If you do your losses will multiply and a nonpaying tenant will still be resident in your unit.

Too small a gap might end up being a loss....nobody likes a loss.

We can 'add back' paper losses such as depreciation, meaning that's something that will decrease your tax burden without decreasing your mortgage qualifying income.

What if there is a loss?

You can always carry a higher deductible and you aren't penalized for filing claims, so even if you carry 5k or the new 10k deductible and the loss is less it doesn't impact your premiums for filing it to see if you could get something. 

If they are able to take a huge loss with someone else's money, then carry it forward for a decade or two to offset any income taxes they might owe, they could make a ton and go all the way to Washington.

The property would have to have significant returns to make up for the tax burden and loss of company match to be a net gain for you.

Why have one you know is going to break even if fully occupied with a high chance of taking a loss annually. 

Your may be in a tight spot if the security deposit is not enough to offset the loss and damages.

If you experience adversity (disability, loss of job, divorce, etc.) it's way easier to weasel out of a rental than a mortgage.