Let them know you will have to do the official inspection after they vacate but this is a great opportunity for you to identify problem areas they may be charged for.Finally, the move-out date will pass and you have to determine if they are out or not.

Again in cities they always use stainless or these days maybe black stainless.I replace a lot of out-dated plumbing and lighting fixtures and that makes a big difference for not a lot of money.Again this will depend highly on your area but I find you can make a big difference in interiors for $5-10k/unit. 

Or is the issue here simply that their possible move out date is an inconvenience to you?

Nasty carpet/floors, terrible paint in all rooms, popcorn ceilings, trim/doors/hardware all outdated, brutal appliances, ugly light fixtures, bathrooms were rough; garage was a major eyesore, the list goes on and on.

I don't know where they moved to, but they were out of my place on their move out date that was in their notice.When I allow pets, I just use twelve months of age minimum for the pet.

You can find outdated and even ugly homes with VAs, but any significant problems will not be approved by their appraiser.

I haven’t seen any activity in this house for a longtime and I can see it needs updates for sure but it looks mostly just out dated.

Tenants come back with sob story about how short notice is due to upcoming deployment (they are moving across town, wife is staying here during deployment, no military documentation provided)Move out date is accepted; if they want out that bad I don't want to force them to stay for fear of damagesBy CA law we can withhold 13 days of rent from their deposit due to insufficient notice to vacate. 

                                     Negotiate from a Position of StrengthThe old “Poor Mouthing the Offer” which some buyer agents still recommend is an outdated & flawed strategy, especiallyin a seller’s market.

I only know one person who used one, it was years ago, when the gas company was under a different name, and he had a horrible experience and said he'd never do it again, but that's only one very outdated reference.