We are doing OK with rental: good tenants and positive cash flow but we're now trying to solve the puzzle of how to finance REI #2: another cash out refi against our primary, a heloc, etc..

I can’t say I’ve perfected the brrrr method yet but I’m working on it.My question is how many deals do I have to do with my own cash or how many years do I need to be investing for private money lenders to trust me and my abilities so I can start doing apartment deals?

What are the best practices and methods to protect yourself as a landlord?

You just have to find the right combination of terms to solve mutual problems for you and the investor(s).  

So here is my question and I also will throw out some methods I am possibly taking.

I don't see how auto renew would solve your problem if you are letting the 3 week notice people go without penalty.

Then you should have a good idea for what method and strategy appeals most to you and aligns with your goals.

Refinancing is typically a puzzle to be solved...I swear banks make it purposefully arduous simply to weed out those who won't do the leg work. 

Printing off a generic contract may cause more problems than it solves down the road, for instance what if you unknowingly use a tenant friendly lease, use a contract with a different governing set of laws from your state, or if a contract contains a particular provision that is ambiguous and possibly unenforceable.

There's a million articles on BP discussing the BRRRR method, I would read some of those