I have had 4 property managers over the years, and they all have been poor. I finally decided it wasn't worth what I was paying them. One of them actually costs me a lot of money, when she rented to a tenant and then gave back the renter's security/damage deposit before checking the house, and the tenant's had caused a lot of damage (to the turn of about $5000). That was the last straw.
To be more specific, you need to register with your County Tax Collector (Lake County's number is 352-343-9602, which charges 4% sale's tax). Otherwise, check with your own County. You also have to register with the Florida Department of Revenue...their website is
MyFlorida.com - Home. They collect 6% sale's tax, plus a Discretionary Sales Surtax of1%. So, in Lake County the total tax is 11%. The other 2 counties are a little less. You must send them a report of the rental income and the tax due every month. They will send you the forms when you register with them. I believe that when it is vacant for a long period of time, you can put it on Vacation Hold.
I am only in the Villages for about 3 months a year, so I manage our property from California. Besides having a lock box (which you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes), you could hire a property watch person....who checks on the house periodically, lets the new tenant in, checks the house after they have left. You can find recommendation on TOTV. Or, if you have a cleaning service, if they clean the house after the tenant has vacated, with 2 weeks, then they could tell you if the property has been left in the same condition as the when the tenants first occupied it. Also, if you know your neighbors, they are usually very helpful and will call you if they see anything wrong.
The Security/Damage deposit must be returned to the tenants within 15 days if there is no damage, or if there is damage, you must send them a letter with proof of the damages that you have deducted from their deposit. You can get the details from the Florida Dept of Revenue website.