Adding a monthly incentive like a reduced rent payment (in the form of not having to pay a late fee) should definitely help to motivate them to prioritize their rent payment and put a little more effort into getting it paid on time.

Make sure you have a good grip on the issues and prioritize properly before risking a vacancy and potentially expensive turnover.

Just echoing what Russell said... it's really about prioritizing.

He'll either leave or re-prioritize what gets paid first.  

I do like to prioritize people that came to the open house as well (I will keep a more open mind from now on after reading Sue Kelly's post).

He prioritizes them.  

Local Housing authorities can and do prioritize their list.

I'm the owner and no maintenance man or PM will ever do as good of a job as me (unless of course you're talking about gas appliances, electrical and permitted plumbing work- all a different story)If it were my property here is how I would prioritize: A bathroom vent fan that doesn't work, -all moisture should be dealt with accordingly, fix it first.Also, they broke the skylight lens when attempting to clean it...

Make a list of all the upgrades that you would do if you had unlimited funds based on your periodic inspections, prioritize the list in the order you would do them with no input, then bite off a few each year.  

And even if it was, a tenant who can't afford to buy their own home, is still capable of prioritizing how they spend their income.Just a little example of how different tenants may choose to spend the same amount of income:I'm a low income senior now in subsidized senior housing.