Help! Too many Applicants - Tornado Relief!

[Mark Bugg]

We have been preparing our first rental home to be listed for several weeks now and listed it last night. We received 4 applicants in less than 12 hours! But here is the catch, 2 of them are victims of the recent tornados. While they have insurance to pay the bills (a good thing for me) they can't sign long term leases, since there is no telling when their home will be rebuilt. They will pay a premium, but only sign short term leases. The other applicants will sign a long term lease but no premium. The business side of me says that the long term lease is the better option, the compassionate side of me wants to offer my home out to a qualified tenant who has lost everything. But its scary to think that we will be suddenly vacant at Christmas! Any guidance or help in a situation like this!! Not what I was expecting as a first time landlord.