Self managing rental unit

[Alan Dolling]

Hi everyone, I’m seeking guidance, insights and suggestions. We live in Southern California and will have our first single-family rental unit ready next month. Since we’re less than five miles away from the property, we’re planning to self-manage it. I’m feeling a mix of excitement and a bit of apprehension. 
Here are our main questions: 

1. Should we hire a lawyer to draft our rental agreement to help avoid legal issues in the future? 
2. Should we invest in an online property management software? If yes, do you have any recommendations? 
3. How can we run credit and background checks if we’re managing the property ourselves? 
4. Does anyone here self-manage their property in California? Given that it’s a tenant-friendly state, how challenging is it in practice? 
5. Would it make sense to hire a property management company just for the onboarding process? If so, what’s the typical fee for that? 

Thank you in advance for reading and sharing your advice!