, you should make a call to an expert home stager.

A vacant room looks sad to anyone and this includes a prospective tenant. If you've never hired a home stager before, you'd probably be surprised at the difference staging can make in the time a unit remains vacant.

I was once called to stage an apartment in someone's home that normally brought in $1000 per month. It had been sitting vacant for four months with no interest before the owner called me. After the apartment was staged, the next three people who looked at it wanted to rent it! She went from having no interest in four months to having her choice of three tenants within a week of having it staged.

In another scenario, if you own a home and have decided to rent it until the real estate market heats up again you should not leave it vacant. I suggest you have it staged as if you would before listing it for sale. Prospective tenants will fall in love with a tastefully decorated home much quicker than a vacant one, even if it's only for a short term rental arrangement.

If you are planning to rent it furnished, the staging can be even more important when the prospective tenant discovers they can move right in.

Another area where home staging can make a huge difference is in the vacation rental market.

If you own cottages or vacation homes of any kind and you're advertising them online, do they look inviting enough to make it impossible for someone viewing them not to click through to make a reservation? Having your properties staged, even just for the photos that will appear on your website, will be a worthwhile investment.

The bottom line is home staging isn't just for the classic 'home going to market' scenario. You can make money from the services of a home stager no matter what role you play in the real estate market!