I had slept on the ground that night, me and my dog... over 1000 miles away from home pursuing the American dream.This was my second flip, I was out of my comfort zone.

We live in this house, renovated an former garage to be a mother-in-law suite.

.: Quote from @Dustin Tucker: Hello Joelle, What are the laws like for landlords, how long does it take for an eviction to take place?

The reason is that one wants to be able to properly avail themselves to the laws and protection of the corresponding state where the property lies.

Our laws require us to offer a rental first come first served (first completed application that qualifies must be offered the unit).

BiggerPockets website is good for the American market (mostly) but you will also find lots of Canadians on here and some good info on the Canadian market just by searching.There are worthwhile local West Coast resources for learning real estate investing in general and the Canadian and Vancouver markets in particular.

So need to check those laws.

I will not comment as to the tax laws and underlying rules - that is a discussion you can have with your tax advisor who presumably you are paying to help you.What I will do is provide practical and business guidance on tracking time.Firstly, there are apps available that can assist with time tracking where you can specifically detail your time, who you met with, etc.

Repairing damage to the property caused by the tenant or the tenant’s guests (beyond normal wear and tear).Cleaning the rental unit to return it to the same level of cleanliness as when the tenant moved in.Replacing or restoring personal property or appurtenances (fixtures) that were provided by the landlord and damaged or lost during the tenancy.Here's a link to the full California Law: https://www.gowhale.com/security-deposit-laws/california

There are thousands of pages on consumer protection laws and regulations that depending how you go about doing a subject to could be against these laws and regulations. so like most things - is itillegal - it depends.