If you control how they perform tasks, set their hours, or provide tools, they should likely be a W-2 employee, requiring you to withhold taxes and comply with payroll regulations.

They often provide standardized lease agreements that comply with state and local laws.Additionally, many landlords use platforms like Avail, Zillow Rental Manager, or TurboTenant, which often include customizable lease templates that are state-specific.

We found that two key factors significantly helped us succeed with our short-term rental (STR): using NightlyPricer instead of AirDNA and opting for Safely Insurance.NightlyPricer: Rather than relying on AirDNA, we chose Nightly Pricer, which provides more dynamic, real-time adjustments based on demand, local events, and market trends.

As long as there is no "healthcare" being provided (medicine, baths, etc) then it's not regulated by the department of health.

Who is your favorite DM list provider and why? 

I could probably contact the president of North Korea sooner than I could find a good plumber in Japan. 

If you want them to leave, provide them legal notice to leave.

An other advantage of paying with credit card may be that you will not have to send the provider a 1098 tax form (only an issue if the total yearly amount is over $800). 

Raising the  amount required to buy your target properties is not easy, and beyond the amount that must be raised without leverage it will be difficult for you to provide favorable return profile for your investors.

I will provide some thoughts on the San Diego purchase- virtually all high LTV mls purchases since rates started to hike have negative cash flow at purchase- historically great appreciation- historically great rent growth but recently flattening- prop 13 is great benefit for long holds- laws keep getting less LL friendly.