Dogs will scratch stuff,   chew on stuff, and cause damages, blinds will be destroyed, it's CYA!   

The tenant didn't totally destroy the place.But in one year they did more damage than people that have rented from me for 4 years.

Numbers look good but the reality will destroy your dream. 

My husband is dead-set against pets because he doesn't want calls from the other tenants about dogs barking, and he doesn't want the floors destroyed by cat pee.

Being 110% reliant on 3rd party channels is never the answer because at any minute they can increase their fees and destroy your business overnight.

Companies can destroy your investment if mismanaged. 

I have been using the vinyl planks or the large Allure adhesive-edge vinyl 3 foot tiles lately, and the tenants actually seem to prefer them as they are simple to keep clean and hard to destroy. 

We aren't their parents - we cannot sit outside and make sure they arent throwing trash on the ground, or destroying the inside of the property, or causing noise/parking violations, or ignoring their requirement to mow the lawn if its a single family property.

A great tenant that pays market rent, doesn't destroy the place, and doesn't bother you all the time, might be more profitable and more desire-able in the long term (if you don't have to spend as much on repairs, vacancy, and advertising, etc) than trying to get your rents to the top of market.

I really do not have any horror stories, every house I have fixed up has went very well and I have only had to remove one tenant who actually left willingly without destroying anything.