A couple times they weren't sure what time they'd arrive, so they just paid the rent and I sent them a key.Just vet them like anyone else.  

I've had tenants who've ignored texts, email, voicemail, door knocks...but within an hour of that notice going up their door (or a certified letter arriving from my attorney), I hear from them (cell phone was dead/lost/stolen, email account was hacked, internet down, they were in the hospital, on vacation, etc.). 

Now if the application arrives and there are lots of previous rentals, it would be a red flag, if she was in the last place for quite a while I would think its just been a long time and she doesn't understand the process.  

She got squirrely when the police arrived, and later one of the policemen told me it was actually HIS blood on her!  

And I'd make note of when it should arrive and I followed up if I hadn't heard from the student yet.  

A couple of other screening techniques I learned while lurking around here on BP.If he arrives in his vehicle is it a mess or well maintained?

If you are evicting someone from their home it is impossible to predict how they will react so don't be surprised when the odd one arrives on the crazy train at your front door.

If it was in the application phase I would handle it one way, but since he has a signed lease based on his application I am unsure what to do.To add to my concerns and time constraints, he texted me to say that they are arriving in town tonight and want to know if they can move in instead of waiting until Thursday.Any advice from more experienced landlords would be greatly appreciated.

I was lucky, I billed them and they paid it.In retrospect, I'd measure the tank at turnover, pay the departing tenant for their fuel that they bought (use that day's price, it's the only fair way and it's how it's done when you buy and sell and property) and then charge the arriving tenant.  

Monday rolled around and he told me he had made a mistake and there was just blockage in the line 15 feet under the foundation and that he had cleaned it before I had arrived (He was there for 30 minutes before me and had no access to the inside of the house).