Advice on big plumbing issue in Minneapolis

[Dominic Scheck]

Hi, friends,

Water started coming up from the drains in my duplex. A Roto Rooter technician managed to clear the main line after a ton of work and resorting to a 1-inch blade (apparently, they usually use only 6- or 3-inch blades due to risk of pipe damage). Video imaging showed two problems: one under the street and one under a sidewalk. Both problems are with my pipes, before they connect to the city's.

The bid to fix both problems was $13,600 (including about 12 feet of pipe replacement, city permits, street patches, and sidewalk repair). That's a big unexpected capital expense for anyone, but as a new investor with only one unit, it hurts a lot and slows down my next purchase.

I'm looking for more bids and considering renting out my unit of the duplex—either getting a month-to-month roommate or renting out on Airbnb. Pros would be to generate more revenue and (I believe) claim a larger portion of this repair as a business expense. 

Questions for you brilliant BPers:

1. Would you refer any affordable Minnesota plumbers that can handle a big job?

2. What do you think about daily/weekly rentals (Airbnb or Craigslist) vs. getting a roommate on a lease? I like the per-diem cash, but I also don't want to abrade my current tenants with a revolving door of guests. 

3. What other ideas do you have to handle this situation?

All advice is welcome. Thanks!