As far as I am aware you can rent by the room in phoenix, I am not aware of any unrelated persons ordinances but you can check with your municipality they are usually starting at > 3 people that is what I believe would limit rent by the room.

Do you check Landlord references?

If in-person, where are you located?

Would like to know if any South Florida bigger pockets members can refer me to an expert in the Florida market that can guide me in the right direction.Thanks and God bless

I am a Real Estate Agent and investor based in Columbus but I personally grew up in Cleveland. 

I am wanting to purchase land and build a small cabin to STR (& personal use) in the North GA Market. 

I would appreciate any advice on the vetting processes you used to help find the right person to start your journey with.

In many ways it's personal preference and where you can find a good deal...off-market or creative financing is the best in FL right now, otherwise the numbers don't pencil well. 

Trusting someone shows you are an honest person.

Each person further down the line hoping they can scam their way in to get paid, and actually having zero idea who the actual contract holder is or who the seller is.