bath tub drain to use for rental

Hair clogs are pretty much inevitable with any drain over time, it doesn’t matter if it’s toe-touch, trip-lever, or even just a basic stopper. The main reason I prefer toe-touch is it’s way easier to remove and clean when the drain slows down. With a trip-lever, you’re dealing with the whole assembly behind the tub, and it’s a pain if tenants jam it or the linkage breaks.

Capping the lever like you mentioned could work, just depends on how clean you want the look and how often you think you’ll actually need to re-install it.