I had a tenant get mad over work hours and kill the neighbor's children's cat; I've seen CPS and food stamps weaponized multiple times.

The kids scream, Karen runs, and I go to look for the broom, but by the time I had my weapon the mouse had hid somewhere in our master bedroom.

Because, when this tenant tells this story about an ongoing sewage problem, it's going to be really hard to sound righteous about rent not being paid.

I just got one - a father and son (and pregnant fiancee, God help her) duo - with 3 entire pages of  convictions and arrests (repeated offenses) for everything you can think of : burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery, felony battery, drug possession, that's not even all of it.

I am active duty Air Force and manage weapons development programs. 

The best weapon in your situation is having the knowledge to correctly present yourself to a lender.

More importantly, I have never felt more vulnerable than when I was buckling a screaming newborn into a carseat, while running errands alone, still physically weakened and recovering from childbirth, with my wardrobe basically limited to stretchy clothes (impossible to conceal a weapon.)