[hdh1470]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl

OBD, I think the poster is saying they bought a home in TV and want to rent it out for Jan-Feb-March.

I did this for 4 plus years on my own. It was worth it to me to manage it myself, but it IS work. I advertised on thevillages4rent.com and on vacationrentals.com. Had a caretaker in TV to meet tenants and answer questions. Had a cleaning person I contacted by email. Paid all bills automatically or by electronic check.

Probably spent about 5 hours per week answering inquiries and updating my listings. Sometimes more, sometimes less. You need to check your email every day and respond promptly. Have to deal with some repairs, etc. long-distance. First year was hard as everything was new to me. Eventually got easier. Keep copies of everything and an online spreadsheet to keep track of expenses.

Only had a couple of fairly minor problems over the 4 plus years, but was lucky, although you typically have a different type of tenant in TV than out of the bubble.

Management companies charge about 15-20%, but can provide peace of mind and less work. I have no direct experience with any of them. Others here can direct you that route.

Being a landlord is not for everyone - I had some background in real estate and can type really fast - that helps. (it's probably also why I have such long postings

Who was caretaker?