Quote from @Pankaj Malik: I’m just really surprised that the tenant is not taking the option to break the lease break with a $ number offered (1 month rent plus reasonable amount for parts of house he wasn’t able to use) that is within a couple thousand dollars of what he wanted anyway. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

The behavior is a bit off, but not surprising for a mom & pop landlord.We tell our residents exactly what we need from them for the application. 

No surprise but property taxes (up another 16%), insurance and utilities are all bumping significantly.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

When you’re just starting out, the numbers can feel tight because a lot of the cash flow gets eaten up by repairs, vacancies, and other unexpected expenses.

Focus on fundamentals: buy below market value, have strong cash flow (or a clear path to creating it), and maintain sufficient reserves to weather any unexpected challenges.If you’re strategic and stay patient, this market could create opportunities that lay the groundwork for long-term success.

I would also advise doing your own inspection of the property to make sure that everything that they say is being done is actually completed and to code and that there shouldn't be any surprise maintenance costs at the beginning.  

We make people take photos of themselves holding their ID and then I also meet them in person for the showing - at least for my units on the NW side of Chicago.I've never heard of these testers, but I am not surprised. 

Go find another property and just check in with this guy once every month or so....you might be surprised one day :-)