@Fred MoskowitzI think Fred hit nail on the head with his description.

Account Closed sounds like you have it nailed..

You could pay them for the job, by the hour or by the day and give them a bonus for finding renters maybe $250Painting $250-$400 per roomInstalling Sink - $150ea ( +/- Labor Only)Patch Holes - $5 ea Nail Size  Lease Fee - 1 Month Rent (Property Management Comp)

If I read you right, you mean that anything to make the property ready counts, be they from labor costs, appliances, all the way down to a carpet nail and incidental tools at Home Depot can all be tallied up and then be used as if I paid that much more for the property?

She's an older Polish woman who just wants take care of her grandson all day.Now getting to the question - I'll probably be paying for the maintenance and other expenses related to this house myself, especially if I'm the one receiving the rent checks.  

@Jessica ZolotorofeYou nailed it.  

Most tenants do not feel bound by a lease and will leave when necessary regardless.Before you sign a new lease thoroughly question your tenants as to what their intentions are, do this as a casual conversation otherwise they are likely to lie if they think you are trying to nail down their intent to stay for a full year.If they have proven their worth as tenants they may be deserving of a term lease but their plans could change tomorrow for many reasons.

I would keep marketing, maybe try a new channel or two with a different demographic, keep polishing the place up, and accepting applications until you get someone who meets your criteria.

Tim NAILED IT!

Then a quart of exterior paint for $30.That leaves $0 for nails, dump fee (of the old fence material) and labor.The numbers ($100 for a complete new fence with 27 pickets) don't work even in the Midwest.