Insurance co's will give me $500k in liability protection for $10s of dollars per month. 

I don't think I need to register the property and get a landlord license from the city because I live in the unit but am going to try to get it done to protect me more from the city, I also am not super sure how to start this process, I did make an account with DHCD and apply for the property to be registered to me (I think) and the next to is to get it inspected which will then get me my license to rent in the city.

They should have open communication and want to help you protect one of your biggest assets; your property.

Any information regarding llc's and setting up other legal/protective measures etc would be greatly appreciated!

An ammonia solution cuts the cigarette tar and neutralizes the smell, but it's not fun to work with (protect your skin and use a respiratory filter). 

I was just curious as to what other investors are doing to protect their properties as they are building.

Like do I give up some asset protection because it is setup that way.

You needed to have a better system in place to protect you from this situation.Going forward make sure your property manager does a solid job selecting the next tenant.

Typically, these are pretty balanced to protect both parties.

I'd rach out to @Jake Hottenrott he has expertise in this area