FAQs: What To Expect When You’re Expecting Guests
Do I need a reservation to stay at my own home?
You must make a reservation for your own home! Don’t worry, we won’t make you pay. :)
Do not block the Airbnb calendar. Sometimes if a guest cancels, it automatically blocks the calendar. When we see blocked dates, we assume system error and unblock it. Not making a legitimate reservation could cause you to show up to a house that is not clean or not even available for you. Not fun.
How do I reserve my own home?
Message the Hostline (602) 351-5992 and we will make a reservation for you. Please provide the following:
Name
Arrival date and time
Departure date and time
Phone number
Email
Guest count
We will message back with the following details:
Confirming the Dates
Confirming the check-in and checkout times
Number of Days
Cost of Lost Revenue: No you won’t be paying, but we do want you to see the potential income loss for those dates. It may help you decide to choose different, less lucrative dates. We also don’t want to get to the end of the year and for you to be wondering why the income wasn’t what you thought it might be.
When can I check in and checkout when I stay?
Check-in and Checkout times apply to you during your stay, too! We rely heavily on our schedule!
Check in is at 3 or 4pm depending on your home’s standard.
Checkout is at 10am
DO NOT show up and enter the home unless approved by the hosts. It scares us when someone is already in the home when they aren’t “supposed” to be yet. We inspect every home and perform maintenance and supply tasks when the home is supposed to be empty.
What do I do if am arriving well before check-in time or departing later in the day?
Arriving well before 4pm? Reserve the night before so you can show up at your leisure.
Leaving well after 10am? Reserve that day so you can leave when you like.
If you are leaving late on checkout day or arriving early on check-in day, just reserve that date. It seems like as owners we can come and go as we please at our own house. I know, I find myself leaning toward this mindset for my own second home. Please do not do this. Even if the calendar is open, we have a schedule to stick to and someone could book at any second.
Asking the cleaners to come back later is not being considerate of their time.
Do I have to pay for the house to be cleaned after my stay?
Yes. A cleaning fee for your stay will be added to the next month’s invoice.
Cleaning yourself is not an option.
We consider your stay to be just like any other guest. If the home is left extremely dirty and extra cleaning is needed, we will add it to your next month’s invoice.
When will my house be cleaned?
After anyone stays, including yourself, it will need to be cleaned afterwards.
Deep cleaning will be performed twice per year.
I know the answer to this questions! Can I message the guest?
NO. Never message guests. Ever.
Most of our new owners watch closely in the beginning and feel eager to respond to guests. Don't do it! We will get to the messages as quickly as possible.
We may be figuring out something in the background like how to word something perfectly, scheduling or any number of logistical things. We may even be in the shower. We work all day long.
If you just can’t help yourself and feel the need to chime in, message us on the Hostline.
When will payments arrive in my account and what if one is missing?
Payments typically go out one day after the person checks in. If they check in Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it will deposit on Monday. Monitoring your transactions is up to you and your accountant. If something is missing, please check with Airbnb Customer Service.
Where can I get help with taxes pertaining to my STR?
Taxes are not part of our hosting agreement. Please utilize your accountant and the resources on the TPT License page to help guide you.
How will guests treat my home?
Picky guests: people are picky and will complain about the smallest of details including how many plies your TP has (we offer 3 because 1 gets complaints and why stop at 2?). Don’t let your feelings get hurt.
High Standards: We keep the homes at a standard we don’t keep at our own homes. My grill doesn't have a cover at my house but you bet there is one at the short-term rentals so it stays as pristine as possible for the next guest.
New Normal: At your own house, you may be used to having 4-5 people in it most of the time. Imagine that your STR could be sleeping 8-10 + luggage. This kind of home usage is a different animal with more wear and tear and requires more stringent upkeep. If the wall gets nicked, we will patch it. It's just what has to happen so the next guests feel like they are the first guests to stay there. We will save up some of these minor "knicks" to all be done at once and make the best use of a handyman's trip. Your home will always be at tip top shape. I have sold 3 STRs recently and all were ready to go on the market the minute the last guest's cleaning was done.
Nothing is Precious: If it is in the home, it could get damaged. Don’t leave anything in there you are particularly attached to.
What if something is broken, stolen or missing?
Inventory: We do not keep an inventory of what is in your home. In the beginning it will be obvious what is there. After a year or so, it’s hard to tell what was taken out because it was well worn and destined to be donated.
Theft: Blankets will go missing. Sometimes it is obvious, like the time we noticed the bed quilt was taken. We made the bed with a quilt. If a blanket, a book or anything minor is missing, it’s difficult to prove it was the past guest because maybe it was missing the time before and we just didn’t notice.
Wear and Tear: Plants die. Pot holders, shower curtains and pillows start to look too worn even after being washed. Outdoor furniture dies a quick death here due to our amazing sun. We make the call to replace (or not) small items when necessary. Larger items will be replaced with permission.
Damage:
Sometimes it is difficult to know if something was damaged from the last guest or was it damaged before and we just didn’t know it?
Some damage is the cost of doing business, like sheets are stained or a glass broken by accident. We aren’t going to go after $5-$10 items.
Obvious damage that we know to be due to the most recent guest will be handled with an AirCover claim on Airbnb.
Collecting From Guest: If something obvious is broken or stolen, we will collect the evidence and submit an AirCover claim with Airbnb. If the guest denies it, it will be escalated to Airbnb. They will then determine what you are owed, if anything.
What if an emergency comes up at the home?
Unavoidable emergencies arise such as an appliance goes out, AC breaks or the water is shut off by the water company for emergency repairs.... These things "ruin" guests' stay. You are lucky you have us to deal with them! :)We will go out to the home to check on things.
Do we offer refunds to guests if something goes wrong?
Hospitality is NUMBER ONE. We will do everything in our power to make them happy. If something happens and we have to refund them some money, we will, although we will run it by you first and do everything possible to keep that from happening. It is our last resort.
Gifts or Amenities: Instead of offering a refund, we sometimes offer to bring a gift, such as wine, or a new amenity like a patio heater or cornhole game. The guest will be happy we now have a new amenity we can check off on our listing.
Who will do Maintenance and Repairs?
We will use a handyman to do many things, but items like appliance repair, plumbing and electrical will all be done by professional and licensed trades people.
It is important not to interrupt a guest's stay when at all possible. We can't mess around with seeing if a handyman can fix something and then learning they can't and having to delay the repair waiting for the actual person who should have done it in the first place. Most repairs will be done during a turnover (10am - 4pm). That is very little time to get it done and we must be as certain as possible the person who comes over is the right person for the job.