nice guys have a hard time being firm with assholes who take advantage of us. i have a couple rentals too and have kept them empty all summer because my last renter left such a mess that i questioned staying in the biz. she was supposed to keep this and the other place clean (is all!) in exchange for half-price rent but i made the mistake of trusting her for the deposit, money she didn't have. she disappeared owing several hundred dollars to me and 350 to the utility company (which the owner is ultimately responsible for here)...iow, close to 900 bucks! but i'm diving back into the landlord biz again but this time no one moves in until the full deposit is paid along with 1st and last month's rent...and as alice cooper stated decades ago; no more mr. nice guy!