Even if all the house needs is a good cleaning, paint and floor covering, having all of your stuff in there to work around will probably double the time needed to finish the work.

I did bring that up but he said he just wanted to make a "clean break".

The reason is the buyer wants to see the time line to act by and if there are conditions tied to the approval letters such as the seller showing additional documentation to the lender or agreeing to a sign promissory note for deficiency etc.The buyer is looking at how CLEAN the short sale approval letter is.The seller doesn't have to share the letter if they do not want to but the buyer can also squash the deal and cancel and move on as well.No legal advice and I have no clue what the seller and buyer signed in this agreement.

The landlord is trying to get rid of them so she can clean up the house and put it on the market.

Not San Antonio, but yes, I've dealt with cleaning up unpermitted work.  

If you manage yorself, you will have to orchestrate check ins, cleaning, etc.Google some of the rental companies and look at the houses they rent out.  

@Elizabeth Colegrove You would charge them for carpet replacement if the carpet is 10 years old and can't be professionally cleaned well enough anymore?  

My wife called the second set and they were very disappointed as they said they had been through over 50 places in that area and none were as clean or put together as mine.

Building = $ 319,800Expenses in 2014: Cleaning $ 911.35Insurance $ 1,316.00Taxes $ 6,226.00Trash Removal $ 125.00Property Maintenance $ 5,127.50Contractor Services $ 1,200.00Exterminators $ 1,255.00Plumber $ 752.00TOTAL $ 16,912.85 (Oil is not included and this property is in New England)NOI - 49,104 - 16,912.85 = $ 32,191.50 (not accounting heating oil)P.S.

We took a good inventory of what was needed and our goal was to make the house, clean, safe, functioning, nice, but not too nice.