Ultimately a good contract and contract management system will push the coverage on whomever is the bad actor, and any contract that contains this particular indemnification clause will fail to do so. 

Not having a working washer for a few weeks is still a bit manageable, but surviving without a fridge for about 2 weeks is really long, especially without any sort of replacement.

I made money via appreciation (and ultimately did well), but the rental income was, at best, treading water.If you’re up for the management challenge, buy right, and have a longer term horizon, I think you can do OK but it may be worthwhile to wait for the market to cool down a bit.

Here are a few I recommend: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Roberto Kiyosaki; "Set for Life" by Scott Trench; "The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" by Spencer; "The BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide" found here on BP; "The Book on Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Tuner. 

Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

Ultimately, the best approach depends on factors like the size and complexity of your operation, your comfort level with HR tasks, and the services offered by the property management company.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer, it ultimately depends on your individual circumstances.

I personally made the mistake of working with friends who provided contracting services for me and continually dismissed and ultimately gave them enough leash to hang myself on.

Ultimately you'll want to make sure you have a good financial foundation and once that is set in place, learn your market, learn what to expect, stick with what you know or have the ability to learn and then you'll have a MUCH clearer picture of what to use those extra funds for.

It is difficult to say who will pay them but it will ultimately be whoever would like to maintain a continuing interest in the property.