Your thought process on the contractor providing quotes to possibly "win" a job may seem correct on surface level as a lot of businesses offer "free-mium" products - but ultimately time is money, especially in real estate where good contractors are in high demand and could better spend their time finishing a project before accepting the next one. 

If you need a spreadsheet to calculate your hours please let me know, I have one that we give to our clients I'm happy to share for free

I'm wondering what lease clauses people are using for like remote-workers wanting their own office, or artists renting an apartment but not living there, or an online shop that just needs space for storage and a computer.

We always encourage our clients to share their positive experiences with friends, family and in online forums / reviews. 

They, and their agents, oftentimes go online to check and see what permits were pulled, and work done.

Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any other questions/just want to discuss!

Information online makes it seem like it’s no big deal if something breaks because you have paying tenants.

Feel free to message me if you have any more questions. 

Feel free to share your experiences and insights as I am eager to hear from those actively involved in the market.  

The info I've found online on FIRPTA is a bit unclear, so I'm hoping someone here at BP will provide some clarity.