Another option is have them get a NetSpend card or a similar prepaid debit card that allows ACH debits and they can use that with a payment service, such as PayPal or a rent payment service.  

I don't like the idea of taking prepaid rent. 

My tenant (I manage the property) had prepaid 6 months of rent.  

Good news is they came with several months of prepaid rent.

I caught it before escrow closed but it wasn't like the seller told me the tenant in that apartment had prepaid in advance.  

Points are prepaid interest, institutions and brokers, licensed lenders can charge prepaid interest not private types.

-prepayment charge on a prepaid amount over 20% of the original mortgage in any 12 month period, can only be a max of 6 months advance interest on that amount (over 20% of original mortgage).https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?

She used 3.5% down conventional at 4.5% (pre-paid PMI).

Although my collections have been normal I will not do a longer than 29 day agreement unless it's pre-paid.

After you get good tenants in place, get a 2nd phone (cheap pre-paid) or a google voice phone number to handle your maintenance requests.