The tenants are still under lease, so why would they get their deposits back?

On the other hand, you may do better by allowing pets and requiring pet rents, pet deposits and pet fees.

Even on collecting deposits etc.

Large up front deposits are usually a red flag that the contractor doesn’t have operating capital which often  leads to project slow downs.  

Did the tenant receive their entire deposit back after vacating?

Low class outfit ... one of my borrower/ clients went into escrow with them last week and  put up the non refundable money getting ready to close and well  the title needs to be probated.. so these guys dont run title until they have your deposit.. will see if and how easy they give my client back his money since it did not close on the closing date and no extension was given or signed..

The paperwork to get them setup almost always meant my first rent check from agency would be about 45 days after lease start, so you need to float that.Tenants always paid with Money Order or cash, both required an actual visit to bank versus standard check that could be mobile deposited or ACH.Neutral:My tenants were not "light" on the property, but generally not overly hard either.  

Assembly Bill 1771, also known as the California Housing Speculation Act, aims to change real estate tax policy to discourage investors from quickly reselling properties like single-family homes.Under the proposed bill, an additional 25% tax would be imposed on the gain from the sale of a qualified asset (including homes) within three years of the previous sale.The tax reduction is dependent on the number of years passed since the initial purchase of the qualified asset, ranging from a 20% reduction for sales occurring between 3.01 to 4 years to a 100% reduction for sales occurring more than seven years after the initial purchase.The revenues generated by this tax increase would be deposited into the Speculation Recapture Community Reinvestment Fund, which aims to support affordable housing, local governments, schools, and infrastructure projects.The bill is introduced by Assembly Member Ward, and the proposed tax changes would take effect from January 1, 2023.Assembly Member Ward argues that short-term investors in the market, including fix and flip investors, contribute to rising housing prices, limiting opportunities for Californians to purchase homes.While the bill may discourage short-term speculative transactions, it is worth noting that California's tax laws still provide certain advantages for investors, including unlimited tax write-offs and depreciation benefits.The bill is subject to legislative approval, and Assembly Member Ward will speak publicly about the bill at the San Diego County Administration Center on a specified date.Please note that this is a simplified summary of the bill and its potential impact on fix and flip investors.

An alternative could also be to have them pay a higher deposit.

A KPI could be saving for the earnest deposits.