A Form 1099-MISC is required to be issued only by a business that pays $600 or more to an independent contractor. If your rental activity is only an investment and not a business, you don’t have to issue a 1099. (There has been a law change several years ago that would have required investors to issue 1099s, but that law never went into effect and was ultimately repealed.)
Gross income less allowable adjustments, such as IRA, alimony, and Keogh deductions. AGI determines whether various tax benefits are phased out, such as personal exemptions, itemized deductions, and the rental loss allowance and modified adjusted gross income (MAGI).