@Darrien James
I use Transunion Smartmove for tenant credit/criminal background screening. I ask my tenants for info regarding their current landlord and place of employment so I can verify. I also get a copy of their latest paycheck stub and drivers license.
I list my rentals on Zillow, Facebook marketplace, and Craigslist. I have a Rentometer Pro membership to know my rental rates.
In terms of how much time I spend a month self managing three single family rentals, very little. Probably a couple of hours at most. The time consuming part is getting a unit rent ready and leased. I spend the majority of my time paying mortgages, insurance, and handling accounting.
Just as an example the city recently sent me a notice of road construction on the street where my property is located. They wanted to pay me for a temporary easement on a 35 square foot section of my property. I had to drive over there and take measurements to make sure they wouldn’t block my driveway. I also had to explain the situation to my tenants, and meet with the person from the city offices to fill out the paperwork. It took a couple of hours total.
Another example is that my tenants in another house complained that it was warm in the upstairs bedrooms, so I agreed to buy window a/c units for them and have them installed. I will of course do the work myself.