If you plan to use this as a stepping stone, then your time and effort is part of your education and is well worth it.The good news is if you do keep it you can do a test run for 3 years before you would lose your capital gains exemption. 

This would make you exempt from some fair housing requirements.

While this may exempt it from being classified as a rental activity, active participation remains a requirement, necessitating compliance with three tests: spending 500 hours on the property, dedicating at least 100 hours (and more than any other participant), and performing all the necessary work needed.Additionally, long-term viability and consideration of depreciation recapture are important concerns.

But if your residence is a single family or duplex, you can pull all of the permits yourself under the owner-builder exemption of the FL statutes.

Normally in a spot like this, we would recommend to a client that you sell your primary residence and claim your capital gains exemption under Section 121, but you have two strikes against you: (1) you have not lived in this property long enough to qualify for that, and (2) I'm hoping you already claimed an exemption on the sale of your other primary residence a few months ago, and you can't claim Section 121 exemptions within 2 years of each other. 

Also, have you given them notice of exemption of AB1482 (Tenant Protection Act) assuming it applies.

While this may exempt it from being classified as a rental activity, active participation remains a requirement, necessitating compliance with three tests: spending 500 hours on the property, dedicating at least 100 hours (and more than any other participant), and performing all the necessary work needed.Additionally, long-term viability and consideration of depreciation recapture are important concerns.

While this may exempt it from being classified as a rental activity, active participation remains a requirement, necessitating compliance with three tests: spending 500 hours on the property, dedicating at least 100 hours (and more than any other participant), and performing all the necessary work needed.Additionally, long-term viability and consideration of depreciation recapture are important concerns.

The benefits  to us have been: fed tax credits, property tax exemption, lower electric bill by a whopping 85%.

I also made it clear that he is responsible for any damages caused by the dog, and its status as a service/support animal does not exempt him from paying for property damage or cleaning fees for messes that are above the normal wear-and-tear.