Think of all the things that could go wrong and see if the lease addresses them: unauthorized pets or tenants, early termination, security deposit, lease violations, late rent, eviction, lawn maintenance, parking, etc.5.

I offered a promissory note for the deposit.

No other amounts are deposited in the account during the year, and no portion of the principal amount of the debt is repaid during the year.

**With that said, aside from the credit report and liens on the other property, the lender could also see the deposit/wire from the private money show up in your bank account (they will be asking for bank statements for your down payment and reserves) and if they see the deposit, they will ask where that money came from.

Make sure to go over those VERY carefully and ask for deposit receipts for the last two months.

BTW someone willing to pay rent above market rate is a high risk renter for some reason--felonies, past evictions, bankruptcy, poor credit, no or not enough income, or way toooo many people, or history of damage, professional scammer, etc.The landlord would not even be holding the lease to evict the folks you rent to, not have their deposit for damages, or any relationship with the tenants to recover damages in court as the tenants lease is with you.  

Can't afford the security deposit, they can't afford rent.

We would like to retain our earnest money deposit.

Beginning with rent for the month of September, please pay your rent by depositing the entire amount into the following bank account at <your bank>: account # 123; routing # 456.

I’ve notified my current tenants and have updated my agreements to state the security deposit will be automatically forefeited if they are caught.