I write in the lease they need to take care of snow removal and lawn care, though I provide a mower.  

Tenant maintains the interior and lawn.

Now for the numbers:Year 1             Year 2          Year 3           Year 4             Year 5INCOMEGross ScheduledRent Income                         266,400        274,392         282,624         291,102           299,836TOTAL GROSS INCOME      266,400        274,392         282,624         291,102           299,836VACANCY & CREDIT LOSS       7,992            8,232             8,479              8,733               8,995GOI                                        258,408        266,160          274,145         282,369          290,840OPERATING EXPENSES     Accounting                          2,000             2,060               2,122             2,185              2,251     Advertising                          1,000             1,030               1,061             1,093              1,126     Insurance                           15,000          15,450            15,914            16,391            16,883     Janitorial Service                 4,800             4,944              5,092              5,245              5,402     Lawn/Snow                          2,400             2,472              2,546              2,623              2,701     Legal                                     4,000             4,120              4,244              4,371              4,502     Property Management   12,920            13,308            13,707           14,118            14,542     Repairs/Maintenance     15,000            15,450            15,914            16,391           16,883     Supplies                                 500                 515                  530                 546                 563     Taxes            Real Estate                40,000            41,200            42,436            43,709            45,020     Trash Removal                10,400            10,712            11,033            11,364            11,705     Utilities           Electricity                      2,800              2,884              2,971              3,060               3,151           Sewer/Water             12,000            12,360            12,731            13,113            13,506TOTAL OPERATING      EXPENSES                      122,820          126,505         130,300          134,209           138,235NET OPERATING       INCOME                         135,588          139,655         143,845          148,160           152,605                                                Year 1             Year 2            Year 3            Year 4              Year 5NET OPERATING     INCOME                     135,588           139,655          143,845         148,160          152,605- Debt Service                109,969           109,969          109,969         109,969          109,969- Cap Additions                          0                      0                       0                     0                      0 CASH FLOW BEFORE           TAXES                       25,619             29,686           33,876            38,191            42,636Cash-on-Cash Return          7.92%              9.18%          10.48%          11.81%           13.19%(CFBT/Cash Inv.)Capitalization Rate              9.00%              9.27%            9.55%             9.83%            10.13%Debt Coverage Ratio             1.23                1.27                1.31                1.35                1.39PROJECTED SELLING           PRICE                     1,506,500      1,551,700       1,598,300      1,646,200        1,695,600- Costs of Sale                     105,455         108,619          111,881         115,234           118,692-Mortgage Payoff           1,175,708       1,144,134       1,110,361      1,074,237        1,035,598BEFORE-TAX SALE    PROCEEDS                      225,337          298,947          376,058         456,729            541,310IRR Before Tax                  -22.39%               4.85%           13.83%          17.55%              19.25%Thank you for taking the time to analyze these numbers!

The current owner pays for the water and lawn care.

For things like routine lawn care and preventive maintenance, such as termite protection, the value is the cost. 

The house next door is typically your redneck trash house with unkept yard ,with trash and broke down cars and lawn mowers in yard .

It’s also in a city I know very little about (Norfolk, VA) here are the numbers- I welcome your thoughts/ insights:$259k - sales Price (4- unit building fully occupied)$1460- total mortgage payment (after 25%) down $305- Property Management Feee (10%)$105- trash (total water is $315 p/m but seller bills water to tenants and has it written in the lease)$60 - lawn careTotal rents are $3050Owner says monthly expenses are low.The best case scenario is net income of $737 assuming $400 extra monthly expenses (for worse case scenario unexpected expenses which always come up) and assuming all the tenants pay their rent.Positives- - Seems to be a good cash flow if expenses are kept low and everybody pays- 4-plex is located in an 85% residential area- building is ok condition (built in late 70’s) except roof is 18 yrs old- all tenants are gainfully employedConcerns- while the neighborhood visually looked fine, according to crimemapping.com its a moderately high crime area.

With interest rates artificially low demand for real estate rises and with more people getting priced out of single families more of them opt for small multi-families. 

The town I had an SFR rental, people don't care for absentee landlord or their tenants, said so to my face, and call the town on various issues, such as if the lawns are not mowed.

Our contributions “artificial cash flow” will continue indefinitely and we may get a little more creative with our next asset.