Allowing such a person into a unit that their income does not meet standards for is not only setting you up for failure but it's setting them up for failure and hardship, and you owe a responsibility of defending persons from entering into financial agreements which will place an undue burden upon them. 

Would you like if the neighbors made this case public record (your name will be listed as a defendant)?

For example, the risk of getting sued over $1000-$2000 deposit vs. the cost to defend a suit if you need to hire counsel.

Then, you get to hire Mexican attorneys to defend your title, etc.  

case=16446...Quoted from the case decision:Finally, defendant never objected to plaintiff's termination notice and admitted to actual receipt of the notice.

If this is the case the cost to defend yourself would likely be close to the amount of the security deposit assuming you even win the case. 

What about any examples of kindly, gently defending against "landlord mission creep?"

I could keep going but I am really not trying to defend anyone.

And I think that criteria is defendable.  

Sure, we want to protect OUR property, etc...but a blanket denial for criminal records CAN land you in court, or worse, having to try and defend the policy with HUD.