We want to avoid charging them for the stay plus the deposit, then refunding the deposit after they check out.

Your household names: Ernst and Young, Deloitte, KPMG, etc all offer audit services, as do your regionals like Grant Thornton.A full audit will typically consist of spot checking everything from invoices/receipts tying out to specific checks paid by accounts payable, and down to leases being input into the system, and tying rent payments to cleared checks.  

I called that afternoon to check on my policy before going into the weekend especially seeing I had renters checking in.

They can quote the by-laws by song and verse... be it the decoration you tenant hung on the door, or the tenant's inoperative car, or noise violations, etc, etc.I would definitely check into the rules of the HOA.  

Just wanted to check opinions if it's going to be too small or should I just do decent size 1 bedroom with living space.

Wanting to know what everyone is charging to run background checks for validating tenants.

(For properties of this age, months requiring some kind of repair seemed as common as months where nothing needed to be done).b.

You have to check the landlord tenant code in your state to see the proper way to give notice. 

Take advantage of it and have your maintenance person or property manager go and check things out at your property. 

When I've sold items on Facebook marketplace before or given things away using my Buy Nothing group, I've always checked the age of someone's profile and any public info on their profile along with evaluating the conversation to see if they pass a "vibe check".