I would like to cause the least amount of damage to credit as possible.Thanks in advance for any help or direction.John.

Anyway, I had a horrible experience - horrible tenants who completely trashed the place in a year (so badly that I had to put new carpets in AGAIN, after they had been put in the year before) and didn't even have security deposits so the money they owed in back rent and on all the damage they caused.. is still owed to me today.

At another property I work on, when there was a break-in (through a roof hatch), there was extensive damage to both the Common Areas as well as a tenant space.

He's willing to pay first and last month rent as well as a damage deposit equal to a months rent up front.

It is tough to give up money to a bad tenant, but often times, you'll end up spending less doing that, then dealing with the damage they may cause in retaliation.Good luck!

What are some ideas that can help encourage the tenant to leave the place in good shape and to prevent or minimize damage done by a disgruntled tenant who is getting evicted?

From what I've experienced and observed, water is the biggest source of damage to a home.

In basic accounting, finance, economics and RE, all you need to do is add, subtract, multiple and divide, there is no real brain damage in math.

Then she left $2000 worth of damage & cleanup. 

Based on what I know, if the damage is done, its done.