Good tips on doing this and keep from ticking them off to the point they’ll do damage?

I'd avoid them because if the tenant damages something, you are going to be on the hook for repairs.

So here are pros and cons of managing yourself.Pros:  you keep all profits (except 3% to credit card company), get to know guests, create a rapport with regular guests, make it personalized and memorable for your guests (my housekeeping staff was great and would leave flowers for anniversaries and balloons for bdays)Cons: Phone calls late at night sometimes, dealing with guests who are nasty and ignore your rules (ie no pets/no smoking, but it's nice having damage waiver in place), trial and error finding right housekeeping/maintenance/HVAC/plumbing people.Going with a property management company pros and cons:Pros:  they deal with all the issues and reservations callsCons: they may not be as attentive to your property as you would be and don't follow through with rules of no pets/no smoking.

You will hardly ever encounter any serious tenant payment issues, evictions or property damages.

Southern Pro Restoration always does a great job with integrity:http://southernprorestoration.com

Also, the departing tenant will owe us a considerable sum above the security deposit for damages he willfully or negligently caused to the property.

Been doing rentals sinc 1994 and the only claim I have ever had was the fire and it was about $30,000 in damages.  

I am not comfortable with not only inheriting tenants that have pretty long leases that I am stuck with, but I will also have no security deposits from any of them should there be any damage or lease-breaking by any of the existing tenants. 

What market rents are and the likelihood of being paid on time/no damage to the rental seem to be the golden focuses to me.

@Jordan Archer Nice, I live in the vicinity of the recent SoCal fires and many friends/fam are dealing with the smoke damage in their homes here.