5 Tips For Hosts Who Self Manage Short Term Rentals
It's no secret since 2020 that Short Term Rental Investing has been on the rise and actually seen an explosion. According to DoorLoop there are currently 6.1 million active Short Term Rentals in the USA currently. If you find the right property it can be lucrative especially if you manage it yourself without hiring a property manager. I get asked everyday how hard is it to manage your own rental? As an owner of several rentals in many cities, I would say it is easy if you are setup for success from the onset! So here are a few tips I have learned along the way to help with your short term rental investing and managing!
TV GUIDE
The #1 issue we always have at any of our properties is how to operate the tv's. When you rent to a group of people remotes get moved into other rooms, lost, tv settings get messed up, some people don't know how to switch from cable to streaming. It becomes a mess! What saved me from answering calls at 11pm at night because of the remotes and tv is to label each remote for where they belong. Then have a pdf guide with pictures of each remote and how to operate them and the tv. Include things like which HDMI setting is for cable on each tv and which one goes to streaming, troubleshooting tips and where to find extra batteries. I send a copy of this document with the checkin door code so they have it at their fingertips.
REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER SETTINGS
I used to get calls within 24 hours of checkin because the refrigerator was not getting cold and the freezer was too cold. Here's the deal, when guests checkin the first thing they want to do is put all there groceries into the fridge including drinks. Then they adjust the temperature to the coldest setting. This mainly happens with top freezers. So to mitigate that I include in my check in instructions to the following information:
Top Freezers: To ensure optimal performance of the fridge make sure it is set to the middle temperature setting. Do not try to turn the dial all the way up because it will not cool very well, all this will do is over run the freezer and the fridge. Once you load the fridge with your groceries it may take several hours for it to get to temperature. I would suggest not putting drinks in the fridge at first to allow the fridge to cool efficiently. Once the fridge is at optimal temperature you can add your drinks.
French door or side by sides: To ensure optimal performance of the fridge make sure it is set to 35 to 37 degrees Fahrenheit and freezer is set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit . Once you load the fridge with your groceries it may take several hours for it to get to temperature. I would suggest not putting drinks in the fridge at first to allow the fridge to cool efficiently. Once the fridge is at optimal temperature you can add your drinks.
DOOR LOCKS
In every property I own I utilize a keypad door lock system and provide the code to the guest one hour before checkin. I usually steer clear of the ones that have wifi because they are unreliable. This reduces the need for guests to carry keys and losing them. I install a lockbox on property with a physical key just in case the battery dies but I also make sure my maintenance crew changes them out every 6 months to prevent any issues.
LOCAL GUIDE
The best way to get 5 star reviews is creating a local guide for you guests and sending them a link to it with their check in instructions. I like to use Canva and include things like favorite restaurants, things to do, places to shop, and entertainment ideas. Guests love it and appreciate it more than anything I do for them!
CLEANERS/MAINTENANCE CREW
If you self manage make sure you interview cleaners and get recommendations for a good handyman. These 2 services with top notch vendors will make your life so much easier. Make sure your cleaner has a good cleaning software program like Resort Cleaning or Turno that integrates with your booking platforms. This allows for a seamless automated process so every time a host gets a booking the cleaner gets notified without the host having to do anything. Also make sure your cleaner offers a 24 hour guarantee. This helps to add to your listing so if a guest has any cleaning concerns the cleaner will come back within 24 hours of their check in to resolve it.
Short term rental investing can be very lucrative if you don't mind being somewhat hands on or if you don't want to be hands on you can always hire a property management company. If you are ever in the market for.a short term rental in Central Alabama, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Lake Martin, Logan Martin Lake or Lake Mitchell contact Dabbs Realty today to be connected to one of our specialists in the area.
Broker/Owner - Joyce Dabbs
