I tried to talk with him and see if he wanted to buy my little back lot and you would not believe the ignorant and offensive things this guy said.  

w@Kevin Siedlecki very correctly pointed out that you moving into a backyard shed would be a likely zoning violation (which is not criminal -but could lead to a fine if found out, then warned and warnings are ignored), but that would not dissuade me if shed living equaled saving money.  

Allen - Absolutely no internet argument, please don't take offense.

How you avoid a tenant with hygiene issues when you can only see financial and criminal check? 

You have to start playing defense and offense with your finances.

Mario Furmanczyk,seriously if you are determined to play with LA's rent control laws and renting in California in general,you need to find a very good real estate attorney who is an expert in rent control laws and California rental laws in general.California is one of the most difficult places to do business and landlords are treated like criminals waiting to be caught by our court system.You need serious protection with good lawyers who will help you stay in compliance and keep you out of financial troubles.Good luck to you.

AND you check for their credit score/criminal history/eviction history.This should be fine to screen tenants.

You guys can still meet then if you like, of course, and I won't take offense if you do, I just won't be able to join unfortunately.

makes it illegal for an owner to reject a prospective tenant application based on a criminal record!

Please take no offense but it looks like you are an investor who flips properties based on your profile.I do the same and know "exactly" what is happening through the whole sale process.