Some ways to hedge against this are to split the case between rent owed and damages to the property, and in the damages you NEED to include the term "willful and malicious damage".

I did get a couple of moderately bad tenants (not malicious,  but definitely irresponsible)  but I managed to avoid getting any of the professional-bad-tenant types (a few certainly tried).   

Not always a bad actor (I have had those also) but usually not living up to set standards previously agreed upon.

DWELLING FIRE COVERAGECOVERAGE LIMIT DEDUCTIBLE VALUATIONCOVERAGE Building, LIMIT$ 250,000, DEDUCTIBLE $1,000 (all perils), VALUATION Replacement CostCOVERAGE Other Structures, LIMIT $25,000, DEDUCTIBLE $1,000 (all perils), VALUATION Replacement CostCOVERAGE Fair Rental Value, LIMIT $ 25,000COVERAGE Vandalism & Malicious Mischief Coverage is included2.

DWELLING FIRE COVERAGECOVERAGE LIMIT DEDUCTIBLE VALUATIONCOVERAGE Building, LIMIT$ 250,000, DEDUCTIBLE $1,000 (all perils), VALUATION Replacement CostCOVERAGE Other Structures, LIMIT $25,000, DEDUCTIBLE $1,000 (all perils), VALUATION Replacement CostCOVERAGE Fair Rental Value, LIMIT $ 25,000COVERAGE Vandalism & Malicious Mischief Coverage is included2.

Consumer advocacy is very important to us and that is why we do our best to expose apparent scams and interview people so the other investors can hear their first-hand accounts and protect themselves against bad actors. 

BTW, the old cases that I'm not seeing show up were NOT withdrawn, went all the way to paperwork to have the marshal remove them, and in one case, there was a judgement against the tenant for malicious vandalism.Anyone know what's going on here? 

They are wrong, but it may not be malicious. 

They are quoting: RCW 59.18.900 Severability—1973 1st ex.s. c 207.If any provision of this chapter, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act, or its application to other persons or circumstances, is not affected.This is what I would send themRCW 59.18.200 Tenancy from month to month or for rental period—Termination—Armed forces exception—Exclusion of children—Conversion to condominium—Notice.(1)(a) When premises are rented for an indefinite time, with monthly or other periodic rent reserved, such tenancy shall be construed to be a tenancy from month to month, or from period to period on which rent is payable, and shall be terminated by written notice of twenty days or more, preceding the end of any of the months or periods of tenancy, given by either party to the other.Unless they are in the armed forces and deployed,  they only need to give you a 20 day notice from the end of their lease. 

Nothing malicious.