Consider getting a statement signed by all parties which states that everyone has agreed to terminate the current lease early on X date and all obligations by all parties have been paid in full and that the deposit will be kept by the landlord and will be applied to the new lease. 

Nonetheless, I could see applying this law but only to rentals owned by a single person above a certain number.

Most people don't qualify for that relationship.The seller financing will not show up or affect the credit score.However, when applying for a loan at the bank or especially a Federally Guaranteed loan, they ask on the application for ALL Loans, whether  or not it shows on a credit report.

I have applied for my citizenship and am researching the real estate industry here.

@Paulette Midgette I haven't looked at that statute in a while but I would check to see if the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act ("HICPA") applies to this situation.

When its included in a lease for real estate then the laws pertaining to residential rental security deposits in your state apply but when its separate you should have more leeway to get some additional deposit to protect you.

Once the tenant applies for the unit, you'll have to work with the tenant and Section 8 to get approval, which always includes an inspection of the unit.

@Kris Lou Be careful with agents as 95%+ of them really only know how to handle owner-occupied transactions.We don't do biz in Indianapolis, so this is unbiased info we hope you 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?

This applies regardless of the type of deduction you choose to take for the vehicle.If section 179 doesn't work in your situation, there is bonus depreciation, which allows for a deduction of up to about $20k of the value of the vehicle for 2024. 

@Sakib KhanRecommend 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?