Legal
- Check the short-term rental laws for your municipality
- Check requirements for business licenses and paperwork.
- Check safety requirements and health code regulations for your municipality.
- Research and purchase an insurance policy for holiday rentals, including guest insurance
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Create a rental agreement. Include clauses for the following:
- Security Deposit Refunds
- Total Payment Due
- Instructions for Submitting Payment
- CC Authorization
- Cancellation Policy
- Inclement Weather Policy
- Pet Policy
- Smoking Policy
- Rental Restrictions
- Maximum Occupancy
- Minimum Stays
- Security Deposit Refunds
Tax
- Review information on applicable tax deductions, capital gains requirements.
- Research Tourist taxation on rental and / or occupancy tax rate for short term rentals in your municipality
Payments
- Determine your rental goals and break-even point.
- Set your pricing structure (nightly, weekly, monthly) and rates.
- Devise a method for tracking and recording payments and expenses.
- Determine your methods for accepting payment – credit card merchant account, PayPal, Moneybookers etc.,
- Develop a payment schedule
- Create a deposit refund strategy
Maintenance
- Find a reliable property manager for , meet and greet, housekeeper or cleaning service and maintenance person. Paying cash to locals is not a good idea. Ensure they have an Obert are part of a DOO. Or employed by the Management Company
- Create a cleaning/housekeeping check- list and photo manual
- Review cleaning checklist and process for check-in, checkout and keys with management
- Create a maintenance list
- Prepare a Villa Book with usage pamphlets of all equipment ,guest behavior and local amenites/attractions
- Complete maintenance projects and renovations.
- Winter checks and maintenance is crucial
Household
- Furnish your home based on target renters and according to categorization guidelines.
- Determine your rental market
- Create a list of items to purchase for rental licence and target market
- Purchase necessary items and save receipts!
- Create a property inventory list of items in your home. Include photographic inventory and prices
- Purchase a complaints and guestbook.
- Purchase local attractions books.
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Gather coupons, local attraction/activity brochures and menus from local restaurants and put them in villa book
Advertising
- Review portal websites and specialty websites to determine options for advertising your property.
- Set up accounts with 3 to 5 paid listing sites, upfront mixed with commission sites as well as free ones and a facebook page and twitter
- Create a headline, property description , google map and location description.
- Stage your home for photos.
- Take multiple pictures with a digital camera at different times of day or hire a photographer.
- Create captions for each photo.
- Set up a calendar
- Research virtual tour services and You tube
- Purchase domain/email address for personal site and professional email correspondence.
- Set up Facebook page and Twitter account, linking to portals for bookings or to Property Manger
- Link to listing site(s) from personal website.
- Determine procedure for booking management with your property manager
- Proofread your personal site and listing sites.
- Send an email to everyone in your address book linking to your personal site and new listing(s) and add to your facebook profile
Renter
- Set up an auto-responder for inquiries.
- Create standard responses and a sample confirmation email.
- Build a thorough set of directions and google map
- Build a list of instructions for using appliances, electronics and equipment at your property and leave in Property Book
- Determine method for getting keys to renters.
- Create a check-in procedure.
- Create a checkout procedure.
- Set up an emergency contact sheet, fire escape instructions and procedure and put in Villa Book
- Put together local vacation tips for your guests.
- Include transfer and taxi information as well as local car hire company
