Warning About Airbnb property Manager - Andchill Property Management

[Arto0]

Hi fellow hosts (or aspiring hosts)

I engaged a company called Andchill Property Management to turn my apartment into an airbnb property.

I can not say one good thing about my experience with Andchill airbnb property management. They promised the world and delivered nothing of what they said they would do. I recommend you avoid this company at all costs!

They say that they will manage the property professionally, ensuring that you can just chill while they do all the hard work. The reality is something different.

First up I paid $8,000 for them to furnish my apartment. I was really underwhelmed with their furnishing job. There was only one bedside table and lamp in each bedroom, and no art work on lounge room walls. They put in the cheapest Smart TV that I wasn't able to connect to Netflix. The TV did not even have a cord to enable it to connect to the aerial. I had to purchase that myself. I complained about there not being bedside tables and lamps beside the beds and they said sorry too bad, budget was spent. I just thought it was not good enough and I said i was happy to buy the extra tables and lamps myself. Then they lie to me and say that they got it from a direct importer but if I go to Freedom I could find similar. I then happen to stumble onto the bedside tables at Kmart for $19 a piece, and the lamps $12 each. I found all the other cheap furnishings at Kmart also.

They promised also to screen for the best guests. They do not screen at all. They let in anyone. I had so many complaints from the other residents in the apartment block on the standard of guests they were allowing in - causing havoc, parties all night, etc.

They promised professional cleaners that would make everything spick and span. What a joke. One third of the reviews for my property complained about the cleaning saying it was disgusting. There were so many bad reviews airbnb pulled the listing.

Then I just had enough of andchill and decide to cancel my contract. They empty out all the furniture and appliances I paid for and then left the place a complete mess. I had installed new carpet which was completely trashed. There were also items of mine removed from the apartment - a hall runner mat and a glass feature in the ensuite had been removed. The wall of the second bedroom was damaged with shelving they had put in and then taken out - and no attempt to repair the wall.

And to top it off they lost 2 full sets of keys! I never got the keys back from them. The keys are restricted keys that cost $165 a set to replace. After 3 and a half months of complaining I still do not have the keys back and they are refusing to compensate me for the damage to the carpet and the bedroom wall. 

I recommend everyone stay well clear of this company. They made my attempt at turning my apartment into an airbnb a very stressful affair and a complete nightmare.

[Marc-and-MJ0]

It is terrible when rougue operators give property managers a bad reputation.  We have been managing and co-hosting properties for our clients in Melbourne for 3 years now with good returns for our clients and happy guests. 

We limit ourselves to a maximum of 20 properties so that we can individually manage each one. We have our own team of cleaners - we never outsource cleaning as that is when you lose control over quality standards.

Some questions you can ask before you take on a property manager are:

• Do you monitor guest reviews?
  • There’s only one right answer: yes. You can also ask if they respond to guest reviews.
• What is the biggest issue you have with managing all of your properties?
  • The only wrong answer is if they say none. There is always room for improvement. This answer should be rather thoughtful and quickly determined. They shouldn’t be trying to sell you. Instead, they should be trying to ensure you’re a good fit for them. If you sense they’re hiding information, kindly let them know that you’re both trying to decide if this is a good fit.
• What percentage of their existing hosts are Superhosts?
  • It’s hard to achieve Superhost status. The reason you ask this is to see if they start defending why they are not. It’s ok to not be a Superhost, but if they place the blame on others, etc. then you probably want to avoid this company.
• How do you handle early check-in and late check-out requests?
  • They should be able to accommodate this when possible, most of the time.
• Will I have my own account or does my listing go on your account?
• How do you hire cleaners?
  • Bad cleaners will cost you money. It’s the number of complaint of guests. The company should have a process in hiring cleaners. They should send the same cleaners to the same properties whenever possible. Ask about their cleaner turnover. You do not want a constant flow of new cleaners into your home as it’s a security risk and inefficient. Do they randomly quality check cleanings?
• How do they price your calendar?
  • They should have a very specific answer here. They should not use Airbnb’s Smart Pricing. Manually is ok, if they actively do this. However, a connection to a third-party vacation rental pricing partner is ideal.
• How long does the average host stay with the company?
  • If a new host leaves after six-months on average, this is a red flag. Anything more than one year is good.
• Who would the guest contact at 11pm on a Friday night? Or 6am on a Tuesday morning?
  • Here you will understand how they deal with emergencies.
• Do they use an Airbnb message automation service?
  • They should say yes. Quick responses get more reservations.

Hopefully this will allow you to hire a dedicated property manager who works hard to make you and your guests happy 🙂

Good luck !

Marc & MJ

[Lee329]

Just an FYI for anyone unaware, I received an email this morning stating that And Chill Property Management Pty Ltd has appointed Voluntary Administrators. The email was obviously not sent by And Chill.

[Alysha18]

Hey Lee- if it was from Mcgrath Nicol, they're the administrators who have taken over the company as it's insolvent now.

[Michael3418]

I hope they can still pay us. Hi Alysha, It's Michael.

[Phil242]

Hi Guys;

That's sad to heard . I almost signed with them 4 months ago, instead I signed with Airhost Group. Their website is www.airhostgroup.com.au . I am very happy with them . Airbnb sends the money directly to me and afterwards I pay them , so everything is very transparent. Moreover, All my bookings till now have got 5 star reviews. 

[Philippe1136]

Hi Phil,

Do they do a full management of the property from setting up to booking ? Are they reliable ?

[Susan17]

@Philippe1136 

Don't fall for it. "Phil" is spamming. Have a look at his reviews. 

[Yazmin12]

I unfortunately did not see this post until now and I also got sicker into the and chill marketing spiel,  which cost me money with no reward and no bookings. Im in WA and willing to be included in any action being taken for costs against And Chill.  favaroy @gmail.com

[Alysha18]

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alysha-robb-46381a108_clients-burnt-by-airbnb-hotshot-activity-656211...

It has been talked about on the australian!! Please share this around

[Michael3418]

You should sue their asses. I used to work for them. The people running the show don't know what they're doing. They still owe everyone a lot of money. The clients, Contractors, Employees, etc. 

[Philippe1136]

Hi everyone , would you suggest another 3rd party instead ? Any good management company that can be recommended ?