Very common ignorance problem with ignorant, low-demographic tenants that are just looking for any excuse not to pay rent. 

Investing in real estate requires in-depth knowledge of tenant pools, area economics, job growth, demographic changes, understanding and estimating returns, selecting high performance properties and much more.

@Greg Moore While @Paul Sandhu has a lot to teach (and a lot of just plain great stories) his model/target demographic is not the same as yours - by a long shot :) I think you named the two biggest general STR risks (though a pandemic is something that wouldn't have made anybody's list a year or so ago!).  

@Alexandre Marques dos SantosThat’s where you pass off all your costs of owning the property to the tenants-property taxes, landscaping, etc.

So I'm looking at updates like LVP flooring, reglazing bathtubs, painting kitchen cabinets, replacing old door handles/hardware, scraping popcorn ceilings, and creating cost-efficient landscaping.

My plan is to add some value like improving landscape and curb appeal and gradually increasing the rents in all units to atleast 650 in the coming months.

It’s a complete gut and remodel, including all new electrical, plumbing, sheetrock, installing beams, new HVAC upstairs, etc.I am over budget and haven’t gotten to the landscaping yet because the house was built in the 1940’s and there were a few things that we didn’t anticipate during the renovation planning phase.Just some things to think about.

It’s a fairly complex landscape with government regulations, but if done right can be massively rewarding.

I calculated that the duplex will bring in around $2400/month with almost zero renovations if any (Maybe paint and landscaping). 

New doors, new hardware, new paint, new landscaped yard, new fixtures, What was the outcome?