Poor management can drive tenants out due to pricing, conditions, just normal service failures and many other things.A property for sale 2years?

On a case by case basis I have worked with tenants to allow them to pay off the last month rent in three installments, by adding an addendum to say the last month rent is to be paid how and when and is to be applied how and failure is consider a violation of the lease.I also have a standard addendum for early lease termination which is a penalty of two months rent, and if they do that I would take the SD and last month rent and call it even.

I would also try to restrict access to any mechanical areas like this to avoid any further problems.

There is no such thing as failure to me.

Many of them do allow a temperature adjustment on the hot side, you would need to remove the triim plate and there is most likely a mechanical stop of some kind behind that. 

That means....all mechanical items need to be replaced.Smells money inside the house. 

The actual mechanics- payroll vs distributions is a question for an accountant, but make sure you are not depending on all the rents to live.

This includes all appliances, mechanicals, and systems.

The mechanicals are off the ground by 22inches, the lowest elevation of finished ground is 3.8 feet.

It's not a failure, you just found a new way it did not work out.