In September, nationwide asking rents were down 0.5% year-over-year, the 14th-straight month that rents were (slightly) lower on an annual basis.

I'm about to rent out my first property and would love a recommendation on an app to use to screen applicants, submit maintenance requests, and receive rent. 

Educate your cleaning staff on what to look for (tiny dark spots, eggs, etc.).Heat Treatment/Preventative Measures: Some STR owners do periodic heat treatments or hire pest control companies for preventative maintenance.

Could get tricky when it comes to late fees, maintenance charges, eviction process or any fee/charge the tenant decides to dispute.

Tankless is fine for your own house and if descaled annually will outlast most tanked even if flushed and anode changed.good luck

The regulations allow for STRs so long as you get an annual permit ($300) and pay 3% local occupancy tax. 

Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the property to identify any significant issues or deferred maintenance.

There are also additional costs of operating and maintaining an LLC, like separate bank accounts, annual report filings, tax filings, etc.2.

Common fees will include a set-up fee, a leasing fee for each turnover or a lease renewal fee, marking up maintenance, retaining late fees, and more.

In your case, with a history of passing audits and having a CPA who is experienced in IRS representation, you're in a strong position should an audit occur.Regarding audit statistics, the IRS generally audits fewer than 0.5% of individual returns, with even lower rates for those earning under $1 million annually.