So, my question is: What are professional STR managers are doing to keep operational, maintenance, and cleaning issues to a minimum and everything running smoothly? 

Also, you want the insurance so that you can let their lawyers fight the lawsuit, otherwise you'll go broke just defedning your LLC.https://www.biggerpockets.com/...https://www.biggerpockets.com/...Then, there is the extra overhead with operating with a LLC. 

@Michael HutchinsonI’m sure out of state owners or self operators could use this service.

I honestly think it is the perfect platform for most operators until they need to switch to a Buildium or Appfolio type of platform.

The “Core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index,” a key inflation indicator, rose a faster-than-expected 3.1% in April as price pressures built in the rapidly expanding U.S. economy, the Commerce Department reports.

so I don't know if it's really a viable business at its core.

They should provide you with a very clear & thorough breakdown of their businesses operating expenses, though they may not provide it until you've signed an NDA disclosure and made a formal offer. 

There can an operating agreement which will indicate how the income and expenses will be split.

If you self manage, what have you implemented recently to streamline your operations to make it more passive?

That's what I am in search of, I've got plenty of help and knowledge about whether I can operate one and how to file the paperwork correctly.