Accepting cash is a terrible idea.I"m less concerned about the credit score as many residents have poor credit.Unless you go through all the steps to qualify them properly, the best steps you can take to avoid financial loss is to not take them on as long-term tenants.

Quote from @Ethan Maciejewski: How do I determine if a tenant should qualify for a resident who has a low credit score but good rental payment history? 

Hi Shahab, This is a great question, sounds like you’re setting yourself up really well for your first house hack.There are some flexible funding programs that can work even before your FICO score appears, especially for income-verified buyers with solid payment history and low utilization.I sent you a DM so we can go over what options might fit your situation and next steps you can take while building your credit.

Do you have a credit score criteria or fee?

@April Eilers  if they pay anything credit score is relevant but I don't know Virginia.

Same holds true with business credit cards (usually after 90 days for credit cards).

I set the Credit Score as 650+ negotiable in Zillow and I had two immediate applications with very bad scores. 

I use the biggerpockets credit check.

I had a point system that I documented to help make things less subjective and more defendable for discrimination claims.Agree that credit score or an approximation isn't the full picture. 

You better not deny one tenant because of their low credit score and then accept another with a score below your standards.