You don't have to worry about exterior maintenance, mowing, exterior insurance, roofs, and possibly utilities.

If you can utilize one or all of these comfortably it will help a lot.2.

Also, at least here, it would depend on how they were built-for separate fee simple units, they would have to have separate utilities, not crossing the common property line, otherwise they would have to be condominium ownership if divided.

Are there any utilities that you have to pay?

A couple thingsNot sure if NC has this, but in MI the utility companies have landlord programs.

You can have multiple gas meters installed so that each tenant pays their own utility bills.

Consider utilizing a corporation and a 401k for matching contributions to decrease some of that taxable income.

Also, get a signed and notarized statement from each tenant detailing their current status, whether a lease exists, when it expires, who pays what utilities, their move in date, the deposit amount they gave the landlord and the current rent they pay and any and all discounts they currently receive.

The utility employee failed to close the basement door (after shutting my entire building HVAC down and my first floor pipes froze and busted).

There's no HOA and currently, the tenants are paying for their own utilities (Water, Sewer, Trash, Electric), which may be why the rents are on the low side for the area.