If your tenants ruin white, they'll be ruining plenty of other things as well.

White cabinets in a basement apartment will brighten the space, but they do show more damage & general wear... have you considered perhaps doing a two tone? White on the uppers and a darker colour on the base? The base cabinets get the most wear&tear and this will ensure longevity/less maintenance, still some white cabinet to brighten the space and a modern look of the two tone? Good luck!

You can always go for a grey or off white if you don't want the vibe to be too harsh

Better talk to your insurance company about creating an illegal rental unit in your basement. They are 't likely to cover you without the firewall, legal head height (which you don't have) and egress windows. Cabinets are the least of your worries.