Taking a deposit from tenants helps to mitigate the risk and may keep you from having to file an insurance claim in the event that there is any damage to your unit, plus if the tenants have "skin in the game" in the form of a deposit that they are at risk of losing you may have a better chance of renting to a tenant and getting your unit back in tact at the end of the lease.

I am currently working with a Silicon Valley startup to customize Artificial intelligence based systems to help property managers and tenants with security and other maintenance issues.

I work for our family’s fourth generation home building company on the sales side building custom homes on customers’ land all over Texas. 

I guess I blame the game but not the players..

I’d love more time to work on my golf game!

Offer a move in special- reduce the security deposit and increase rents by $25-$50 a month, allow pets with pet rentMost people have problems coming up with sec dep + rent at same time in this price range- Also think about a lease to own for 6 months or an owner finance- those will def work and get you out of the rental game and into the mortgage wrap/note game.... much more lucrative, less headaches and easier to closePM me if you have more questions. 

@Victoria CrumpIn my opinion the name of the game is "Follow the Billionaires".

I have a background in many fields ranging from customer service to truck driving and from masonry to being a licensed nurse.  

As a German, I don't like games and they just overplayed it and I really don't care any longer. 

It's really a numbers game so I'm going to keep pushing and marketing as much as possible.