How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.  

When you threaten somebody's lively hood they react quickly.

What your gut is reacting to is an illusion created by the applicant not a true reality.

When you use a PM, you have to react after the fact and "train" the PM how to manage your rentals.

By not fulfilling your responsibilities as a landlord to protect yourself you will end up reacting as opposed to proactively acting.

Some initial thoughts: I look at the way the dog reacts on leash.

Obviously its not that hard to find out......but knowing and reacting on the spot is different than putting in the effort to find out.  

The liberal judges I have faced recently with my Evictions that are coming to an end because I am selling most of my rentals, have said that my Three Day Notice was not served on the tenant when I personally served them and they tore it up in my face, shoved me backwards, spit in my face and started taking pictures in case I reacted so they could call the cops for assault.

This is also the time make any adjustments in deposits and/or rent, but be careful to stay within State requirements and not insult which would result in them reacting with a move-out.

Even if you see the call come in, it gives you time to listen to the voicemail and decide how you are going to react, and when you would call the tenant back.The only calls I ever got at 3am were drunk tenants who locked themselves out.