After decades of landlording, I can safely say that income is not a good predictor of whether your departing tenants will leave you with a mess or not.
My worst slobs? An architect and his teacher wife, with two adorable little girls. Left me with a pigsty. Among my best? Two Mexican bachelor dudes, and no, not gay caballeros.
Some tips to avoid the slobs among your applicants: Check out how they keep their car. Also, call the previous landlord. Better yet, show up at their current rental to “get additional details on their application”, and look carefully over their shoulder.
