I can also purchase information pamphlets on mold/moisture and lead-based paint that I am required (by federal law) to give to tenants upon move in.

You want to try and keep moisture level consistent around the entire perimeter of the foundation.

I hate the hollow sound of laminate and the effects of moisture so I won't use those.That is some cheap laminate from HD.

It's an inferior product and if moisture becomes an issue, you'll have to redo the whole thing.You can usually save a lot of money on lumber by buying from a building supply store (lumberyard) instead of Home Depot.  

Should I value my potential time lost, the stress, and expense this instance could cause when the tenant can nick pick everything wrong and harass you, damage your property, make it hard and inconvenient to gain access for inspection or regular maintenance,  call any number of housing authorities with no recourse.The tenant can argue the home had moisture and a potential mold problem, it was hot and HVAC wasn't working properly, there was risk of electrical issues making the property uninhabitable for that period.  

Seeing how these porcelain (infused with plastic} planks are installed, I don't see how the floor could be waterproof, as it seems moisture could easily slip through the crack between the tiles.

With the sub floor you need to check if it's really bad. you can take a moisture meter and see how saturated the levels are.

I stressed to the tenant to just please take care of the kitchen because it is BRAND NEW and that if he ever has any maintenance issues of ANY KIND to please let me know ASAP. 8 months roll by and I finally decide after him asking to have this cat that it might be time to do a maintenance check (originally I plan to do quarterly but it got away from me) and I go in and find the granite with multiple stains of water that had penetrated into the stone.

YOU have allowed the mold to develop by not fixing the moisture problem.

The inside people came to check the moisture level. the woman had 2 moisture meters, a small one, a bit larger than a remote control, and one with prongs on an extendable rod for reaching the ceiling.