Yes, a lot of landlords do leave the house empty. Maybe not for the hell of it, but if it is empty you don't risk getting a bad tenant. Even with good tenants,

Yes, a lot of landlords do leave the house empty. Maybe not for the hell of it, but if it is empty you don't risk getting a bad tenant. Even with good tenants, a tenant means you have more responsibility w.r.t repairs/maintenance costs etc. If the property is appreciating at 10-30% yoy, why take the risk of renting it?