Well, all well and good renting to "professionals" or whatever but there are many horror stories of what can happen. An example is a couple in Spain opposite me who rented it out and the neighbours informed them that the air conditioning had been left on all the time with the windows and doors wide open. Plus, when they left, the air conditioning was left on full blast.
However, my experience of renting has put me off for life.
Back in the 90s, I was posted to Cyprus for 3 years. We rented out our house in UK through an agency (well known and respected) who rented it to a couple who both worked in a bank. Fine, all good and, although the rental income after tax did not quite cover the mortgage, we did have the benefits of no standing charges for utilities or the council tax etc.
We did get a neighbour ringing to say our garden was getting in a bit of a mess. A quick ring to the agents and they said we didn't leave a lawnmower (which I thought we'd did). Anyway, money sent for new lawnmower. Agents rang to ask if it was OK if the tenants re-decorated. OK, says I.
On return (after the 3 years) we walked in an my wife broke down crying. The window frames were rotted through due to lack of maintenance, the oven door was hanging off, there had obviously been a leak in the bathroom and the panel had been ripped off despite their being screw access. The master bedroom had been painted in battleship grey using gloss paint over the old wallpaper and had been painted around the wardrobe and bed/cabinets. The carpets looked like they hadn't even been vaccuumed, let alone cleaned in the whole 3 years. Virtually every wall was marked in some way and the kitchen appliances were all coated in grease.
In the end, we had to replace the bath and panels, all the windows, all the carpets, all the kitchen fitting etc. I redecorated from top to bottom. Almost £30,000 in all. Insurance paid £2,750 for a couple of things but wouldn't pay for many of the things, including the windows.
A complaint to the agents elicited the response that we had got our rent on time so we shouldn't complain. Oh, and I found 3 lawnmowers, 2 in the garage and one in the shed. Plus an old fridge that had been dumpled in the back garden.
Renting to a professional couple? Not my house, I'm afraid.