Where do you advertise?

In addition to our website, we advertise your vacation rental property via Airbnb and VRBO.

We carefully build an attractive presence on both Airbnb and VRBO to attract responsible adult guests with their families to your beach home. Emphasizing cleanliness, the unique qualities of your beach home, the surrounding area, and the nearby attractions, we create a post with professional pictures and inviting copy to generate as many guest bookings as possible.

How do you charge?

We charge 15% of the net daily/weekly rental amount (after any applicable discounts).

As you may know, Airbnb and VRBO charge both the guest and the owner a moderate amount for their services, these charges are in addition to our charges.

Are rental taxes included in your fees and who is responsible for them?

Where applicable, we collect rental taxes from the guests and submit them to the appropriate taxing authority.

What things are expected in a vacation rental home?

Just like a regular home, what is expected varies from family to family.

One family has a Keurig coffee maker as a basic part of their permanent home and expects the same when they go on vacation, whereas a different family may be surprised to not find a lobster pot in their vacation home.

There is no one right way to outfit your vacation home. We have several guides that can help you select the basics and additional amenities (or luxuries) for your guests. We can provide guidance based on our knowledge of the area.  We also have relationships with outside partners that can help as well.

Who handles cleaning?

The cleaning is performed by one of our outside cleaning vendors.

Vetted through references and our own experience with the vendor, the vendor is licensed and insured.

How do you handle linens?

We handle linens according to your requirements and the needs of our guests.

Many (60%+) bring their own linens, but when that is not the case, some of our owners prefer to provide linens, and the changeover is handled by our cleaning vendor.

Other owners prefer that guests make their own arrangements for linens, and we are happy to provide contact information for several local linen rental companies for guests who don’t bring their own.

Do you have rules in place to minimize damage?

Yes. While the ultimate decision is up to you, the owner, we recommend a basic set of rules:

• Primary guest must be 25 years or older
• No parties
• No smoking
• No pets

We also make sure the neighbors have our contact information and can report to us if something seems amiss, and we emphasize to our guests that the neighbors are our friends.

What if a renter has a party and causes damage in spite of the rules?

Insurance against damage is provided by both Airbnb and VRBO.

In most cases, the guest reports minor accidents and breakage before they leave and an appropriate settlement is negotiated.

If unreported damage or a missing item is noted, we document as appropriate and contact our guest to get an explanation of what happened.

If necessary, we reach out to Airbnb and VRBO to provide them with the necessary descriptions and pictures to get reimbursement.

When do I get paid as an owner? Does the guest pay you, then you pay me?

The guest pays us through Airbnb or VRBO. We deposit those funds into our trust account.

Once funds have cleared the bank, we deposit the current month’s funds, minus our fee and any other expenses, into a bank account of your choice.

We disperse funds via a convenient ACH transfer on the 10^th, the 20^th, and the last business day of every month (depending on how the weekend falls). We also post your monthly owner statement at this time.

Why do you offer different levels of property management services?

One size DOES NOT fit all!

We understand that everyone’s situation is different. Some clients only need assistance with leasing their rental property and processing rent payments each month, while others prefer to have all aspects of the property management process taken care of for them.

That’s why we give property owners options and let them decide which property management is right for them and their rental property.

How quickly will you fill my vacant unit?

Our marketing program and leasing services are second to none.

That being said, leasing is a fluid process with many variables including asking price, local inventory levels, and seasonal factors. In most cases, however, we can find a qualified applicant and fill vacancies within 30 days.

If a quicker turnaround is important to you, ask us about our Rented in 29 days Guarantee Program.

How much will my property rent for?

Much like the real estate market determines sales prices, the local rental market determines rental rates. There are three factors that contribute to how much your rental property will receive in rent each month.

1. Availability and rental rates of comparable properties
2. The features and benefits of your property
3. The marketing exposure for your vacancy

After we receive the details of your specific rental property, we will complete a market analysis and set a starting price. We watch the market closely and will discuss adjustments if needed.

What is your process for screening tenants?

All prospective tenants must participate in an extensive screening process.

First, nationwide background checks and eviction database screenings are completed to look at criminal backgrounds and the sex offender registry.

Next, we ensure they qualify financially by reviewing their credit report, verifying employment, and reviewing pay stubs and/or tax returns.

Finally, we review their rental history by contacting their previous two landlords for references.

What happens if my tenant stops paying or causes issues?

Our rigorous tenant screening process usually prevents these types of issues; however, if a problem should arise, our clients can rest assured that we always respond promptly and aggressively.

Rent is due on the 1^st and is accepted late up to the 5^th. If rent has not been paid at this time, the tenant will be contacted and the eviction process will begin.

The eviction process is started with a 5-day notice to pay or move out.

Nuisance issues are handled in a similar way with one warning given before notice is posted.

Who handles maintenance issues and repairs?

For tenant-occupied homes, tenants submit a maintenance request via their online tenant portal or our 24-hr. maintenance hotline. Our portal allows tenants to submit a work order request by providing a description of the issue as well as uploading photos of the issue, when appropriate.

Owners receive the same notification of the request that we do, once submitted; our goal here is full transparency of everything going on with your property.

Tenants can also track the status of their request online.

When a request comes in, we assess it and see if it needs immediate dispatch or if we can proactively troubleshoot the issue with the tenant. Our team is trained on how to troubleshoot many common repair requests.

If the issue needs to be fixed, we assign the work order to one of our preferred vendors.  We utilize third-party vendors / independent contractors for all work. We make sure the cost of the repair is fair and that the work was completed satisfactorily.

The management agreement allows us to approve any repair under $200, without having to bother our clients. Larger repairs over $200 require owner approval, so we will contact the client in those cases. Exceptions to the $200 approval rule include emergency maintenance and habitability issues.

If we have to act quickly to protect persons or property we will do so, to protect our owner’s best interest.

When do I get paid as an owner? Does the tenant pay you, then you pay me?

The tenant pays us rent and we deposit it into our trust account. Over 90% of our tenants pay rent electronically.

Once funds have cleared the bank, we direct deposit the rent from the current month, minus our fee and any other expenses, into a bank account of your choice.

We disperse funds via a convenient ACH transfer on the 10^th, the 20^th, and the last business day of every month (depending on how the weekend falls). We also post your monthly owner statement at this time.