But, yes, she's doing her best to get rent control in Seattle, and since she can't do that because of the state laws, she's working as much black magic as she can to try and create the same result as rent control.  

When it comes down to it tenants are going to do whatever the heck they want and if they have no money to pay you it isn't going to magically appear.  

(I've got my own opinions on the notion of an infinite supply of magical turn-key investment properties that somehow have better-than-market cap rates, but I'll keep that to myself as it is off-topic.)

Most claim, once they learn how to design – or create a convincing hook – they work like magic!

If you held it for a month, and your holding deposit reflected a month's lost rent, for instance, that would be fair.But, to charge a month's rent as a "holding deposit," when you only held the property for a few days, probably wouldn't fly in court.There are no real mystery magical clauses you can put into leases that allow you do do anything that is not "reasonable."  

@Nathan Waters If she doesn't have money to pay you then it probably isn't going to magically come from somewhere. 

Surprisingly pets magically show up and they are generally over 20lbs.

LOL.I just really disagree with the idea that having co-signers is the magical answer.  

Hello, magical wet towels in the washer that they made up some story about, but hmmmm, there is that dryer going around and around.... and they lied about that, too.I think all landlords have to accept that most tenants will lie.  

There's no magic formula.