I did learn valuable lessons, yes. Not that lesson, though. That's a lesson that you might need to unlearn. It will hold you back from trying anything on your own cognizance.

I learned a lot about contracts. I learned a lot about tenant laws. I learned a lot about insurance. I learned that if you have a cleaner employed in the houses you rent, then you have a legal right to enter the property to "inspect their work". I learned a lot about different types of people.

I did not learn any way, shape or form, that "having connections to government" would have made my efforts any easier.

How exactly do you imagine that having "connections to government" would affect a problem caused by the law?

It's not even entirely a problem caused by the law, beobab also just didn't know the full extent of their rights as a property owner. Tenent protections are strong but they wouldn't have stopped beobab from getting them out sooner and inspecting the property for damage.

I'm sure he/she means nepotism/graft/corruption getting the landlord extrajudicial favors.... though their comment seems a bit out of place in this context.