Are there any onboarding costs?
Depending on the property’s condition, we might recommend some interior changes to maximise your profits. These of course are not mandatory. However, with our years of interior experience, we know how much of a difference it can make to a property’s nightly rate if upgrades are made. Other cost factors are linen, bed sheets, bath towels, and amenities and appliances. We’ll go through all of this with you on the onboarding stage. Many people come to us with an already running Airbnb and therefore zero costs are involved. Each host situation is different.
Can we start immediately?
How quickly you go live depends on the condition of the property. If the property is ready to go then it would take us up to 5 working days to create and optimise your listing. We aim to do it within 24 – 48 hours of our agreement.
Are there any recommended additional services your provide?
We can provide detailed property guides for a one-off cost of £99 and we highly recommend these as these make a huge difference to a guest’s stay.
Hot water and cold water taps mixed up? Extra bedding in a drawer? Ironing board in the pantry? Aircon is fiddly and requires a specific button to be pressed.. we get it! No 2 properties are the same and guests can have many questions throughout their stay.
We design and put together comprehensive check-in guides for all our landlords so that guests have all the information they need at their fingertips.
We will also include property rules and after visiting your property your key manager will put in all the necessary research to put together a varied list of local recommendations for all kinds of things to help guests maximise their stay leading to the potential of returning guests.
This section of the guide would include things like local supermarkets, transport options, restaurants, nearby and best beaches, family activities etc
Our guests have always been incredibly happy with these guides and many of them mention it in the property reviews on Airbnb etc
What does the monthly commission fee cover?
The fee for our management service covers everything our clients need to run a successful Airbnb. From listing and booking management to check-in/check-out, housekeeping coordination and light maintenance.
The monthly commission does not cover the cost of the cleaning. However, this is charged to the guest on booking on sites such as Airbnb and booking.com so it does not affect your nightly rate. For example, your nightly rate is £125 and you take a booking for 5 nights = £625 the guest will pay an additional £45 cleaning fee on top of the £625. That £45 will cover the cost of the cleaner. However, it is we who will book and arrange the cleaner and provide all the cleaning products. we’ll simply minus the cleaning fee from each stay that the guest pays. The cost does not come from your pocket.
Will I be locked into a contract?
Not if you don’t want to be! City Sleeps offer a flexible agreement and a 12-month contract. The difference is in the monthly commission that you pay us.
How do payments work?
We’ll collect the booking payments and deposits on your behalf. At the end of each month, payments are made to our clients on an agreed date each month alongside an earnings report.
If we want to manage payments ourselves can we do this?
Yes. Although this is not our preferred option. Each booking platform we use has different payment requirements. Airbnb take a 3% commission directly from each booking but booking.com requires a monthly direct debit. There is also the question of the housekeeping, organising and paying for that. Our preferred option is to manage the payments on your behalf to ensure a seamless service throughout.
If we host the payments ourselves is there anything we need to be aware of?
Yes. Besides making regular daily/weekly housekeeping payments (depending on how regular your check-ins are) we will also require a £350 deposit for each property that we manage. This protects us against landlords using our services for a month and not paying us. The deposit will be returned to you at the end of our working agreement. Whichever option you choose, an agreement will be provided and signed by us and you.
You mention that you cover light maintenance. Can you explain what is and is not covered?
If light maintenance is needed we’ll manage the issues. Our contractors will attend the property and fix what is necessary. However, the costs associated will need to be covered by you.
If the property is damaged due to a guest, we work with companies like Airbnb and booking.com to recover the costs. This is not considered to be maintenance and we do our best to make sure that you don’t cover those costs. So far on the rare occasion we have had guest damage, we’ve been successful in recovering all costs on behalf of the landlords so rest assured you’re in good hands.
Do i need to give notice if i decide to terminate our agreement?
Depending on which agreement we have you may need to provide 14-day notice of exiting our agreement. If you take the flexible approach then a 14-day notice period is required. If you’re on a 12-month contract then you will have an end date 12 months from the start date that you’re committed to.
However, If you’re on a 12-month agreement and want to end your contract early, you’ll be required to pay an average monthly fee for the remaining months of the contract. This will be worked out based on your average monthly rental income.
Will my property be insured?
We do not provide insurance however, insurance is covered by platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com for any guest damage. You’re also free to take out your own home insurance but the insurance provided by booking platforms is sufficient enough to cover guest stays.
How will i know how my property is performing?
You’ll have access to a database updated each week with all booking information for each booking.
How are the keys managed?
Prior to the first rental, we’ll need 2-3 sets of keys. 1 set will be for the guests and 1 set is a backup in case keys need to be replaced. They will be stored in a secure key safe close to the property. 1 set the guests will have access to the other they will not.
Where do you currently host?
We operate in multiple U.K locations and in Spain, Costa Del Sol. We are always open to new partnerships wherever the location is.
