If you rent your vacation rental to bring in extra income, one way to make your position as a the owner less stressful is to hire a vacation rental management service like the one represented at StayInBNB.com. Whether you rent your unit a majority of the year, a portion of the year, or for an occasional weekend, you can benefit from the services of a property manager. Before hiring vacation rental management, take the following items into consideration.
1. The Frequency That the Property Manager Will Go By the Property
Ideally, your property manager should visit the property in person on a regular basis. While there, an in-person inspection needs to be conducted to make sure that everything is in good working condition. If you are renting your vacation property as a long-term rental, this item is extremely important to minimize potential neglect and damage to your property.
What you don't want is a property manager who never visits the property. This can allow small maintenance issues to snowball into large, expensive repairs.
2. The Fees the Property Management Service Charges
Inquire what fees the property management service charges. Usually, you pay a certain percentage of the rental income. For example, if your unit brings in an average of $2,000 in rental income each month and your property manager charges a 15 percent fee, this means you will pay approximately $300 in fees each month. Some may require an up-front payment as well.
Look at your prospective rental income and estimated expenses to check that you can afford the property manager's fee.
3. What Recourse Do You Have If You Are Unhappy with the Property Manager's Performance
Thoroughly read over your contract to determine what recourse you have if you are unhappy with the property manager's performance. What you do not want is an air tight contract that requires you to use the property management service for the specified length of time regardless of performance.
Look for a provision that permits you to part ways from the property management service if it neglects your property or fails to market your unit to potential renters.
4. What Steps Does the Property Management Service Take to Minimize Vacancies at Its Rental Properties
If your property has a lot of vacancies, it is important to know what steps the property manager will take to minimize these vacancies. Ask how and where the property management service will advertise the property. Usually, a mix of marketing is good, such as the use of print advertisements and marking on social media. See if they will automatically offer specials at predetermined times to keep your property rented.