Hey! Help! I am a host, do I need a Property Manager?

During our time in the short-let world, we have witnessed some serious growth. Clients who started off with one property which they would let out while they were away on holiday, soon came to realise the joy in house sharing through the indirect relationship they found with guests and also realised how financially lucrative the whole experience can be too.

The above resulted in hosts expanding and trying to manage property on behalf of friends and family and soon before they knew it they were managing a small portfolio of properties and some even came out of their day jobs to this full time.

Like a proud parent, we watched such clients grow from strength to strength, each adding their own unique touch to guest experiences too. A bottle of wine on arrival, met by a kind note left by previous guests to the host, thanking them for the amazing experience. Property managers are great at this too. Although there are many and it might be quite a hard decision to make as to which one to go with, it can be a hard decision.

Deciding Factors when choosing a property management company

Commission rates should not be what dictates your decision. Although the bottom line and making money is important, this should not be your main metric.

Try to prioritise the following:

· After care once the guests have checked in

· Cleanliness and quality of cleans managed

· Access and Key management

· Compensation and complaints handling

· Reactive and proactive approach to issues raised

· Flexibility for your guests

You should perhaps book a short-let apartment from your short listed of property managers and see how they interact with you as a guest. Test them with hard questions and challenging scenarios such as requesting late check outs or arriving earlier than planned and seeing how they accommodate you.

The whole point of a property management company is to take the hassle and headache of managing the difficulties and challenges which come with any short-let property away from you.

You on the other hand should listen to their feedback and ensure that you do replenish and fix issues in the property if indeed you are responsible.

Our opinion is that when you do instruct a property manager, you should let them do their job. Step back and allow them to maximise the rental of your property and the enjoyment of your guest experience.

If you are going to interfere, you might as well do it yourself!