Deposits will not be returned (full or partial) until all tenants move out.If Tenant A didn’t come to you to get part of the deposit back they may have gone to tenant B, but they most likely walked away from it and I feel it is between tenant A and B to sort it out.Personally I would return it to tenant B, the active tenant in the current active contract.

Quote from @Gregory Wilson: A few things there, Brendan.First, an LLC with you as a member and your (wife, son, pal, etc.) partner as a 1% member will file a Form 1065 which is about one tenth as likely to be audited by the IRS as a Form 1040 with a Schedule E rental activity (which I presume you will attempt to show is an active business).Second, you want an LLC because when your local Alabama handyman drives his girlfriend's uninsured truck into a van load of U of A medical school interns on I-22 when he goes  to get some shingles for your roof, on your business, you don't lose everything you have or ever will have to an uninsured claim. 

Thank you to anybody who responds.Visit some local real estate investing meetups in your area or ask the local lenders who their most active clients are. 

I'm actively seeking mentorship from someone with experience in similar markets who can shed more light on this process.

We’re actively working toward building a real estate portfolio that will generate passive income and create financial security for our future.

Rent Redi or many other apps can screen tenants including criminal, eviction, and income verification along with credit checks.

I’m in the military (active duty army), and looking to invest nationally since I move around a lot.

I do think MT might see better activity, but also more owner involvement and the added intricasies of furnishings, etc, so if you're willing that might be the better route.

Once you have the desired amount of business credit for the downpayment and have activated the cards, upload the card(s) that you'll be using to Plastiq, ( preferably Visa for real estate from what I'm told ).

I’m an active agent with one current listing and three more hitting the market in March.