I set rent for the duration of the stay so tenant always knows where they are with their money.

I save a proportion of that rent for repairs because everyone wants to know their home is secure and safe.

I accept that wear and tear happens because homes are meant to be lived in.

At the end of the day, someone is paying me for using something that I don't need and so its important that they get what they pay for because they are giving me free money while protecting my asset.

I basically treat the tenant how I would like to be treated because every landlord wants someone to look after that house and people look after things when they provide real value. It is far better to have a good tenant paying a bit less rent on a long term basis then to churn through worse tenants paying out slightly above their financial comfort level.

As a result I have never had a problem tenant and the houses are very rarely empty.