Matt Landau
  • Founder, VRMB

What Makes A Vacation Rental Professional?

Our industry is at a pivotal juncture.
  • Vacation rental demand at all-time high means...
  • New owners & managers need guidance and...
  • Guests need training or else...
  • Unrealistic expectations produce...
  • Bad actors who...
  • Tarnish the craft and contribute to unfair regulation in your region
Until our diverse community can agree on a common definition of "what makes us professional" -- our independence resembles not a blessing but a curse.

But we can reverse this vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle!

So what makes a vacation rental operation professional?

Together with my swimming buddy Gary, last night we put down some thoughts to get us started (with theme in parenthesis). I will edit this list based on comments in the thread below...

1. You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years (take it seriously)
2. Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
3. You generate a profit (business)
4. You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
5. You have a physical presence in the community (local)
6. You strive for industry improvement (activist)

Is any vacation rental entrepreneur, large or small, that possesses most or all of these factors a vacation rental professional?

What are we missing?
What can be improved?


If we as a community can all agree on the factors that make us professional, we can distance ourselves from unprofessionals AND ensure more guests get consistent experiences, which in turn bring the professionals many benefits for a long time.



Running List of "How to do this" for each factor above (in italics below)...

1. You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years
2. Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
- Communication with the guest is paramount (proactive is best) but answering questions via text, email or answering the phone in a very timely manner is vital. If issues arise with clients they are attended to as soon as possible
- Be transparent: don't make false comparisons or unverified claims,
3. You generate a profit (business)
- Understand why people want to go to your location, Who your ideal guests are and what they want, Which amenities will satisfy their ideal guests' search filters, How to price their property, How to differentiate and market their property to appeal to their ideal guests (branding, photography, video, copy, reviews, publicity), How to manage guest expectations, Which expenses make money and which don't
4. You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
5. You have a physical presence in the community (local)
- Add value to both the community (new jobs, philanthropy, etc) and help guests have a "time of their life."
- If you do not have a physical presence there, find someone to be your physical presence there
6. You strive for industry improvement (activist)
- Stay informed on trends, best practices, and local and state regulations, set process improvement goals
- You act like an activist or a evangelist on behalf of the professional industry any chance you get
 
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I know we do this for revenue / income, but I also look at this as adding value to both the community (new jobs, philanthropy, etc) but also helping guests have a "time of their life." Hawaii can be a once in a lifetime destination and when people let me know they had the best time / trip / experience ever, that makes me feel good to.

Now, not sure that you need to be full time or done this part time for 2 years, I would add here the you need to take it seriously and treat it like a job. I'm amazed at how often I hear people are so relieved I've called them back or emailed back as the last owner / host they called has not. Treat this like a job / career if you want it to act like one back to you!
 
Our industry is at a pivotal juncture.
  • Vacation rental demand at all-time high means...
  • Owners & managers need guidance and...
  • Guests need training or else...
  • Bad actors occur as a result of unrealistic expectations thus...
  • Tarnishing the craft and leading to unfair regulation
Until our diverse community can agree on a common definition of "what makes us professional" -- our independence resembles not a blessing but a curse.

But we can reverse this vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle!

So what makes a vacation rental operation professional?

Here are some thoughts to get us started (with theme in parenthesis). I will edit this list based on comments in the thread below...

You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years (take it seriously)
Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
How to do this: Communication with the guest is paramount (proactive is best) but answering questions via text, email or answering the phone in a very timely manner is vital.
You generate a profit (business)
You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
You have a physical presence in the community (local)
How to do this: Add value to both the community (new jobs, philanthropy, etc) and help guests have a "time of their life."
You strive for continuous improvement
How to do this: Stay informed on trends, best practices, and local and state regulations

Is any vacation rental entrepreneur, large or small, that possesses most or all of these factors a vacation rental professional?

What are we missing?
What can be improved?


If we as a community can all agree on the factors that make us professional, we can distance ourselves from unprofessionals AND ensure more guests get consistent experiences, which in turn bring the professionals many benefits for a long time.
* Engage in ethical marketing practices, i.e. be transparent, don't make false comparisons or unverified claims, protect customer data and privacy
 
Our industry is at a pivotal juncture.
  • Vacation rental demand at all-time high means...
  • Owners & managers need guidance and...
  • Guests need training or else...
  • Bad actors occur as a result of unrealistic expectations thus...
  • Tarnishing the craft and leading to unfair regulation
Until our diverse community can agree on a common definition of "what makes us professional" -- our independence resembles not a blessing but a curse.

But we can reverse this vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle!

So what makes a vacation rental operation professional?

Here are some thoughts to get us started (with theme in parenthesis). I will edit this list based on comments in the thread below...

You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years (take it seriously)
Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
How to do this: Communication with the guest is paramount (proactive is best) but answering questions via text, email or answering the phone in a very timely manner is vital.
You generate a profit (business)
You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
You have a physical presence in the community (local)
How to do this: Add value to both the community (new jobs, philanthropy, etc) and help guests have a "time of their life."
You strive for continuous improvement
How to do this: Stay informed on trends, best practices, and local and state regulations

Is any vacation rental entrepreneur, large or small, that possesses most or all of these factors a vacation rental professional?

What are we missing?
What can be improved?


If we as a community can all agree on the factors that make us professional, we can distance ourselves from unprofessionals AND ensure more guests get consistent experiences, which in turn bring the professionals many benefits for a long time.
I know this sounds a little antiseptic, but, do you use a PMS to manage your bookings? A lot of these micro PMS are popping up (i.e. My VR Host) that cater to what are essentially RBO's. To me, this has always categorized them as going from amateur to professional. It's an investment in your business. And not a cheap one.
 


This harkens back to my earlier posts/threads talking about doing things for guests in vacation rentals that simply can't be done in a vacation rental.

Do you take vacations at home? Does anyone? A stay-cation is not the same thing as traveling someplace other than where you normally live.

I have noticed with a combination of frustration and amusement all of the repeated posts about involvement with the local community in this forum over the past few years, and resisted the urge to respond (again) pointing out that this doesn't make a lot of sense. A vacation rental is a vacation home that others may rent for their vacation. Just how many vacation homes are located where their owner lives? As opposed to where they vacation?

As I described earlier, a 'vacation rental' local to the owner is only a rental used by others on vacation. Or a BnB without the B. It is simply not the same thing as a true vacation rental. Does this matter? Well, I would propose that an owner's not being local to the area where their vacation rental is, is going to give them an understanding and empathy for their guests that no one else is going to have. You have to be away from home and out of your normal element to truly appreciate what it's like for others experiencing that. It has lead us to do things with our vacation homes, and providing things for our guests, that the locals don't want or care to do. And boy do our guests appreciate and notice those differences.

So what would 'being local' mean to a definition of a vacation rental professional? Are we saying that only local property managers can be professional, but owners can't be? Unless they're local too?

A physical local presence in the community? How can that possibly be a prerequisite for one being 'professional'?

It seems to me that the fundamental issue in being professional is how one takes care of their guests, above all else. Other things do matter too of course.

I'm absolutely not local to the community where my properties are located, and I know it to be a fact that personally I take better care of my guests, and my properties, than many (dare I say it... most?) local property managers do with their portfolios.

Nobody is going to suggest that for this reason I'm 'not professional' without a huge pushback.
 
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I always say to friends that I could just rent out "little Jimmy's room" now that he's away at school; leave the dusty pennant on the wall and his old twin bed OR...I could create the ultimate home away from home experience for my guests to build impeccable word of mouth referrals that create return customers. This includes delivering (or working on) the type of top notch experience found in a 5 star hotel without losing our "unique identity or quality" not found in the 5 star. We look at quality guides produced by travel companies and major hospitality organizations to set process improvement goals. It is worth it to create increased value for my guests that reflects in market conscious pricing. As time passes, travelers learn to watch out for rentals that are nothing more than Jimmy's room.
 

I have a significant concern with this. Oh heck, I'll call it what it is... a big problem with this!

It harkens back to my earlier posts/threads talking about doing things for guests in vacation rentals that simply can't be done in a vacation rental.

Do you take vacations at home? Does anyone? A stay-cation is not the same thing as traveling someplace other than where you normally live.

I have noticed with a combination of frustration and amusement all of the repeated posts about involvement with the local community in this forum over the past few years, and resisted the urge to respond (again) pointing out that this doesn't make a lot of sense. A vacation rental is a vacation home that others may rent for their vacation. Just how many vacation homes are located where their owner lives? As opposed to where they vacation?

As I described earlier, a 'vacation rental' local to the owner is only a rental used by others on vacation. Or a BnB without the B. It is simply not the same thing as a true vacation rental. Does this matter? Well, I would propose that an owner's not being local to the area where their vacation rental is, is going to give them an understanding and empathy for their guests that no one else is going to have. You have to be away from home and out of your normal element to truly appreciate what it's like for others experiencing that. It has lead us to do things with our vacation homes, and providing things for our guests, that the locals don't want or care to do. And boy do our guests appreciate and notice those differences.

So what would 'being local' mean to a definition of a vacation rental professional? Are we saying that only local property managers can be professional, but owners can't be? Unless they're local too?

A physical local presence in the community? How can that possibly be a prerequisite for one being 'professional'?

It seems to me that the fundamental issue in being professional is how one takes care of their guests, above all else. Other things do matter too of course.

I'm absolutely not local to the community where my properties are located, and I know it to be a fact that personally I take better care of my guests, and my properties, than many (dare I say it... most?) local property managers do with their portfolios.

Nobody is going to suggest that for this reason I'm 'not professional' without a huge pushback.



This harkens back to my earlier posts/threads talking about doing things for guests in vacation rentals that simply can't be done in a vacation rental.

Do you take vacations at home? Does anyone? A stay-cation is not the same thing as traveling someplace other than where you normally live.

I have noticed with a combination of frustration and amusement all of the repeated posts about involvement with the local community in this forum over the past few years, and resisted the urge to respond (again) pointing out that this doesn't make a lot of sense. A vacation rental is a vacation home that others may rent for their vacation. Just how many vacation homes are located where their owner lives? As opposed to where they vacation?

As I described earlier, a 'vacation rental' local to the owner is only a rental used by others on vacation. Or a BnB without the B. It is simply not the same thing as a true vacation rental. Does this matter? Well, I would propose that an owner's not being local to the area where their vacation rental is, is going to give them an understanding and empathy for their guests that no one else is going to have. You have to be away from home and out of your normal element to truly appreciate what it's like for others experiencing that. It has lead us to do things with our vacation homes, and providing things for our guests, that the locals don't want or care to do. And boy do our guests appreciate and notice those differences.

So what would 'being local' mean to a definition of a vacation rental professional? Are we saying that only local property managers can be professional, but owners can't be? Unless they're local too?

A physical local presence in the community? How can that possibly be a prerequisite for one being 'professional'?

It seems to me that the fundamental issue in being professional is how one takes care of their guests, above all else. Other things do matter too of course.

I'm absolutely not local to the community where my properties are located, and I know it to be a fact that personally I take better care of my guests, and my properties, than many (dare I say it... most?) local property managers do with their portfolios.

Nobody is going to suggest that for this reason I'm 'not professional' without a huge pushback.
Congrats Rob! Love the idea that an out of town owner has a vacationer's perspective. Something for me to remember. "What's it like to travel to my place and be a guest at my rental?" Awesome! Local or not it sounds like you are doing a great job succeeding and taking care of your guests. Many owners (local or not) don't do so well...Cheers!
 
As many have said, communication is really key here. I also believe that when or if issues arise with clients they are attended to as soon as possible so that their experience with your vacation rental or vacation is not ruined.

Example: I once had a family stay at my rental who had asked prior to their trip if I had a stove and I told them I had an induction cooktop (which is written on the listing). Once they arrived they had emailed me and said, the cooktop was not working. They had travelled with their own pots and pans because they were Kosher and an induction cooktop needs certain cookware or it will not turn on. I explained this to them and they were upset because they could not use the cookware I provided in the rental because they were Kosher. I informed my team and told them to purchase a couple brand new pots and pans for them to use during their stay. We got the pots and pans to them immediately. They thanked me and were so happy my team and I went out of our way.

Also, an online presence. Marketing our vacation rentals makes us look professional.
 


This harkens back to my earlier posts/threads talking about doing things for guests in vacation rentals that simply can't be done in a vacation rental.

Do you take vacations at home? Does anyone? A stay-cation is not the same thing as traveling someplace other than where you normally live.

I have noticed with a combination of frustration and amusement all of the repeated posts about involvement with the local community in this forum over the past few years, and resisted the urge to respond (again) pointing out that this doesn't make a lot of sense. A vacation rental is a vacation home that others may rent for their vacation. Just how many vacation homes are located where their owner lives? As opposed to where they vacation?

As I described earlier, a 'vacation rental' local to the owner is only a rental used by others on vacation. Or a BnB without the B. It is simply not the same thing as a true vacation rental. Does this matter? Well, I would propose that an owner's not being local to the area where their vacation rental is, is going to give them an understanding and empathy for their guests that no one else is going to have. You have to be away from home and out of your normal element to truly appreciate what it's like for others experiencing that. It has lead us to do things with our vacation homes, and providing things for our guests, that the locals don't want or care to do. And boy do our guests appreciate and notice those differences.

So what would 'being local' mean to a definition of a vacation rental professional? Are we saying that only local property managers can be professional, but owners can't be? Unless they're local too?

A physical local presence in the community? How can that possibly be a prerequisite for one being 'professional'?

It seems to me that the fundamental issue in being professional is how one takes care of their guests, above all else. Other things do matter too of course.

I'm absolutely not local to the community where my properties are located, and I know it to be a fact that personally I take better care of my guests, and my properties, than many (dare I say it... most?) local property managers do with their portfolios.

Nobody is going to suggest that for this reason I'm 'not professional' without a huge pushback.
Just my two cents: I have been out of the vacation rental market for almost 2 years and both of my former houses (located in Grand Cayman) were purchased by people living in Florida (I live in Cayman); however, I offered (and they took me up on same) to assist them with anything they needed to ensure an ongoing success with their new rental property (for which I am not compensated - other than the ability to stay at the properties when they are empty - and we still pay some rent and cleaning fees). I did and do it so that the good names that we spent so long building up are not wasted - it's a small island and a reputation can be felled in minutes here. I feel that, even though the new owners do not have a physical presence here, I AM their physical presence.

If the new owners get questions that they cannot answer, I can step in and give them suggestions about what I would do. If they ask for recommendations, I can give them my take on many service providers. Particularly during the time of COVID, I could let them know about the changing business scene, which restaurants/attractions/tourism partners have survived, where to get their news from (e.g. reliable information regarding opening of our borders and our quarantine policies and rules) and, a few times, we have even gone to the properties to fix or help with something immediate.

One of the home owners pivoted her rental to allow "quarantiners" to stay at her home, allowing people to enjoy a whole house and even the pool while quarantined (instead of in a hotel room). I was able to give her information about delivery services and health care monitoring so that the renters could get what they wanted/needed during their 2 week stay (not all delivery services are reliable and/or reasonably priced) and understand the consequences of not following the rules (3 people have been imprisoned to date and large fines have been imposed on others, depending on the circumstances).

I agree, Rob, that many local property owners are not professional but I do think that some people who are not situated near their vacation properties often abdicate their responsibilities to a property manager, which on this island, can also be located in the United States. Particularly in this new era of vacation rentals, I think it is important that, if an owner or property manager is not nearby and does not stay current with what is happening here and now, the guests may not have a good experience. Obviously, you are not one of those people but I have had a very different (and rewarding) experience.
 
Just my two cents: I have been out of the vacation rental market for almost 2 years and both of my former houses (located in Grand Cayman) were purchased by people living in Florida (I live in Cayman); however, I offered (and they took me up on same) to assist them with anything they needed to ensure an ongoing success with their new rental property (for which I am not compensated - other than the ability to stay at the properties when they are empty - and we still pay some rent and cleaning fees). I did and do it so that the good names that we spent so long building up are not wasted - it's a small island and a reputation can be felled in minutes here. I feel that, even though the new owners do not have a physical presence here, I AM their physical presence.

If the new owners get questions that they cannot answer, I can step in and give them suggestions about what I would do. If they ask for recommendations, I can give them my take on many service providers. Particularly during the time of COVID, I could let them know about the changing business scene, which restaurants/attractions/tourism partners have survived, where to get their news from (e.g. reliable information regarding opening of our borders and our quarantine policies and rules) and, a few times, we have even gone to the properties to fix or help with something immediate.

One of the home owners pivoted her rental to allow "quarantiners" to stay at her home, allowing people to enjoy a whole house and even the pool while quarantined (instead of in a hotel room). I was able to give her information about delivery services and health care monitoring so that the renters could get what they wanted/needed during their 2 week stay (not all delivery services are reliable and/or reasonably priced) and understand the consequences of not following the rules (3 people have been imprisoned to date and large fines have been imposed on others, depending on the circumstances).

I agree, Rob, that many local property owners are not professional but I do think that some people who are not situated near their vacation properties often abdicate their responsibilities to a property manager, which on this island, can also be located in the United States. Particularly in this new era of vacation rentals, I think it is important that, if an owner or property manager is not nearby and does not stay current with what is happening here and now, the guests may not have a good experience. Obviously, you are not one of those people but I have had a very different (and rewarding) experience.
And, sorry, I just saw that my signature still has the domain names below it; these are no longer valid.
 
The Inner Circle is filled to overflowing with professional vacation rental owners and managers, each aspiring and perspiring to improve. We all work diligently every day in every way with every stay. But what about our guests? Do they know how hard we work to make each stay look easy? My opinions:

New guests, especially those booking through OTAs, aren't sophisticated enough to discern a professional host from a subpar amateur host. Every time I read that someone booked or stayed in an Airbnb, a wisp of smoke wafts skyward from my scalp. Airbnb has become an eponym, defined as "the name of an activity, product or object that has become synonymous with that item." Kleenex, band-aid and zipper are all eponyms.

Like it or not (mostly not), all of us are viewed through Airbnb's distorted lens. Sadly, guests view the Airbnb experience through that company's rose-colored glasses. Despite our professionalism reflected in our PMS, clear communication and top-notch staffing and service, we're still seen as quasi-generic Airbnbs.

So we're all treading water in a pool filled with hosts anointed by Airbnb and its twisted paperclip logo (others see something else!). At the its urging, thousands more are jumping in. Professionalism has become our SPF 50 sunscreen and personal flotation device. Our future's so bright, we need to wear shades! Meanwhile, noobs are trying, often failing, to keep their heads above water. And when rude guests cannonball their horror stories into the Twitter-sphere, all of us are drenched.

Our guests only know what they know, which frankly isn't all that much. Are they discerning enough to understand the difference between professional photographs and amateur ones with toilet seats left up? Some may be, but not all. Airbnb offers up its Superhost status, but frankly it's a very low bar to step over. Airbnb provides help for professional hosts. VRBO offered up its Fast Start Program for new hosts in late March 2021. These OTAs, certainly more, prefer quantity over quality.

So as we're rightfully self-satisfied with our professionalism, it's all for naught unless our guests can be enlightened. As much as we do to stand out from other vacation rental properties, what more can be done from the guest perspective?

Sorry for the mixed metaphors,
 
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I get bouts of seething jealously of a couple I know who rent two of their three homes without breaking a sweat or losing any sleep.

One house is in coastal California, the other in the south of France—both desirable locations. They gave up their websites for each property and just list with Airbnb.

Their listings use photos Airbnb shot for free and their own iPhone images. The descriptive copy is fine but not great. No videos, no floor plans. No social media.

Both houses are well-decorated, well-maintained and kept spotless. They've rented the California house for 12+ years. They bought the France house, a duplex, a few years ago and have been renovating it. It's gorgeous. They rent the "done" half.

They don't provide bathrobes or welcome gifts. No personalized check-in or virtual greeting. Perhaps a bottle of wine.

Their guests cause very little damage beyond normal wear and tear, so repairs and replacements are normal.

The California house occupancy rate is about 70% of the available dates, and has 105 reviews averaging 4.8 stars. The France house occupancy rate is skewed by the pandemic, yet has 21 reviews averaging 4.6 stars.

They net enough profit to pay for their lifestyle, add to their investments, and make generous gifts to their grandchildren. They recently bought a tiny private island they plan to turn into a Glamping rental they'll also list on Airbnb for rentals next summer.

Are they professionals?

As @JPrugh wrote, if the location, decor and rate is right, does a guest care about anything else for their first booking?

I believe hosts who go above and beyond enjoy repeat bookings and more predictable occupancy/income—if their location isn't a once-in-a-lifetime vacation destination.

A "vacation rental professional" may be those who understand:
  • Why people want to go to their location
  • Who their ideal guests are and what they want
  • Which amenities will satisfy their ideal guests' search filters
  • How to price their property
  • How to differentiate and market their property to appeal to their ideal guests (branding, photography, video, copy, reviews, publicity)
  • How to manage guest expectations
  • Which expenses make money and which don't
 
I get bouts of seething jealously of a couple I know who rent two of their three homes without breaking a sweat or losing any sleep.

One house is in coastal California, the other in the south of France—both desirable locations. They gave up their websites for each property and just list with Airbnb.

Their listings use photos Airbnb shot for free and their own iPhone images. The descriptive copy is fine but not great. No videos, no floor plans. No social media.

Both houses are well-decorated, well-maintained and kept spotless. They've rented the California house for 12+ years. They bought the France house, a duplex, a few years ago and have been renovating it. It's gorgeous. They rent the "done" half.

They don't provide bathrobes or welcome gifts. No personalized check-in or virtual greeting. Perhaps a bottle of wine.

Their guests cause very little damage beyond normal wear and tear, so repairs and replacements are normal.

The California house occupancy rate is about 70% of the available dates, and has 105 reviews averaging 4.8 stars. The France house occupancy rate is skewed by the pandemic, yet has 21 reviews averaging 4.6 stars.

They net enough profit to pay for their lifestyle, add to their investments, and make generous gifts to their grandchildren. They recently bought a tiny private island they plan to turn into a Glamping rental they'll also list on Airbnb for rentals next summer.

Are they professionals?

As @JPrugh wrote, if the location, decor and rate is right, does a guest care about anything else for their first booking?

I believe hosts who go above and beyond enjoy repeat bookings and more predictable occupancy/income—if their location isn't a once-in-a-lifetime vacation destination.

A "vacation rental professional" may be those who understand:
  • Why people want to go to their location
  • Who their ideal guests are and what they want
  • Which amenities will satisfy their ideal guests' search filters
  • How to price their property
  • How to differentiate and market their property to appeal to their ideal guests (branding, photography, video, copy, reviews, publicity)
  • How to manage guest expectations
  • Which expenses make money and which don't
My favorite response!

It's not the status-quo "professional" response, but I absolutely love it!

Everyone gets something different out of listing homes/units/properties for rent.

A "vacation rental professional" will get their desired outcome.

I might add *When to walk away (sell)* to the understand list
 
So as we're rightfully self-satisfied with our professionalism, it's all for naught unless our guests can be enlightened. As much as we do to stand out from other vacation rental properties, what more can be done from the guest perspective?
I was thinking about adding something like "You are an industry activist" or evangelist: after all, if WE don't sing this song of professionalism who will?
 
What I tell everyone we work/are in contact with from landscaper to our cleaners to the neighboring businesses is to think that this trip is the guests only trip this year. Use the lens of what you can do to make it incredible. How would you feel if the bed wasn't made perfectly? If there was litter in front of the house? How amazing would it be if you walked into the local business and they greeted you as a friend?

In a nut shell how personable, warm and "as you would want a rental to be", can we, as a team, be?

We see that care reflected back to us in guests reviews and happiness levels!
 
Also, I think professionals continually sharpen their sword through VRMB and all manner of education and cooperating/learning from other professionals - the rising tide carries all the boats!
Yes, you are willing to continually educate yourself on how to improve your business and Guest experience. You are open to receiving advice and critique from other successful professionals. This is not a hobby- it's a job and a commitment.
You understand the value of technology ( software tools), and learn when to delegate.
You treat your support staff with respect knowing that it takes a well-integrated team to provide the best guest experience.
You think of problems as challenges, and remain guest-centric always.
My fave: you find a fabulous cleaner! Lol! 👍🌷
 
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Our industry is at a pivotal juncture.
  • Vacation rental demand at all-time high means...
  • New owners & managers need guidance and...
  • Guests need training or else...
  • Unrealistic expectations produce...
  • Bad actors who...
  • Tarnish the craft and contribute to unfair regulation in your region
Until our diverse community can agree on a common definition of "what makes us professional" -- our independence resembles not a blessing but a curse.

But we can reverse this vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle!

So what makes a vacation rental operation professional?

Together with my swimming buddy Gary, last night we put down some thoughts to get us started (with theme in parenthesis). I will edit this list based on comments in the thread below...

1. You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years (take it seriously)
2. Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
3. You generate a profit (business)
4. You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
5. You have a physical presence in the community (local)
6. You strive for industry improvement (activist)

Is any vacation rental entrepreneur, large or small, that possesses most or all of these factors a vacation rental professional?

What are we missing?
What can be improved?


If we as a community can all agree on the factors that make us professional, we can distance ourselves from unprofessionals AND ensure more guests get consistent experiences, which in turn bring the professionals many benefits for a long time.



Running List of "How to do this" for each factor above (in italics below)...

1. You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years
2. Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
- Communication with the guest is paramount (proactive is best) but answering questions via text, email or answering the phone in a very timely manner is vital. If issues arise with clients they are attended to as soon as possible
- Be transparent: don't make false comparisons or unverified claims,
3. You generate a profit (business)
- Understand why people want to go to your location, Who your ideal guests are and what they want, Which amenities will satisfy their ideal guests' search filters, How to price their property, How to differentiate and market their property to appeal to their ideal guests (branding, photography, video, copy, reviews, publicity), How to manage guest expectations, Which expenses make money and which don't
4. You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
5. You have a physical presence in the community (local)
- Add value to both the community (new jobs, philanthropy, etc) and help guests have a "time of their life."
- If you do not have a physical presence there, find someone to be your physical presence there
6. You strive for industry improvement (activist)
- Stay informed on trends, best practices, and local and state regulations, set process improvement goals
- You act like an activist or a evangelist on behalf of the professional industry any chance you get
I would add that they manage more than say 5 and not just one, even though they can run it professionally. But when I think that someone is a professional vacation rental company, that they have a portfolio of several rentals. Also, in North Carolina, you must be a licensed real estate agent to be a property manager, so ensuring you have the correct licenses. Also, ensuring you have a proper trust/escrow account and a professional accounting system to manage the funds as opposed to comingling funds for future reservations in the operating account and keeping up with items on a spreadsheet. I think a website and brand marketing are also important for a professional image.

Shari
 
I would add that a professional in our industry is also mindful of three elements - People, Place and Planet.

People - you are respectful, supportive and attentive to your guests, staff and suppliers.
Place - you care about your community and you do the right thing for your neighbourhood
Planet - you acknowledge the impact your business has on the environment and take steps to offer eco-friendly accommodation
 
Fantastic discussion. I love the comments above! I would say that PROFESSIONAL by definition is anyone who is accepting money in exchange for hospitality. It is a monetary transaction. Our industry is filled with "amateur" or "not full time" folks but do their guests know that? If you search for a vacation rental on Airbnb, do you search "professional" or "something I'm doing in my spare time"? No, and I think this is a big problem for the reputation and standards of our industry.

What defines a competent professional is first, the ability to make PROFIT from the vacation rental. Not revenue but profit.

Next, I could not say it better than BobG BobG : People, Place, Planet.

I believe a professional puts guest satisfaction at the core of the mission AND meets the challenges and needs of all other constituents (neighbours, home owners, etc.)

Finally, a professional works on professional development: Joins Inner Circle! Follows news and developments in the space. Investigates and implements technology AND no- to low-tech to make maximum profit while maximising guest satisfaction.
 
- You are profitable, but you are not just here for the money
- Guest satisfaction is not something you compromise on
- You appreciate your homeowners. Without them you have nothing
- Integrity is non-negotiable
- technology is your friend, but relationships conquer all so you are still a people business
- You pay attention to what is going on in your industry
- You give back to your community
- You love your employees - all of them. You can't do this without them
- You lose sleep occasionally because you care
 


This harkens back to my earlier posts/threads talking about doing things for guests in vacation rentals that simply can't be done in a vacation rental.

Do you take vacations at home? Does anyone? A stay-cation is not the same thing as traveling someplace other than where you normally live.

I have noticed with a combination of frustration and amusement all of the repeated posts about involvement with the local community in this forum over the past few years, and resisted the urge to respond (again) pointing out that this doesn't make a lot of sense. A vacation rental is a vacation home that others may rent for their vacation. Just how many vacation homes are located where their owner lives? As opposed to where they vacation?

As I described earlier, a 'vacation rental' local to the owner is only a rental used by others on vacation. Or a BnB without the B. It is simply not the same thing as a true vacation rental. Does this matter? Well, I would propose that an owner's not being local to the area where their vacation rental is, is going to give them an understanding and empathy for their guests that no one else is going to have. You have to be away from home and out of your normal element to truly appreciate what it's like for others experiencing that. It has lead us to do things with our vacation homes, and providing things for our guests, that the locals don't want or care to do. And boy do our guests appreciate and notice those differences.

So what would 'being local' mean to a definition of a vacation rental professional? Are we saying that only local property managers can be professional, but owners can't be? Unless they're local too?

A physical local presence in the community? How can that possibly be a prerequisite for one being 'professional'?

It seems to me that the fundamental issue in being professional is how one takes care of their guests, above all else. Other things do matter too of course.

I'm absolutely not local to the community where my properties are located, and I know it to be a fact that personally I take better care of my guests, and my properties, than many (dare I say it... most?) local property managers do with their portfolios.

Nobody is going to suggest that for this reason I'm 'not professional' without a huge pushback.
My first holiday rentals I ran remotely for 7 years. I don't think that made me any less of a professional, so I agree with Rob here.
 
- You are profitable, but you are not just here for the money
- Guest satisfaction is not something you compromise on
- You appreciate your homeowners. Without them you have nothing
- Integrity is non-negotiable
- technology is your friend, but relationships conquer all so you are still a people business
- You pay attention to what is going on in your industry
- You give back to your community
- You love your employees - all of them. You can't do this without them
- You lose sleep occasionally because you care
THIS. Thank you Robin Robin!
 
I think being a professional is also a mindset. If you consider yourself 'just an Airbnb host' you cannot be a professional. Unfortunately, there are many like this. I would add that the mindset is important, the desire to continually educate oneself by networking, joining associations like the Inner Circle and Host2Host, attending conferences, knowing your geographical requirements re taxes and regulations, and being willing to gently educate new travelers in 'good guest behavior' are also important factors.
 
Thank you Debi Debi! Great point!

How about the desire to differentiate oneself and create a brand independent of listing sites? So it’s not just a VRBO or AirBnB that we offer. Instead, we run a vacation rental business called XXXXXXXX (fill in the blank here).

We have a name, a brand, an identity and a reputation, built up over years of work. After a decade in this business I’m beginning to feel it… we have hundreds of guests we’ve served. If just 10% of them all rebook in a year one of my properties would be full.

I’ve quoted over 6,000 times. How valuable is an email list of 5000 names, of people interested enough to remain on your list? What is the value of a website with 150+ 5-Star reviews gathered over ten years?

When we started, I immediately began creating a brand for ourselves. As a designer and consultant I had done it for others and my own companies for decades. So it was just second nature. But I also knew it would differentiate us, make us more professional. With one property, we still called our company X villaS, because we knew there would be more to come. Do professionals aspire to greater things? I think so!

The desire to be something else, and to define what that is for yourself, also makes you professional.
 
Ahh to be a "professional" in any industry..

I remember when I started renting a bedroom in my own private apartment back in 2010. Frown upon by many, because how do you live with guests... and how I was NOT considered professional. And maybe I'm still not.

But like Sallie Sallie said those hosts that have an "easier" life are they professional?

Is this a way of saying 'us" vs "them"? We are better because I do all the right things? I wonder.
 
Ahh to be a "professional" in any industry..

I remember when I started renting a bedroom in my own private apartment back in 2010. Frown upon by many, because how do you live with guests... and how I was NOT considered professional. And maybe I'm still not.

But like Sallie Sallie said those hosts that have an "easier" life are they professional?

Is this a way of saying 'us" vs "them"? We are better because I do all the right things? I wonder.
Based on the original specs, you are super professional.
 
Our industry is at a pivotal juncture.
  • Vacation rental demand at all-time high means...
  • New owners & managers need guidance and...
  • Guests need training or else...
  • Unrealistic expectations produce...
  • Bad actors who...
  • Tarnish the craft and contribute to unfair regulation in your region
Until our diverse community can agree on a common definition of "what makes us professional" -- our independence resembles not a blessing but a curse.

But we can reverse this vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle!

So what makes a vacation rental operation professional?

Together with my swimming buddy Gary, last night we put down some thoughts to get us started (with theme in parenthesis). I will edit this list based on comments in the thread below...

1. You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years (take it seriously)
2. Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
3. You generate a profit (business)
4. You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
5. You have a physical presence in the community (local)
6. You strive for industry improvement (activist)

Is any vacation rental entrepreneur, large or small, that possesses most or all of these factors a vacation rental professional?

What are we missing?
What can be improved?


If we as a community can all agree on the factors that make us professional, we can distance ourselves from unprofessionals AND ensure more guests get consistent experiences, which in turn bring the professionals many benefits for a long time.



Running List of "How to do this" for each factor above (in italics below)...

1. You do vacation rentals full-time OR have done vacation rentals part-time for 2+ years
2. Your reviews demonstrate you are guest focused (hospitality)
- Communication with the guest is paramount (proactive is best) but answering questions via text, email or answering the phone in a very timely manner is vital. If issues arise with clients they are attended to as soon as possible
- Be transparent: don't make false comparisons or unverified claims,
3. You generate a profit (business)
- Understand why people want to go to your location, Who your ideal guests are and what they want, Which amenities will satisfy their ideal guests' search filters, How to price their property, How to differentiate and market their property to appeal to their ideal guests (branding, photography, video, copy, reviews, publicity), How to manage guest expectations, Which expenses make money and which don't
4. You create and adhere to safety and cleanliness SOPs or standard operating procedures (standards)
5. You have a physical presence in the community (local)
- Add value to both the community (new jobs, philanthropy, etc) and help guests have a "time of their life."
- If you do not have a physical presence there, find someone to be your physical presence there
6. You strive for industry improvement (activist)
- Stay informed on trends, best practices, and local and state regulations, set process improvement goals
- You act like an activist or a evangelist on behalf of the professional industry any chance you get
Just found this post from the past...excellent!

I am relatively new to hosting and self-manage, but feel that I meet all six of the qualifications you outlined. Thank you for opening VRMB to people like me!!
 
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Right now I'm sitting at a compact desk in a corner of the living room in a townhouse we've rented for a month. The location is ideal for this stay (we're scouting a college town for relocation), parking is easy, and we could bring our two golden retrievers.

The property is clean and furnished with practicality in mind (perfectly nice yet not Wow). From the Vrbo reviews, the hosts, a couple who live in another state, have been renting for years, and the reviews gush with contentment.

This is not a luxury property, nor a low-budget pad. It features two bedrooms, two full baths, laundry, living room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and a small patio.

Are the owners professional hosts? Of course: they've been renting for years, they keep the property maintained, they've been helpful when the internet service quit. I assume they're profitable.

Yet I sort of cringe over things we've encountered that are simple and inexpensive (if not free) to address:
  • The kitchen is stocked with a hodgepodge of mismatched flatware, dishes and glasses
  • The kitchen pantry is overflowing with takeout plastic containers, those disposable aluminum muffin pans, paper plates, a mix of small baking dishes—leaving little room for us to store our own pantry items for a 4-week stay
  • The bed pillows are stained and flat
  • No mat for the slippery tub/shower in the ensuite bathroom (there's a mat in the other bathroom tub/shower)
  • Not enough coat hangers, and they're mismatched
  • The fireplace is not to be used (no advance warning about this, even though it's in the photos and on the features list)
  • The house binder provides no information about urgent or emergency medical care (or veterinarian care)
If I'm staying at my friend's house, I don't fret about mismatched dishes, not enough coat hangers, or lousy pillows—but she doesn't charge me rent!

As a current paying guest and a former owner/host, I now feel the baseline for a vacation rental professional is one who blends business sense to be profitable with thoughtfulness for enhancing their guests' experience at the property.

Guests may not pay attention to matching dinnerware, glasses and flatware; plump, stain-free pillows; dozens of matching coat hangers; or an empty pantry ready to store their groceries. But this guest notices—and feels a tiny bit undervalued—when these things are missing.
 
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Right now I'm sitting at compact desk in a corner of the living room in a townhouse we've rented for a month. The location is ideal for this stay (we're scouting a college town for relocation), parking is easy, and we could bring our two golden retrievers.

The property is clean and furnished with practicality in mind (perfectly nice yet not Wow). From the Vrbo reviews, the hosts, a couple who live in another state, have been renting for years, and the reviews gush with contentment.

This is not a luxury property, nor a low-budget pad. It features two bedrooms, two full baths, laundry, living room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and a small patio.

Are the owners professional hosts? Of course: they've been renting for years, they keep the property maintained, they've been helpful when the internet service quit. I assume they're profitable.

Yet I sort of cringe over things we've encountered that are simple and inexpensive (if not free) to address:
  • The kitchen is stocked with a hodgepodge of mismatched flatware, dishes and glasses
  • The kitchen pantry is overflowing with takeout plastic containers, those disposable aluminum muffin pans, paper plates, a mix of small baking dishes—leaving little room for us to store our own pantry items for a 4-week stay
  • The bed pillows are stained and flat
  • No mat for the slippery tub/shower in the ensuite bathroom (there's a mat in the other bathroom tub/shower)
  • Not enough coat hangers, and they're mismatched
  • The fireplace is not to be used (no advance warning about this, even though it's in the photos and on the features list)
  • The house binder provides no information about urgent or emergency medical care (or veterinarian care)
If I'm staying at my friend's house, I don't fret about mismatched dishes, not enough coat hangers, or lousy pillows—but she doesn't charge me rent!

As a current paying guest and a former owner/host, I now feel the baseline for a vacation rental professional is one who blends business sense to be profitable with thoughtfulness for enhancing their guests' experience at the property.

Guests may not pay attention to matching dinnerware, glasses and flatware; plump, stain-free pillows; dozens of matching coat hangers; or an empty pantry ready to store their groceries. But this guest notices—and feels a tiny bit undervalued—when these things are missing.
Sally, this is exactly why our family does NOT always stay in vacation rentals. Unfortunately, as many have mentioned throughout this discussion, there are wildly different standards...and I think it does negatively impact our industry.
 
Hi Sallie, your post really made me cringe. You bring up some very tough 'issues' about owning a vacation rental and hosting guests, and demonstrate just how difficult it can be to meet high guest expectations.

My comments below are not an attack on you, or a counter to your comments. Rather they are meant to reflect how your comments demonstrate just how difficult it can be to meet guest expectations.
Yet I sort of cringe over things we've encountered that are simple and inexpensive (if not free) to address:
  • The kitchen is stocked with a hodgepodge of mismatched flatware, dishes and glasses

My wife and I grapple with this, and disagree about it all the time. How is one NOT supposed to end up with a hodgepodge mismatch of kitchen dishes glasses and flatware? You have a nice brand new shiny vacation rental, and you outfit it with a set of nice flatware. And over the first six months, two or three of your cutlery pieces go missing, because guests... well... are guests. They lose things, destroy things, feed things to their dogs things... Who knows how they lose cutlery? We don't in our house, but the guests certainly manage to. So now what do you do? Buy an entirely new 48 piece set because your perfectly good existing set is missing two or three pieces? If you do, what do you do with the old set? Throw it out? Donate it to good will? Should that be practical or necessary? And what happens when a couple of other guests bring, and leave a few pieces of their own cutlery in your vacation rental (because they obviously are not as fussy as you or I about cutlery) so now I have a full set with a few pieces missing, plus a few pieces which don't match added in. What a mess. The fact is, there is no practical reasonable solution to this problem. And you as a vacation rental owner should understand that. Yet as a guest, you list it here as something that negatively impacted your stay. If this is not something that you as an experienced owner can grant a pass on, what hope is there for the rest of us in dealing with 'regular' guests?
(And don't suggest that buying and using the plain butt ugly replace-by-the-piece commercial hotel cutlery is a solution. It isn't. And even that stuff is often only sold in minimum quantities.)
So if you have solved this problem in a simple and inexpensive manner, I would love to hear all about it!

  • The kitchen pantry is overflowing with takeout plastic containers, those disposable aluminum muffin pans, paper plates, a mix of small baking dishes—leaving little room for us to store our own pantry items for a 4-week stay

I was shocked once to show up at our vacation rental property to find the pantry shelves full of all kinds of things from the kitchen and elsewhere in the home. Why? Because every time that a cleaner came in and they encountered something they didn't know what to do with, they just stuck it in the pantry.

I was frustrated and upset. But that doesn't mean that I am unrealistic about the reasonableness of low-paid, non-english speaking cleaners taking the easy route out with cleaning and turning our home around in a minimal amount of time every week or two between guests.

And sometimes guests leave stuff behind. How are cleaners supposed to know what belongs and what doesn't? And what are they supposed to do about it? Who gives them permission to throw stuff out, and why should they if to do so would be wasteful and the item left could be of use to future guests? Again, there is no easy answer to this dilemma.

An owner's touch may head this problem off at the pass, but what if the owner can't be at the property for each clean, over a six month period? How do things build up? Over a year? Or when a pandemic hits and the owner won't see their own property for THREE years?

I can't imagine what I'm going to find when I finally do see mine!

  • The bed pillows are stained and flat

Yes... of course they are.

Because the guests brought their own crappy pillows from home, and took off with the nice plump clean new ones that you just put out. We LOSE so many pillows it boggles my mind. But even more boggling is the crap that gets sometimes left behind in their place.

And you would hope that either the cleaner, the cleaner's manager, or the property manager would notice, and make sure that good pillows are once again put out. But mysteriously they don't. Even though they are competent, caring and just about the best kind of people you can find for the task, they don't see and find things like this. Only guests do when they open up a bed and get close to the pillows, or pull off the cases to launder them.

I had a guest encounter these types of SH*TTY pillows in our property, much to my utter horror! But she still left us a glowing review. I asked her why when I realized what had happened with the pillows and she told me "I used to work in housekeeping at a resort, and I know that guests take off with the great pillows all the time. You care too much about this place to have even known that the pillows I found were disgusting old crap. But I'm so used to guests doing this to vacation rental owners and resort managers that I brought my own pillows from home to use."

So aside from constantly buying and giving out essentially free pillows, which is not really cheap nor easy, what do you suggest?

  • No mat for the slippery tub/shower in the ensuite bathroom (there's a mat in the other bathroom tub/shower)

I would be willing to be that the owner THINKS there is a mat there. There likely was when they last left the property.

But a guest threw it out, or took it home, or a cleaner did, and its gone, and no one is letting the owner know its missing. So how are they supposed to ensure that a bath matt is there for you? Owners can't fix problems they are unaware of, and the cleaners and their supervisors are just as blind to the missing item as guests are. Property managers do not, in my experience at least, pay any attention to this kind of detail. Only owners do. So what is the solution if you can't hire eyes and ears critical and caring enough to view things with an owners' (like yours) eyes?

  • Not enough coat hangers, and they're mismatched

So a guests stole a bunch of coat hangers, or traded the nice matching ones out? I can't believe the number of hours my wife has WASTED sorting out and putting coat hangers back in their 'appropriate' closets so they match and the right number is there. But try to find a cleaner or manager or property manager that will even look at something like this? It's being anal, and too detail oriented, they'll say. And perhaps they're right.

But I know this is a problem (if they consider it to be, many don't) for every single one of our guests, except the ones who stay immediately after we leave. And I don't know of a solution for it. It's very hard to get others onboard in solving something that most others don't consider a problem.

Guests screw up coat hangers. It's a fact of life. Either you have no guests or no coat hangers. What's the solution?

  • The fireplace is not to be used (no advance warning about this, even though it's in the photos and on the features list)

I bet the fireplace was a great feature, and the host originally wanted all of their guests to be cozying up to a nice fire, until some guest started a fire and had a few sparks fly out onto the new carpet, or a log spill out and start a small fire that threatened the entire property, or damaged enough of the carpet that the entire room had to be replaced.

I don't know... I'm just spit-balling here. But after seeing guests destroy utensils, knives, pots and pans, trivets, pot holders and the like because they don't understand the most basic things about using common kitchen tools... what is one to do?

Change the policy regarding fires in the fireplace, or risk having the entire place burn down?

Unfortunately there is no easy answer to the fact that a huge portion of the world are the lower common denominator, and they are just plain dumb! Just look at half (most?) of the people on what passes for TV these days? Do you really want them playing with fire in your vacation rental?

How would you address this?

  • The house binder provides no information about urgent or emergency medical care (or veterinarian care)

Well... nice if it is there I suppose, and you or I may think to include it, but would an 'average' host? I don't know. And in an age of Mr. Google, is it really necessary? A guest can't look these things up on their own? Do we have to hold their hand that much?

Again, no easy answer. How much information is too much? I've been told I'm too helpful, provide too much info and am too thorough, making it tough to get the 'crucial' information that a particular guest needs. Except that their crucial information is different from the next guests, and so on and and so on.

You and I would include this information, in an easy to find and access place. I agree with you on this one.

And I bet it was great while it was there, until that one guest six months ago had a sick child, tore the emergency medical info page out of the house manual and took off with it, and nobody in the six months since has noticed it's missing because nobody needed it.

But the next guest who did was angry at the host because it wasn't there. So do we blame the host for that?


Sallie, everything you mentioned made me cringe because I KNOW my guests have experienced these things at my properties!

And NOT because I don't care, or I want them to. I specifically don't.

And I spend (waste?) hours of my life fixing, adjusting and tweaking my properties when I'm there so they DON'T experience these things. But that only lasts so long. I have vacation homes... meaning they are homes WHERE I VACATION. Not where I live. So I must rely on the best hired help I can get. And rocket scientists in my area are working at NASA, they're not working in the vacation rental industry.

I have to accept that at some point, I can only do what I can do, and I can't beat people to do everything to my intuitive standards. If I make a list, they ignore it, or can't understand it. There is no point in trying to get people to be what they simply are not capable of. They can't do it. And unfortunately, I have to work with the people available to me, just as we all must.

Sallie, I have a lot of empathy for you as a guest in your experience. But I must say, I have just as much, or perhaps more, empathy for an owner/manager trying to provide you with a great vacation rental experience using the best resources that they likely have available.

Personally, I have a lot of room and patience for anyone working in ANY service industry. It is exceedingly difficult to function profitably given the resources and economics available to make things happen. If anyone has answers to these challenges, that can and will be implemented by REAL people... I'm all ears!
 
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When I started using our house as a vacation rental I was told at the get-go: Everything you put into this house must be considered as disposable inventory.

PERIOD.

From glassware to sofas, from pillows to mattresses. It will get used, abused, borrowed, and stolen.

With that in mind- approach your home's business professionally:
  • Assure your insurance covers all that it may need-from outside to inside the house
  • While unique and special items give your home panache, style, and a "limited" look, make sure your item is one that will not become passé or discontinued so you can actually replace it without having to redo an entire redecoration of your home.
  • If it is a statement piece - assure it's put up and out of breakable reach.
  • If it will break buy two, (maybe even 3 sets): one to have, one to replace
  • In the time of COVID and Post-COVID supply chain issues think ahead of what will take the added time to arrive, and start now to have it available when needed
  • For those inevitable broken/damaged/stolen items-Bookmark your items in the store/online marketplace and watch when they go on sale (use various shopping apps for further discounts such as Honey, Rakuten, RetailMeNot, and others.
  • If your vacation home's or personal home's garage, closets will not be large enough to store the extra items, consider a storage unit as part of the cost of business.
  • Embrace the mix and match chic, just do it with style - maintain color palette, construction, and materials so it is intentional, and not a shopping sweep of whatever Goodwill has on its shelves.
  • Save a pocket full of your receipts specifically to be used as a replacement fund so you won't be caught off guard.
 
When I started using our house as a vacation rental I was told at the get-go: Everything you put into this house must be considered as disposable inventory.
  • If it will break buy two, (maybe even 3 sets): one to have, one to replace
Donna, I was fortunate that our property was in a fly-to destination in a warm climate, so many of our guests arrived with only carry-on bags—no room for pilfered pillows, coat hangers, robes—or a way to pass through security with a collection of Swiss knives.

I was most fortunate that our guests didn't steal, or mistakenly take, items other than one USB charger. Yet things break and stain, so I kept a deep inventory, just like you advise. I bought lots of backup dinnerware, flatware, glasses, sheets, towels, robes, pillows, mattress pads, bedspreads, and even extra Tommy Bahama beach chairs.

The one thing that caused aggravation was how frequently pillowcases had to be replaced due to stains from makeup or sunscreen. Even our stain-warrior housekeeper couldn't salvage them. Yet, compared to what many hosts experience, this was a very small price to pay.
 

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