I am not a licensed real estate agent, even though I do own a few properties that I use for rental income, i have been doing this for about 4 years now, and things have been really lucrative for me.
I have been lucky in finding great tenants who communicate well and who make sure that the properties are well-took care of.
In fact, over the years, I have spent really little on house service, but part of that is because of my tenants and the other part is because I constantly make sure that I perform an annual house inspection to identify any potential issues! As part of that annual house inspection includes Heating and Air Conditioning service, a roof and gutter inspection, and I also make sure that the plumbing and the appliances are in working condition, and every person who owns rental house should make it their priority to have an annual house inspection because it could save them some money in the long run. Plus, It is constantly best to have a great handyman on call and a great Heating and Air Conditioning tech. Part of owning rental property, there is constantly something to be fixed. And having these professionals on call to perform repairs is one of the best peace of mind I could ask for. Not only are my tenants happy, even though I can rest assured that all my appliances are functioning in the most optimal way; Between the annual house inspection and the professional service repairman, I can rest assured that all my rental properties will be well-took care of. And as long as I can keep my tenants happy, owning rental house will continue to be a lucrative company for me.