This is not normal.

To me, it seems normal for a party of seven, but this is serious - we have bears, so leaving food in the house is a real safety issue.I told him to leave the cleaning for me when I return next week and focus on getting the trash out, even if multiple trips.

That’s normal wear and tear.

I'd check on that.They may be accustomed to living in sub-standard housing, so a leak may have been normal for them. 

Is this normal in the beginning?

You can still rent a property people wouldn’t want to live in, but you’ll pay for it every cycle through lower rent, higher churn, or more management effort.Would a normal, stable tenant feel proud giving someone their address?

If a person found an off market deal that did not need a ton of work then putting 15% down could be a way to get into a long term rental without puting the normal 20% to 25% down.

But I think COVID brought us to a new normal, and we will not be retreating from those levels...just moving on from here.

I know it may feel normal as its my first one & I don't know my system yet.

There are lots of options out there but expect to only be able to tap 65-70% of the equity and fees will be a bit higher than normal.