Managing a short term rental (or multiple properties), either as an individual owner or property management company is no simple feat. From decorating to marketing to maintaining each listing, oftentimes across multiple platforms, the list of accompanying to-dos can feel never-ending.
On top of that, being a host of a short term rental is a competitive business. There are 4 million hosts on Airbnb alone. Keeping that in mind, it’s critical that hosts overdeliver and impress guests to build a positive following in their market.
But how does one think of the big picture with so many day-to-day tasks on the agenda? The answer is all in strategically outsourcing tedious property management tasks. Here are our thoughts on five easy areas to outsource:
Property Inspections There’s nothing more disappointing than arriving at your short term rental to a broken appliance, leaky ceiling – or worst case, plumbing problems. Instances like these can put a real damper on guests’ vacation vibes and are likely to result in a poor review. Outsourcing ongoing property inspections with a partner like Inspectly gives more clarity and confidence to property managers and inspectors, adding another layer of visibility and more consistent results. By taking this time consuming task off your plate, it’s easier to ensure initial property inspections are tackled in a timely manner and ongoing inspections are thorough and comprehensive.
Photography Whether it’s your first short term rental or the fiftieth addition to your property management portfolio, having high quality, professional photographs to complement your listing can increase bookings significantly. Let’s look at the related real estate industry to reinforce this idea. Sales agents who use professional photographers earn twice as much commission compared to others. Based on this insight, it’s clear that outsourcing photography not only saves time, but leads to more revenue for property owners, too.
Housekeeping At first, it might be tempting to keep the regular cleaning and upkeep of your short term rentals in house, allowing for more oversight and the ability to pocket the cleaning fee. In concept, this might seem like a brilliant plan, but is a clear time sucker, making it virtually impossible to step out of the day to day to scale your short term rental or property management business. On top of saved time, once you locate a reputable cleaning company, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll be able to do a better job cleaning than you can, though that may be hard to hear. A professional housekeeping company will have specialized equipment and heavy duty cleaning supplies, helping to keep your property in pristine condition, allowing for improved guest experiences.
Trash Pick-Up You might be asking, why – the city already manages trash pickup at my properties? And we might ask you in return, how would you rate that experience? Chances are, there have been missed pickups, bins sit at the curb until you retrieve them and the predetermined pickup schedule never lines up with your checkouts. If so, you’ve proved our point. Outsourcing trash pick-up to a business that specializes in serving short term rentals can be a huge game-changer, improving guest satisfaction by keeping your property neat and tidy. For example, we offer an unlimited trash removal model, allowing guests, property managers or even your cleaning team to simply scan a QR code during our pickup window and we’ll haul the trash away on demand, ensuring your property is clean and ready to welcome your next guest.
Property Management If you’re a property manager reading this, then you know the value of your services. You’ve seen the impact your team has had on property owners looking to step back from day to day management. If you’re a short term rental property owner on the fence on outsourcing this all inclusive task, this is your sign. Working with a quality property management team allows you to focus on adding more properties to your investment portfolio. Oftentimes, property management companies work directly with some of the other service providers mentioned above, allowing their team to handle the coordination of the various elements that will take your short term rental to the next level.
Overall, it’s important to consider what tedious tasks you can outsource today so that your short term rental business can thrive in the future. Any questions or comments, our team is always here to help.