Parent Passed Away What to Do Next About Accounts

Apologies if this is the wrong subreddit to ask this or if . My father recently passed away and I am trying to figure out what I should or need to do about his accounts as there is so much I am trying to figure out. My father was estranged and alone. I do not believe he had any will or beneficiaries listed for any of his accounts. I have no idea what he has in his name as well. I also imagine he had some lingering debts where neither my siblings or I are co signers to. I have been researching and am wondering if I have the general idea of what to do next sounds correct and I had a few questions.

- Notify the apartment manager where he lived my father has passed. Try to arrange a time where I can pick up mementos and documents. Am I liable to clear out all my father's things? I do not believe my siblings and I want a lot of his things, maybe just some photos or small items that he kept to remember him by.
- Try to find all accounts (bank accounts and investments) my father has had and once the death certificate has been signed let all accounts know that my father has passed. From what I gathered it's better to do that soon to prevent fraud, but if he has no beneficiaries or will I should not try to close accounts as those funds may be needed to pay off debts. My father lived in CA and I imagine he had less than the small estate affidavit limit. Do I need to do anything to start that affidavit?
- For any debts he owed I do not need to do anything and just wait until those debts are sorted out. If my siblings and I get calls we are not obligated to pay any of our fathers debts. My question is with a small estate affidavit do those funds still need to be in hold where an official will be assigned and it will be used to pay off all of my father's debts and then if there is anything left over the funds would go to my siblings and I?