In 2008, I began renting out the house I had been living in. I intended to sell it, but that wasn’t a great time to sell, so I began renting it out. It hasn’t been remotely profitable. At best, I manage to cover the cost of the mortgage, property tax, insurance and upkeep. At worst, I lose money. I fail to see how anybody can make money renting out property unless they aren’t keeping it up. I just paid to have the entire house re-carpeted. Last year I had to buy a new central air unit. There is always a need for a new water heater or a furnace repair or paint or something. Always. And we are able to do nearly all the repairs ourselves, so it’s not that we’re paying too much for upkeep.