One of my worries is the trees by the house causing foundational issues.

I have been a landlord for 10+ years, and I have never attempted to collect unpaid rent and/or damages from a tenant.

The roof caved in on a mud room, home owners insurance covered the exterior and the renters insurance covered damage to items on the interior.Hope that helps,Chris Pre

Go in their place and take visual note of any major damage such as holes in walls and so forth. 

It will attract better tenant/buyers who are more likely to close, and less likely to cause damage.I don't do rehabs myself but I focus almost exclusively on doing lease options with nicer homes for exactly this reason.

I am not a lawyer, nor is this legal advice, but I would think this could cause you problems with fair housing laws.

It has a line about restoring property after catastrophic damage, at owner's option, and rent abatement until restored.

I have done a few fire damaged houses and buy in Moore County.

The only time I've looked at jacking up a floor is when the main trusses in the basement are split and/or have WBI damage.

I would say if they contest it, you might be in for a challenging time proving it was them and they are responsible for damages.