You take a deposit per usual and charge them for any damage beyond wear and tear.

We are now suing them in TX small claims court as the security deposit was not enough to cover the 2 - 3 months rent after they trashed the house. 

Hello @Yvonne Wang,The scope of work should include the following:- Basic info: Property address, client name, contractor's contact info, address, license#'s, signed general/operating agreement b/w contractor and client- Specification of repairs: Repair item, Quantity of items needed, total & per unit cost of items, taxes (if applicable), Completion hours, title of the person responsible for the repair item, written summary describing the work- Add'l info: Schedule of repairs, additional payment schedule details i.e. disbursement schedule, method of disbursement, deposits, holdback amounts, etc.The screenshot below highlights a couple of repair items.

The vast majority of lawsuits against Landlords are for wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

. :)  these are not credit score loans ( I mean I have a credit score) but thats just a formality its all about capital and relationships with your bankers and deposit relationships thats key as well.Yes your relationships with sub contractors will be a huge factor in profitability, both direct and indirect. 

Consider all the things that could go wrong and see if the lease addresses them: unauthorized pets or tenants, early termination, security deposit, lease violations, late rent, eviction, lawn maintenance, parking, etc.5.

It is common for rental property investors to feel the pain when a property turns over but keep in mind that is why we retain security deposits for you. 

Having watched many prior co-workers get paid, cash their check at the casino, and promptly deposit it all into a slot machine I can tell you with pretty good certainty that casinos don't have a positive effect on disposable income and good use of the existing income in the area surrounding :)Are there solid local employers OTHER than the casino in a 15-minute drive? 

Consider getting a statement signed by all parties which states that everyone has agreed to terminate the current lease early on X date and all obligations by all parties have been paid in full and that the deposit will be kept by the landlord and will be applied to the new lease. 

I was heading down a similar path and fortunately I cancelled my contract and forfeited my deposit.