Usually the type of work has to be dealing with the real estate itself, not just providing a service that is applied to a part of the house/building. 

@Kyle LipkoRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Of course you could roll the dice and try to show that he is an "independent contractor" and respondeat superior does not apply.

My question is when applying for the lease, most properties in my market are run by a management company.

When a tenant moves out, transfer the deposit back to Checking so it's ready to apply towards expenses or to refund to the Tenant.If you end up with excess funds in the Checking account, I recommend you transfer it to a third account that is specifically designated for future investments.

Whether it applies or not it's always a good idea to check with a professional first so thanks for the reply.

They tell you right at the start in which states you can apply this freely, which states have certain restrictions and which states you cannot do this without a license. 

Refinished hardwood floors, updated fixtures, and applied neutral paint colors.           

Heating costs go up in winter, as does electricity due to the reduced natural light and more people indoors.

One can do lending of a commerical nature in about 32 states legally the others you need to be an MLO and NMLS registered.