Relax and be grateful you are in North Carolina and not a more "landlord unfriendly" state.That cleaning service is cluelesss and is just throwing crap against the wall hoping it will stick.Did you contract for their service? 

Including it in the rent looks like a good idea and you could even charge a premium over averages to make up for waste but remember not everyone will realize that the extra cost is built in and just think you are overpriced.  

@Aaron Macken Not landlords, they aren't going to waste their time responding.

I know I wasted 10 years not doing my research or buying what I should have bought to diversify but I guess I thought I would never have to worry about living without the security of those sources of income.

If working with real estate agents at this early of a stage in my learning, I don't want to waste any agent's effort but I do want to garner more experience and comfort in the process so I'd like to pick anyone's brain.

Waste of time.

I did do some things upstairs.. added some new carpet all throughout the upstairs, had some insulation blown in, and the ceiling tiles painted as well as the stairway walls.

Cost me $14k to replace two exterior walls of a place I have at the beach.  

Assuming the density only allows for a SFR, then you'd be wasting your time trying to permit all three.

I've considered reaching out to real estate agents to see if they'd teach me in the area but I don't because I fear wasting their time with ridiculous questions One last thing, I keep considering doing foreclosures but again I lack knowledge on that as well so I am willing to take risks, just not blindly.