re: Renting out property without mortgage holder's consent

What kind of a loan did you have? There are certain loans out there - mainly ones that involved bond financing programs (like those low income programs that have a forgiveable second) that require owner-occupancy. If the owner no longer lives in the home, it would violate the mortgage covenants.

Assuming that there really is some sort of covenant, are you in a posistion to re-fi into a new mortgage without that covenant?

Also, FHA loans have a one-year owner occupant requirement, I believe.