No hiding when things get strange & wacky! 

@Ben LengerAs someone who has a few "older" (Second Empire, Victorian, Edwardian) properties, I assure you there are more than the "little things" hiding behind those walls.The good news is the original house is too old for asbestos to be a big concern ... unless there were renovations in the 1920s - 1940s.  

I took out hallway doors and considering adding more lighting to make it less likely for someone to hide in the stair wells.

They are hiding somewhere and I don't know where to find them.

Tom's Rhino group is the only group that shares and never hides any successes.

You could also look at the flip side of 1) at least they are telling you about issues and not hiding them and 2) living near your investment allows you to keep an eye on it better.If it really gets bad with a particular tenant point to the section in your lease that says all repair requests must be submitted in writing.

WHY suggest hiding if actions are legal?

I know some people just don't tell the bank in order to hide it, but I wouldn't recommend that.

Sure, he could be hiding something, but he hasn't hid that he declared bankruptcy and had to rebuild his wealth from scratch.

He knows it will be a problem that needs addressed, but he hides it and then gives you a low-ball offer on your project so that you'll hire his crew.