They passed a battery of tests to become certified and have a code of ethics.Paul

@Stephen Krzyzak are you asking the handyman to go specifically check in on the property from time to time or do you have then on a "look at it while you are there changing filters and batteries" kind of thing?   

Worse yet (for my property) they’ve been smoking in the house as is apparent from the faint smell, and the ash tray I had to step over, and the battery taken out of one of the smoke alarms.

I'm trying to determine if I'm allowed to charge rent/ late fees from the time of the court ruling to the time the tenant vacates the property.

We also do our own maintenance/turnovers when we can as we've found they charge a lot for labor, so things like re-screening windows, changing smoke alarm batteries, light fixtures, etc., can be ridiculously expensive if you let them do it. 

Stay calm and professional.There are cameras that are available (battery operated, motion activated, all sorts of cool stuff) for a lot less than that, if you decide to go that way.

@Billy RoweIn some jurisdictions, smoke (& soon to be CO) detectors must be hardwired (we use models with a battery backup as well), so check your state landlord/tenant laws and local building & fire codes.

I don't want to be held liable (financially or morally) if a tenant dies because a smoke  detector had dead batteries.

I usually swap an outlet in the bedrooms now or kitchen for one with a built in USB charger...these run about $30.  

A couple of cheap things, if you have dark areas even if there is no plug you can install battery operated over sink lights for example.