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How do we know if your home qualifies to be transformed into a vacation rental?
Guest and Company has created a checklist of requirements that is in accordance with local laws. We would arrange a meeting at the property to have a first look. During this meeting, we would tell you if the property has the right conditions to be transformed into a vacation rental and the few things that might be missing, always in accordance with local laws. We would then create a personalized checklist of what is missing so you have a better understanding of the investment you would need to make to transform your property into a rental.
You have to be aware that the laws that frame the vacation rental in the Azores are constantly changing as tourism is expanding rapidly. We, Guest and Co, monitor it and inform our clients of these changes and how they affect them.
How much will the licensing process cost me?
You have to consider that there are fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs for example would be the price of the fire extinguisher (25euros+18% tax) and paperwork like the certificate that you own the property (20euros), or Guest and Company’s fee to help you get the official license.
Then there are some variable costs like the house’s final inspection by the authorities. This depends on the size and location of the house.
Can I use the property for my and my friends’ vacations? How do I book the house?
Of course you can! It’s your property after all! You would just need to let us know in advance the dates you want to block. In order to maximize sales, we do recommend you book your own vacations in you rental during the middle or low seasons.
How does the advertising of the property work?
Once your house is ready to be approved by the authorities, we would write the ads (with your input of course). Those adds will then be posted on different platforms of your choosing, like Airbnb or Booking, to mention the two biggest on the Azorian market. Every platform has its pros and cons. We will discuss these potential pitfals and benefits with you as we create the ads. The final decision is always yours.
How do we set pricing for my rental?
As for the advertising, you have the final word. We will provide you with our expertise and market studies. We will advise you on low, middle and high season pricing according to the platforms we have agreed to use. You will then decide which prices you want to rent your property for based on our analysis and recommendations.
How do cleaning, laundry and amenities work?
Guest and Company takes care of the housekeeping. Meaning that we have our own cleaning team. We also provide all amenities needed (shampoo, toilet paper…) The laundry is optional and can be handled for an extra 5% fee of each booking. If you are more comfortable with your own housekeepers, just let us know so that we can work with them. Our goal is to make your life easier, therefore we are flexible.
How does regular property maintenance work?
We do keep an eye on each property to make sure that they are at their best at all times. Azorian houses need that extra care and it’s important for us that your property stays in a good shape.
But we are not a maintenance company and all of the maintenance costs are the owners’ responsibility. If needed, we can introduce you to trusted contractors we have worked with in the past.
Though we do not provide a gardening service, we can put you in contact with professional landscapers.
How do payments work? When should I expect to be paid for the bookings of the house?
How do I pay for your management services?
You will receive payment for every booking directly from the platforms you chose to use. They all have different policies so the money transfer occurs at different times. For example Airbnb wires the money the day after the guests’ check-in; Booking pays once a month.
Every month, Guest and Company will send you a report including a resume of all bookings, the platform fees, guests’ evaluations of the property, our own fee and extra notes if there is information about your property to be communicated. Attached to that comes all of the paperwork that needs to be done for every booking: bill, borders declaration, platforms’ fee bill…
You can then pay our commission by bank transfer and we will email you a receipt.
Why do you charge by commission?
Not only is commission-based pricing the industry-standard, it is the insurance for you that we will do our best to maximize your property’s potential. The more money you make, the better we get paid! It is as simple as that!
What happens if there is an unexpected repair?
If an accident happens and needs a quick fix, the guest will call Guest and Company to handle the situation. We would then contact you to provide our suggested solutions to the problem. The final decision is always yours to make. With your consent, we would contact the appropriate professional to address the situation, pay him if necessary and charge you for the intervention at the end of the month, on our monthly report.
Who takes care of the exterior (garden…) of the property?
Who deals with guests complaints?
Guest and Company deals with the guests and their complaints. Depending on the type of complaint, property owners will be informed either immediately (if the situation needs your immediate attention) or, in the monthly report if the situation can be easily handled by Guest and Company.
Should I get a specific insurance for vacation rental?
We would recommend you to take out an insurance policy specifically designed for vacation rentals, as there will be a lot of people coming and going. A few companies already sell this type of insurance. They cover things like luggage insurance (on property) for the guests, or car insurance on your property, and obviously protects you in case of theft. You can easily find them on the Internet under the name “seguro alojamento local”.