Have them sign all the necessary rental agreements and forms, hold them accountable to pay their rent on time, screen them if you'd like, and charge a deposit.I just ask for first and deposit + fees.

Start screening properties.

You will not learn you market sitting behind a computer screen.

It sounds like you'll have an easy time getting the property rent-ready again, but you need to do a better job of screening and monitoring your tenants. 

College kids can always be a risk, I would have to screen them very well.

You screen applicants, you reject those that do not qualify. 

I have paid off apt bldgs with money saved self-managing.That said, there are many tenant screening tools available to you and the tenant usually pays the application fee.

Unless you are planning on continuing your ruse through some pre-screening, but I think you'll be wasting your and others' time.If you want to learn demand in an area, document the comparable listings online weekly, and see how many new ones are posted versus how many are taken down, how long the listings have been up, etc. 

As far as screening tenants, I recommend Rent Marketplace or SmartMove.

I am screening currently for the LTR and the MTR should be set up by mid May.