We have a law in MI that can prevent unpaid water bills by a tenant from becoming an owner's problem.I wrote a blog about it - you may have something similar.

It seems this was done to prevent overflow of the septic, so therefore seems safe to assume the septic wouldn't be able to handle the extra load if the plumbing was corrected to discharge into the septic. 

Often this involves only replacing the top deadbolts as we're using passage door knobs (no locks) to prevent tenants for accidentally locking themselves out.Gail

He showed me that on the $300k loan we were doing it would prevent me for getting approved for a $150k house in the future because the payment was $750 a month higher.  

I would appreciate your advice on whether there are any gotchas that would prevent me from executing my plan.Purchase price: $250,000 (paying all cash)Closing costs: $5,000Repairs: $25,000Total Cost: $280,000ARV (estimated): $380,000 I am borrowing $250,000 from friends so that I can buy the property for All Cash.

So pretty good argument that these conditions would stick under the principle of freedom of contract, regardless of whether the property code would generally lead to a different outcome unless this is deemed contrary to public policy for grown-ups to agree to this (doubt it but maybe tenants are selectively handled under the case law roughly like children in the sense that the average tenant may be deemed by the courts as essentially lacking the capacity to agree to modifications of the security deposit conditions that may disadvantage them).Also, "Abandonment" is a defined term:(3) "Abandonment" occurs when all of the following occur:(a) all occupants have vacated the Property, in Landlord's reasonable judgment;(b) Tenant is in breach of this lease by not timely paying rent; and(c) Landlord has delivered written notice to Tenant, by affixing it to the inside of the main entry door or if the Landlord is prevented from entering the Property by affixing it to the outside of the main entry door, stating that Landlord considers the Property abandoned, and Tenant fails to respond to the affixed notice by the time required in the notice, which will not be less than 2 days from the date the notice is affixed to the main entry door.But as is occasionally the case in this lease, terms are defined but then used in a de-capitalized manner earlier or before, which permits the legalistic argument that the de-capitalized use of the term is broader.

Third, is there a way to discourage getting unnecessary repair requests?

The majority of people have little to negative net worth.Liability insurance is needed protection, but I also advocate properly managing your properties as the best prevention.

The previous owner installed a baseboard heater, which I turned to a medium setting (3 or 4 out of 7) throughout winter to prevent frozen pipes and other possible problems.

Currently the law is not being enforced but Jeff Sessions who will most likely be the next Attorney General has stated he does not support the Cole Memo which prevents the federal prosecution of most marijuana cases in states that allow the sale of marijuana.