I remember looking at a beautifully renovated  duplex on Zillow in Atlanta the other day, with backsplash, new appliances, flooring, etc. but the area was iffy!

I am still a little on the fence morally about going into the markets devastated by the Hurricanes (Houston, Tampa, Naples, Jacksonville, Corpus Christi, Galveston), BUT I was somewhat convinced by a fellow wholesaler that we are doing many of those people a service. 

Levels of service vary.

Customer service (can you reach a person, how quickly?)

In the case of a natural disaster causing service issues the landlord has no control over they are not responsible.

Again I am out of the area for Military service so I will get these project moving as soon as able.

Also what service have you used in the past to get this done?

Honestly how do landlords get themselves so stuck.. inherited problems or not.. this sounds like it would have been the first thing I would have done was to get rid of the dogs.Tell tenant you have no choice they either get dogs gone or else, you file for eviction,  non-compliance failure to permit management / services to enter apartment to do emergency repairs. 

Actually Orlando got hurt worse in Charley than Fort Myers and I have colleagues in Orlando are still without power now (but they do have phone service so I can mock them).But there's two other fundamental dynamics that might bear some consideration.  

My Chicago based company offers some management services.