:(The system found out that many people were NOT cut out to be property owners.

Let's cut to the chase:  "A tenant is obligated to follow HOA rules, as they are considered residents of the community and must abide by the same restrictions as homeowners, even though they do not own the property; the landlord is responsible for ensuring their tenants understand and comply with the HOA rules. 

I also diversify into alternative real estate, like self-storage, to stay ahead of emerging trends.I’ve learned valuable lessons over the years, particularly the importance of clear communication and aligning expectations in partnerships.

I own the property free and clear and i use the equity as part of my business line of credit.

In related news, we had a guests for a  10 day stay and they wanted to cut the stay short.

Clear communication on expectations is key—I'd definitely push them to split that $250 cost at the very least! 

While I didn't love the 30% cut they took, I was happy to have it in experienced hands (and a lot of what they did, advised, etc. was on-track with what I had researched, discovered here and on other STR forums).

And I say this as a guy who owns most of his portfolio free & clear.

It sounds like you may not be cut out to manage rentals in which case you should probably sell.

I've done this on one house in order to cut costs - since then, I've added a meter with the utility company but it's a good workaround for the short term.