Hire a reliable co-host or property manager (15-25% of revenue), automate pricing and guest communication with tools like PriceLabs and Hospitable, and build a strong cleaning/maintenance team to handle turnovers and inspections.

Tools like the BiggerPockets calculator and books like The House Hacking Strategy can guide you further.

Quote from @Tod DuBois: Looks like everyone is using some software tools for various tasks, I'd not heard of most of them.

All of the tools that you use to try to figure out if a potential tenant will be a "good" tenant revolves around trying to answer those 3 questions.

As one might expect, there is a real tool here but it's more for niche problems than for widespread use.

all materials, all labor costs to others, Not you, utilities, interest payments, permits, licenses, auto/truck expenses, tools needed are all deductable. 

* Finally, could you recommend any valuable tools or learning resources?

Professional PMs use specialized tools to verify income directly with a tenant’s bank or payroll service, ensuring legitimacy.

Although some unexpected costs arose during renovations, close collaboration with Carol ensured the project stayed on track, resulting in a successful outcome.

If you control how they perform tasks, set their hours, or provide tools, they should likely be a W-2 employee, requiring you to withhold taxes and comply with payroll regulations.