This is because electric bills aren't very high, and you pretty much need to run the AC 24/7 to prevent mold.

I would also limit my interaction and communicate only in writing to prevent them from getting into an argument or wasting your time.

Next will be a clogged toilet, followed by the modem needing a reset and the list continues.Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I need to mitigate the damage that may be incurred if they do, or simply prevent them from accessing it. 

While this can serve to filter out some non-serious applicants, it can also prevent some well-qualified tenants from applying when there are free applications for similar units in the same market.

I am currently working on a lease for  a new tenant in Buffalo, NY. The lease is month to month, but I would like to include that during the winter months they can not leave, as it is always harder to find new tenants...

But neither insurance or govt oversight will prevent if someone wants to take advantage of you.

I’d like to prevent you from making the same mistakes many others have. 

. $18 per month will not repair many appliances or fix clogged toilets. 

A weasel clause was used by a seller to prevent a weasel (real or perceived) from buying their property.I would direct everyone on the buy side to Mark Manson's book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F.