I will likely have significant competition because all these units in my neighborhood are identical in layout. 

Do you expect a tenant to give you a false identity and would you be OK with that?

I don't want to have mortgage fraud, but I want to know the limits of what I can and can't do.

Material misrepresentations and omissions subject the issuer and the salesperson to liability for securities fraud.

There are ways to use your VA loan for house-hacking, but saving up a downpayment is better than getting hit with fraud by a bank haha.

Falsification of information: If the tenant provided false information to obtain the lease, such as forging employment and pay stub documents, they may be held responsible for misrepresentation and potential fraud.2.

@Marques Barton - I've had almost an identical experience as you.

One of the great mysteries of STRs is all of those numbers can be correct depending on how you manage. 2 identical properties side by side can be wildly different revenues. 

Co-hosts can also leave reviews.The co-host does not have access to your payment nor payout settings so this helps from a fraud prevention POV. 

Or do you simply assume all contractors do the same work, the same way, with identical materials?