There are lots of options for free property management software that will help you with free online rental applications, tenant screening, and marketing!

Unfortunately these situations happen, but with proper future tenant screening, you can lessen your future risk.

Screening your tenants thoroughly though is a factor even when talking about a recession.  

We charged tenant for remaining life of carpet using the 2-year old receipt, which, along with other damages like screens, siding damage, etc., ate up the whole security deposit, anyway. 

We allow pets in all of our units, we require renters insurance that names the pet, breed, sex, and weight. we generally charge pet rent, vs a deposit, for us it works out better to collect more rent vs trying to sue blood out of a turnip if they have a $200 deposit at the animal damages the property, over the portfolio, the pet rent is much more money in the big picture. 

In that case you are just going to cause animosity when none existed because the upstairs will resent the landlord being called.I am sure to screen properly and rent to grown-ups and personally I don’t desire involving myself in drama like other landlords, be they real or pretend.

The tenant screening company engaged by the PM would only share the background check information with the PM - and the PM would not share it with the owner due to privacy concerns. 

These are good and the newer versions/models had facial recognition that snap shots zoomed in faces and sends those faces to your phone which is better than a screen shot of the entire screen because you'll end of going to viewing footage on other notifications (something is at side gate). 

When I screen multiple qualified applicants I do not care about being fair.

In other words, you cannot deny a person using a Section 8 voucher and must include the amount of the voucher as part of their calculated household income for screening purposes.