Because of their manipulative behaviors, I have chosen to limit most contact via e-mail, text or mail.

I think I am the landlord/manager and I set the standard for behavior.

make this behavior here the issue.

That is absolutely fantastic, and I LOVE this kind of behavior.

With that comes the probability of unethical behavior.  

certainly not to make excuses for poor behavior; we as brokers and loan originators live and die by our customer service and referral business. but we are imperfect human beings. it could have been any number of things: personal reasons, immaturity, inexperience, ego... the list goes on. 

In terms of what YOU can do as a potential landlord, there are ways to efficiently (& legally) screen tenants and spot potential "bad behavior" in order to avoid ever accepting them as a tenant. 

I understand renters being afraid of losing their home, but unfortunately these folks more-or-less guaranteed that you wouldn't want to keep them by their behavior, even if the condition of the yard, house & dogs would have been acceptable to you. 

In her world and social circle, any landlord, regardless of any past behavior, can turn on you at any moment, and this is even more true of landlords who live far away and only communicate through a property management company and certified mail.

This can give you insight into their behavior as tenants.Communication and Responsiveness: Evaluate how well the prospective tenants communicate and respond during the application process.