After spending money fixing up a property, I obviously want to make sure the tenants occupying it are not damaging or tearing anything up....whether accidentally or deliberately......or worse still, using my property as a front for some shady illegal activity    (take your pick on that one....the illegal activity that is).I also want to make sure I am on top of the stuff that will break down due to normal wear and tear and stuff that needs regular maintenance.I also want to make sure the tenants are doing their part in up keeping the property as necessary....mowing lawns, shoveling snow from sidewalks and generally maintaining a reasonably clean interior and exterior for their own good and mine.If and when the tenants do tear something up, or something breaks down due to no fault of their own, unless it adversely affects their daily routine, I would think that they most likely would not report it.

(snow removal?

I personally would try to use line items to break this down (ex. snow removal, landscaping, etc).  

Everyone keeps talking about how the snow is going to fly soon, and really, it probably is (Not ready for that!).  

You have a laundry room, so most probably there is a house meter and a house hot water heater.What about lawn care and (if necessary) snow removal?

Exactly John, it's just business, at least they won't have snow after Christmas to move in (LOL).Reading people up front is really crucial and go with your instinct, you can always find an "official" reason. :)

I've never heard anyone complain of too much sun and not enough snow!

I'm not a fan of HOAs, the fees can be onerous.But I have benefited by getting a new roof, new siding, and a new parking lot from the HOA fees that I paid.And besides those extraordinary items they also provided grass cutting, snow removal, heat, hot water, sewer, trash removal, insurance and outside maintenance.And besides those normal fees that I would have had to provide they also provided some items that I would not ordinarily provide like swimming pools (hate the maintenance and the liability), tennis courts and club house.

Warmer weather means that you don't have to fight snow, ice, and frigid temperature to go outside and look at houses.3.

So, here we are, November 25th - not even Yankee Thanksgiving yet - I'm hauling the last load of leaves and brush to the compost yard ahead of the forecast snow, when I receive an SMS alert from my bank!?!