Do I take pictures of everything before renting in case there are damages when the lease ends?

These records can give you a clearer picture of how well the building has been maintained and any potential expenses on the horizon.To address concerns about issues like a deteriorating foundation or sewer problems, ask the condo association for documentation related to past repairs and maintenance.

In DC and Boston both, my properties values and my rents double on average every 10 years.

But vacancy rates doubled which wipes out your profit to the point of negative cash flow territory if you have a newer mortgage with a higher rate.The number of inquiries have gone up exponentially but the number of qualified renters have gone down exponentially.

but of course I do not charge an up front fee  as miniscule in the big picture as this company is charging.

Would only do if double your $21/1,300 sqft annual revenue after costs.

My Class A Indy suburban home (Hamilton County, which has the highest median income in Indy) has doubled in value from 2013 to 2021, great tenants, excellent schools, very few problems.

Try to build a picture of what is going on in that market.  

Since many details are missing in your post so it is hard to see the overall picture from the Seller's perspective.

Picture attached for reference and can gladly provide more.