Hands-on / DIY / One man team / mom and pop landlords:

And don't notify tenants, for some reason when you tell them you will be out of town they will remember every non-emergency they need fixed right away the moment you leave.

Are you kidding?! ; )

My grandkids are in MN - I travel.

I always have my cell phone & laptop.

If I get a text or email request for repair, I'll call the appropriate person to go fix it and tell me WHAT CAUSED it. Take photos/evidence, then bill me.

Same with buying, selling, rehabbing.

Just got back from a week in Cancun with the family at an all-inclusive 5 star resort on the beach. Ocean kayaking, toured Chichien Itza (one of the 7 Wonders of the World), swam with dolphins, swim up bar, sunrise walks on the beach.

Team up with a couple of other land-lords in your area. This will allow for someone with real life local experience be around when you are not.

Did someone say road trip?

Nope. I am in the perfect place I always wanted to be and nothing and nowhere could be any better than this. Any travel I did do up to this point was a hassle. Though I am glad I was in St. Lucia. They have a drive in volcano and we went there. It stinks of sulfur and has a mud hole that steams and goats live there. Which technically means it is active and dangerous but people still drive in there.

We do once a year vacays. We have now become accustomed to road trips to Mardi Gras down south. This past February we had only one tenant complain that the plowing wasn't good enough and that the snow pack (which melted the next day and was caused by the town plow) "injured their car" (TM)

BTW all our rentals are in the Lake Effect/104 corridor.

We ask one of our more trusted contractors if they can cover any calls while we are away. We have keys that they can access if they had to. We would give them instructions on how to get to them. That contractor would take care of it.

First vacation we have had in years was going to the convention. I contacted my old handy guy and asked if he would be on call for me. He agreed. I didn't call him until two days after the convention to say thanks.

Made one HVAC service call which started before we left.

I can call the plumber, HVAC tech, and even the handy guy if need be. It was an eye opener for me as I do not travel.

Just realized I only answered half the question... "What coverage do I have?"

The last three times I've been on vacation, it hasn't been an issue. Handyman / contractors are just a phone call or text message away. This goes back to my post the other day about cultivating business relationships: we are more successful when we have professionals whom we can rely on to take care of business.

Sadly, freedom and vacations are where the DIY everything landlord suffers: if they're out of town and something goes wrong, business grinds to a halt. I should know; I used to be one. Turnovers were left sitting. Tenant complaints weren't getting resolved. What a mess!

But hey, I "saved" $50! *grins And ATE a week of vacancy!

The other trick I have up my sleeve is a buddy whom I've known since college who is a REALTOR and former real estate investor. He's a very personable fellow and over the years, he's sold me several million $$$ in real estate. He has offered repeatedly, "Hey if you're ever out of town and need a set of eyes on something just let me know." So if I absolutely needed someone representing me in person, as an agent, he's fully and legally qualified to do so on an ad hoc basis via his Brokerage. I could hire him to be my PM for a week if anything comes up.

Freedom takes a little planning, but so worth it!

Sid,

This is where I am at. DIY with nobody available full time. I am realizing that I have more people available to me on an emergency type basis.

I really like the realtor idea. My two favorite realtors actually managed for a bit, although not well.

Meeting my new mow guy in a few minutes for the rest of the properties I mow. Going to see how flexible his w2 schedule is. Might be able to use him for grunt work.

Possibly have the girl for cleaning and painting all lined up. Still have to use her to see if it will work. She is young though. Good because she won't be retiring in a year. Bad because she might be flighty and decide this isn't for her.

After todays list I am adding to it to contact my old workers and see what I can get them to commit to. Short vacations seem covered now. Maybe I can contract some to do the other items though.

Rentals existed before I was around, rentals will be here long after I am gone - so why do so many landlords struggle with going on vacation?

Control

I can count on one hand the number of times that things were well out of control to point that I had to be somewhere within my rental business. There was the time that my building was arsoned leaving 41 families and businesses homeless. Now that is an extreme case. But I see so many landlords betting that today will be that day where that extreme case is going to happen.

Zero, before cell phones I had a telephone answering machine hooked up to the phone line in the office. Tenants called and left a message, I would call the phone and enter a code and it would play the message remotely and I would call them back or simply call the repair guy and have them call them back.

Other than a little more delay than we have with cell phones, it really wasn't that bad. The killer was the long distance bill. It could be upwards of $2 per minute to call from across the country. At that point in time $2 was more like $10 in today's dollars. I used to carry a calling card (like a credit card) that got me a good discount if I used a certain 800 number to do long distance. For several years when working a day job, I traveled extensively. I ran the rentals this way while on the road.

I'm very hands on and do most of my own rehab and repairs. But I take vacations!!

Sometimes I have to pay one of my contacts to do a job while I'm gone that I would normally do myself...hate getting those bills!... but worth the FFRRRRREEEEDDDDOOOOMMMM!!!!

Yes. Just went rv camping for a week. Phone went on do not disturb. I checked text messages occasionally... no emergencies. Normally I have 2-3 people or trades on call to cover. All small stuff waited until this week to be done.

I go on multiple long-term vacations abroad every year. I drill into my tenants that the only way to contact me is the email. I always have email access. Phone service can be problematic along with large time differences.

I do not tell tenants I am gone. I communicate via email all the time whether I am local or not . I have a list of service providers, who I can email or text. They know I am on vacation and they accept Venmo or Zelle payments . I have a local friend with my credit card if it is needed.

I have replaced a rental HVAC unit while on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean going from Australia to Hawaii.

Nope. I just ended 12 years of caring for my demented mother who moved onto my farm in 2010. The last few years were hell with her off her psychotic medicines due to falls and her loss of bowel and bladder control AND a tendency to always remove her diapers because she did not need them. She refused to shower and was likely to throw the food I cooked at me. I wore the last Thanksgiving dinner I made for her. Not one service that helped me would cover me for a vacation.

Reporting back. I had the first 2-week destination vacation in my life. :) (Tokyo, Kyoto, Odawara, Hakone, Kamakura, Yosuka, etc.) Some friends were visiting family, so we were able to tag along with them. I had tried scheduling things so that things that involved me would happen while I was still available, and I had warned my main people with ongoing business (electricians, plumbers, handyguy) that I would not be able to do phone calls, so please text instead.

* A panel replacement/wiring job that was supposed to happen at the beginning of June ended up happening after I left. Doing the temporary disconnect/reconnect internationally was a little difficult, because they don't let you schedule both at the same time.

* "There is a slight water leak in the ceiling in the back spare room." --- Texted handyman to take care of it. Clogged HVAC drainage issue.

* "I have the application filled out. Where do I put it?" --I have no clue who you are. Told them to put it in locked mailbox.

* "I'm on your waitlist for a 2-bedroom, but if you have a 1-bedroom, that would be great." --Texted back will keep you in mind.

* "I love the plums in your yard. Can my baby have some?" ---Help yourself. (Across-the-street tenant.)

* "The floor is making it difficult to shut the back door." --After a bit, determined it was actually the closet door, not the exterior door. Had sent handyman to deal with it, but handyman had a concussion from elsewhere. It can wait.

* "This is the electric co-op. Do you want the electric to go into your name when the current tenant leaves on (date)?" --I used the contact form numerous times to give them the green light, but finally had to call directly. She wasn't getting my messages.

* "We mowed our grass. Do you think the neighbors will pay us if we mow their grass, too?" --Texted them back that it's owned by the City, so probably not, because they have a contract. But if you want them to mow their grass, this is where you fill out the tall-grass complaint form.

* "The A/C stopped working and it's up to 80*. We have a newborn." --Informed the HVAC company. They went out and determined they needed a particular part. Congrats on your newborn.

* "The breakers keep tripping." "We just installed a new panel. They shouldn't be tripping?" "The breakers keep tripping and I'm hot and cranky." ---The electrician determined they were running everything on one circuit, and redistributed the load.

* "We paid our twice-monthly rent installment." ---Thanks.

* "My wife and a cousin are coming here and need a place. Do you have any vacancies?" ---I'm sorry, but no.

* "I need a two-bedroom." ---I will keep you in mind. If I have something come available in July, I will let you know.

* "I got fired from my $27/hr job, and my new job is making $15/hr, but I'll pay rent by the 6th. I might be looking for a new place. Will keep you in the loop." ---Ty for the communication.

* "I paid the rent." ---Gracias.

* "I've been working on the exterior of your renovation the last couple of weekends." --I appreciate you.

* "Our A/C stopped working." ---Called HVAC #1. One of their main guys recently quit, so they're shortstaffed and overwhelmed, but I got in their queue. Called HVAC #2. They're scheduled out two weeks in the future. Called HVAC #3. Got a promise to go check on it-- but the tenants never saw him come, and he didn't respond to my text following up. We're still on HVAC #1's waitlist.

* "Will deposit the rent on Wednesday." --Gracias.

Apart from that, the only thing that couldn't be solved by time, text, or phone call was the fact that I challenged my taxes in a county with an appraisal district that's significantly more hostile than my primary county. They mailed me my appointment via letter. I'd requested a hearing after the 3rd--- but I have no clue when my hearing is set for until I get to the mailbox, remove the stop-mail, gather my mail, and read it. Between the weekend arrival and the 4th holiday, that's five extra days to find out.

Our holiday was determined by our hosts' availability. It would have been very simple if I had more power over the schedule, and had avoided it so that there were zero renovations and didn't coincide with tax protest time or it's-115*-and-our-HVAC-is-stressed season.

I agree with Ray n Pa. That puts it into perspective.

Took 3 kids on a month long cross country trip when they were at the appropriate age. All one year apart. Left people in charge and used track phones. Yea, I'm old, but I like to think of it as well seasoned. lol. Always went camping at least one week per summer where there was intentionally no cell service. I would check in every couple days or so.

Since kids grown and moved on, I strive for the once a month travel plan from September through April, pre and post covid. Hawii, Mexico, but mostly the carribean. So many islands, so little time. The cold gets old in NY. Cell phones and google voice make it so easy now. I train my people to send me pictures whether I am on vacay or at home. They don't always know which and I like it that way. Kinda fun ordering materials for a building project from a balcony overlooking the ocean. Just add an alternate pickup person or have them delivered.

Newest simplification has been motion activated cameras. You will be amazed at what you will see and hear!

@GKARL, happy RVing! Have an awesome vacation!

@Deanna, another great travel destination in Asia would be Indonesia. I would highly recommend a visit, particularly to the island of Bali.

I check my email messages and phone for any tenant issues during my vacations even when overseas.

When stationed in Japan, Bali was my favorite place in Asia.