It isn't their "choice" to use the Security Deposit to pay rent, unless the lease dictates that.

Seeing how you want to make real estate investing your life and career, working as a realtor would be an obvious choice.

@John WiedmanYour first choice should be to find a CPA that specializes in retirement account taxation and one that is local.

Your choice depends on your goals.

It was a, let's say, 'neglected' property in the downtown area of an popular city.

Jacksonville not as much as the other cities though and I would call it more like purple, with the red and blue fault lines running within the city itself.Social media is my lead gen of choice for now because it's free (except for what I've paid for BP Premium) and I've depleted just about all reserve capital I had to the point I'm contemplating taking on a day job again (with my tail between my legs having to admit that when I said I was gonna go off and be a hot shot realtor and those corporate psychopaths would never see me again, I was mistaken). 

See popular attractions and then pull up some airbnbs in those areas to see if you can pull off something closer to home.

working as a server in a restaurant has never been about being a career choice. it is just a stepping stone. however, some waiters make plenty of money because of tips. an individual is the person who decides on their destiny. you chose if you will be a dishwasher for the rest of your life or if you will move onto to something else. we cannot save everyone because they make bad choices. choices have consequences.

The only choices/disagreements would be who keeps which property, what gets sold, etc.

I would just reiterate that the rate is going up X% per the terms of the lease and if they don't like it their choice is to vacate.