I was broke enough that I couldn't afford rent at my apartment, but fortunately my landlord didn't notice, thanks in part or in whole due to some substance abuse issues.Anyways, when visiting my mom in the neighborhood where I grew up, I had noticed this construction van at a house on our street.

Currently situated in San Diego and can only afford rent for now because house prices in SoCal are bonkers.

I've been through situations like this.Hopefully the family pays rent and this becomes a non-issue.If they don't pay the rent, you need to be understanding and kind, but firm.  

For example, I mention that every adult must pay a $30 application fee, pass my credit/criminal background, make a combined income of 3x the rent, and whether or not the property accepts pets.

Property management can be great if you are willing to give up a percentage of your gross rents to not deal with headaches, but it's not like you can just ignore your asset.

.- Cities like Toronto will levy another tax (Vacant Home tax) equivalent to 1% of the current assessed value of the property if the property is not occupied (rented, owner-occupied, family occupied, all count as occupied)- Land Transfer Tax: while the Province of Ontario charges anywhere between 0.5 - 2% of Land Transfer Tax when your transaction closes, you should expect to pay this amount twice if the property is in the City of Toronto .

The neighborhood has been flourishing, making this incident highly unusual.What initially drew me to the property was the potential for high rent and strong cash flow.

Just to confirm on the duplex, you're getting a total of $2,600 per month in rent, is that correct?

I have missed out on rent from an empty unit. 

Aiming to maximize cashflow to fund future investments, but as newly weds rent by the room doesn't feel practical right now.