I would have an Occupancy limit (low) and expressly put in the lease that no guests can stay more than (x) number of days per year.  AND limit the number of guests at one time.
You may have someone with 2 kids move in and before you know it they are dating a guy with 5 kids who looses his appartment and is a full time truck driver leaving his kids unsupervised during their custody visits crashing with his new girlfriend (your tenant) who does not care that his teenage boy is using your garage door as a hockey puck backstop.

I don't know if you allow pets or not (I wouldn't), but I would definitely prohibit guests with pets no matter what.  If you allow a pet, get an extra pet deposit in case of holes in the yard, cat pee in the living room or scratches on the corners of doors.

Write in the lease that they can not paint or wallpaper or drill a hole in anything.  There are alot of bad painters out there who manage to paint an inch of the ceiling, outlet covers, and get paint on the woodwork/ trim.

Verify that the last place they rented was left in good shape and the last landlord was not shafted for the last months+ rent.  I would make talking to the previous landlord a requirement.

Anyone who has left their last residence or are leaving their current residence because they are behind on rent will come up with all sorts of stories that do not disclose who their last landlord really is.     They will give the address of relatives "that they have been living with"(lie), abandon or forclosed houses and tell you they sold their house (lie). anything to keep you from knowing who they shafted last.


Maybe ask to see their last three month's electric bill.  It will tell you 1. Where they live, 2. If they pay their bills on time or not, and 3. whether they have good enough credit to have their past utilities in their name or not.