I know taxes and insurance have gone up a lot in that time so I understand that problem but the solid rent increases in that time have been able to cover most of that (at least for me it has worked out).

So in reality our MTR rent -- especially in the off season -- pretty much covers the utilities, furnishings deprecation, and another hundred bucks or so, at least in the off-season. 

Profitable months cover non-profitable months, so budget and expect it.

Hello everyone, I purchased my home two years ago, and currently, I have a tenant renting a room for $800, which helps cover my mortgage.

lastly there are plenty of locks you can put on these switches or covers which you should invest in. 

I am currently house-hacking in a new property where the rental revenue is able to cover the full mortgage and then some.

While Section 8 appears to promise "guaranteed" income, the reality is quite different.Section 8 typically covers about 80% of the rent with tenants responsible for the remaining 20%.

A good rule of thumb is to keep 3-6 months of operating expenses in your rental account as a cushion.Once you’ve got that covered, you can start investing the excess.

I get an insurance policy for each guest so if they break anything, I feel covered.  

As I am seeing 1.2 or 1.4 million 2 family house and not sure if its even going to cover the mortgage or not with 25% done.