Should I hire a property manager

[Thalia130]

Hello everyone, 

I am fairly new to hosting, 2 months in. I host 2 guest bedrooms in my house that I currently reside. I do not live full time at the house and can be out of states for up to 3months at a time. Currently I am doing everything myself when it come to managing requests, cleaning and so on.

My question is, should I hire a property manager when I am out of states so my guests would have someone they can reach out to for immediate in person needs? also I plan on hiring housekeeper to clean the whole house and guest room after each guest check out. 

I do have people that can come and help if anything is needed, but I am not sure I can count on them 100%, and of course I'll be available to answer texts or calls while I'm away.

I've hosted 5guests so far that I barely encounter throughout their stay and I haven't had any complaints or any issues reported so far. I regularly message them and check if anything is needed. 

PS: I hosted 2 guests for a month while I was not there and everything went smoothly. 

[Quincy]

Hi @Thalia130, you could, indeed, ask someone to take care of your home whilst you're out of state. Personally, I've only worked together with someone within my family to take over and be a Co-Host when I was away. 

If you're looking for a Co-Host, perhaps you could take a look on our "Get Local" page, as you might be able to find a local Co-Host there 😊

Good luck!

[Pat271]

@Thalia130  Definitely recommend you always have someone “on the ground” to help guests should they need it. For instance, I handle all bookings and other pre-stay interactions with my guests, but have a manager that can physically help out during the guest’s stay when I am out of the area. You might even be able to find good cleaners that live close by to bring extra towels, replace a broken hairdryer, etc. if requested, as well as handle the cleaning. The cleaners may also have a network of maintenance people (plumbers, electricians, etc.) they can call on if needed.

I do not recommend “winging it” and hoping nothing will go wrong. In fact, there are some areas (like Maui) that require someone local to be available at all times to service short-term rentals, so check your local jurisdiction’s regulations.