Deposits are crucial to making sure you have a serious buyer.

Is that 17k a deposit?

Also looking for advice on how much to charge for deposits.

Another way to get around finding a duplex that matches your budget, you can find a SFH with a Mother In Law and you can rent out the top and bottom floors independently to help you cash flow. 

Make sure you review all the leases and compare to bank deposits if possible.

Can I place it in the new contract that if someone does this same thing, they surrender their security deposit?   

You can use the knowledge in passive real estate investing that you gain and share it with your clients - most of whom are probably W2 earners who, like you, don't have time to become a focused active investor.Active investing has a lot of benefits - it just isn't at all passive, even the "passive" turnkey kind - I am a big believer in matching your investing to your lifestyle. 

There’s no specific language in the BP lease about returning the security deposit if tenant breaks the lease.

Hello,I just got a mortgage and am trying to generate an amortization schedule but have been unable to match the banks first payment information.

"Security deposits were deducted at closing so we don't have their current security deposit."