Hopefully the deposit covers Jan rent, make sure you give them an itemized list of the money owed to you for any damages or unpaid rent. 

the way to go about it is turn it over to your insurance and get the police report.. sometimes insurance will then subjugate the claim and go after the tenant criminally I had that happen on one of my rentals where the tenant did 40k in malicious damage on a new construction home I purchased in MS. 

We are currently working with our lawyers to take next steps and get our money back along with damages due to wasted time and investments we missed out on along with other people who they have done this too.

On the other hand, tenants tend to cause damages when moving these appliances in/out, so having them in place may be safer.I recommend you look at what others are doing in your community and price point.

I would only ever consider this if the ceilings are already falling down or damaged.  2.

I understand this is not a requirement, but I have never received a damaged unit from an inherited tenant or any legal issues.

Too bad you can't buy something owner-occupied, put 5% down with the best interest rate, live in it for 12 months (and fix it up), rent it out and repeat the cycle.Here's some other info you might find useful:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

@Jemini LeckieRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Property damage, excessive wear and tear, but paying, that PM has an incentive to look the other way, don't they. 

Once you go with a minimum 6 month lease your turnover costs, potential damage, make ready costs, repainting and repair costs, all go down dramatically.