Do not even think about letting someone use these rooms as bedrooms...as was said, there doesn't even have to be a fire for you to get screwed.And even though it's correct that you can't control where your tenants sleep, we all know how it is today in our nanny-state, over litigious society.

Learn about the houses specifically and reach out to the city or other historical societies and see if there is any grant money or city funds to restore these properties to their original glory then look at short term type rentals like Airbnb as the story will sell them to tourists and such. 

He mentioned the Canadian tax rules have shifted in a way it is more tax efficient to hold the property personally.

I also agree with the mindset shift of "ah man this sucks" to "I took care of it and now I have great contacts and knowledge of what to do next time". 

I don't even believe solar is beneficial to the earth or society when you consider the materials used and how those materials are collected.If you're going to investigate it, you need to take a hard look at what it's going to cost and see if it's really providing any benefit.

Hey @Patty Nisbet, as others have said, speak with your current landlord about shifting to a month-to-month lease. 

I posted a bit ago about my wife an I finally starting our journey after years of research and getting our personal finances ready to make the shift into REI, and I want to thank you all for the replies.

My focus has shifted a bunch of times between FL or maybe more local like the poconos.

In reality, the current shift is closer to this comparison.

Congrats on your shift!