We have not been able to secure financing and had conversations about it.

The lender lent based on them being one thing which secures the debt.

If you're living in it now, you'll probably be required to have a signed lease in place as well as proof that first month's rent/security deposit were collected in order to get a DSCR loan (they're business purpose loans and don't allow owner occupancy).

The vast majority of lawsuits against Landlords are for wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

For example, the most important job of a property manager is securing reliable tenants—those who stay for many years, always pay rent on time, and take good care of the property.

The premise proclaimed at the start of this thread is simply not supported by mathematics with the exception of the specific case where the interest rate on the HELoC/secure LoC is sufficiently lower than the rate being paid on the mortgage.

I guess my problem with being too up front about seeing their place is that I don't feel like I'm in a position of power right now to decline people since it's hard enough to find people that I want to even get to that point in the application process in the first place, but I have to snap out of that mindset and have to instead come from a place where I make them believe that I have a lot of other applicants and that it's my standard policy and it's something they'll have to go through if they want my place.....ESPECIALLY if I decide to only take 1st & security from them rather than 1st/last/security.Thanks again!

You can always charge an air and surface scrubbing fee from their security deposit after they've moved out. 

In the lease it states that a security deposit of 1 months rent was collected. 

After COVID applicants were having to submit 10-15 applications on average in my market to secure a rental meaning they might pay a whole months rent or more in application fees!