I have an employee who earns $5,000 to $7,000 every week (his paycheck) canvassing door-to-door and he sells home services i.e. plumbing, heating, roofing, house painting, etc..My company has been hiring door-to-door canvassers for about 20 years and it is the best and most-productive marketing and sales arm reaching out that any business can have.

If they refuse to leave, hire an attorney and start the eviction process as soon as legally allowed.

I would pick the area that you feel most comfortable doing work or that you know the most people that you can easily hire and trust and start BRRRRing.

Would you hire a dedicated property manager or would it be smarter to pay the short term rental cleaners extra to do any small extra tasks needed?

I've done this over a number of years and have now hired and supervise a crew of guys instead of hiring contractors.

We didn't have enough money to hire out tasks, so what should have been done in short order dragged on a few months, and each month costs a mortgage payment. 

Big difference is your only going to get a cease and desist and have to hire an attorney to keep you from further legal harm.

You can usually google search people or check court records.Or you can hire a PI too.That said I would be careful with working with under 2M net worth CONtractors and why I like syndications where the people you are working with have skin in the game.

For the past 3 months, the contractor I hired has been giving me reason after reason (excuses?)

You can self manage or hire a PM.