Then get a lien against them and renew the liens when they are about to expire.

I would bring the rent up to market rates after the current lease expires. 

Unless his license is expired or revoked why would he even be against pulling permits? 

You don't want to wait until their lease expires and then start from square one.

From what I gather some say be careful you aren’t doing a net listing (which I will not be), a broker may not allow me to wholesale/assign contracts in their brokerage, or that you just can't wholesale as an agent.I am currently holding my license without any sponsoring broker because of this, and it is my goal to wholesale my first deal before my license would expire but I do not want to give up my goal especially if I can do both.

Let the option period expire without asking for repairs from the seller.

Let the option period expire without asking for repairs from the seller.

The value of the property (hypothetically) is depreciating over the lease term (as the length of the lease expires).

Hard to say about your contract since I haven't reviewed it personally, however as a general rule I write my short sale contract dates as floating dates so they do not expire - for example, instead of close date written as say "2/15/2022", I have it written up as "within 30 days of short sale approval".

Both long term tenants, like 4th year M2M after their annual lease expired.