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Snow Removal and Winter Time Tips

     Wintertime check ins are especially slow; however, this cold/snowy factor should NOT limit one from keeping their rental property  plowed, shoveled and salted. For a guest and the cleaning crew it is inconvenient and unsafe  to have to trek through the snow. Diligence is key to positive reviews from guests and perhaps more  importantly, maintaining the safety of those entering your vacation rental should be on the top of the  list. So, from your friendly housekeepers, keep your plow service number on hand and make sure to  have plenty of salt and/or ice melting product available to keep the positivity rolling in (NOT slipping in). It is also  important to have a snow shovel on the property, if not one by every access door.      Also, a playful tip for winter is to have sleds for your younger guests (or not so young guests) on hand, or any fun  snow items you can think of. This shows an element of fun and consideration that really would go a long  way for guests traveling far an
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Children and Vacation Rentals

As a vacation rental property owner there are a variety of things that you have to juggle. Dealing with renters that have children can be tricky and open one up to liability issues if we are not diligent.  We have some tips to help keep your property protected and running smoothly without having to turn away guests with children.  The vacation rental market is huge. More and more families are looking to rent homes than staying in hotels. Here are some things that you can do to protect your property.  Do you offer the luxury of a pool? Pool toys can lead to a fun time had by all. It’s a good idea to use larger floats, rafts, or built in toys like basketball nets and diving boards. Smaller toys tend to get lost, stuck in a filter and when it gets windy, the guest shouldn’t have to chase down a bunch of little things nor do we want these things winding up in your neighbor’s yard. An idea for you as the homeowner would be to have a toybox in a closet with some fun playthings for c
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Reviewing your guests so other rental owners can make the best decision to allow them to stay.

Hello, fans. This blog will be based on leaving reviews but these aren’t reviews your guests leave about you, they are about the reviews you leave about your guests! Did you know that you can leave reviews about the people that use your home? Yup! Many vacation rental web sites allow and encourage reviews so future property owners know whether or not the people staying should actually be there. There are several points to hit on when leaving a review about your guests. A one sentence review doesn’t quite cut it. There should be a little depth to your words. Some key spots to cover in your review include whether or not your property was left clean, within reason. Do we think they should make their beds? …. No. But renters shouldn’t be leaving wine bottles all over the house and food on the counter. That falls under common courtesy.  The biggest part to review is whether or not your house was respected. Was a faucet broken? Hardwood floor nicked? Did the neighbors call you to complain?
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Laundry Becoming An Issue?

Whether you are new to having a cleaning service at your rental home or are a seasoned user, there are some things to keep in mind to make your experience both a positive and worthwhile one.  While there are so many facets of a vacation rental property, one piece of the puzzle is LAUNDRY.  When hiring a cleaning service to manage the housekeeping aspect of your rental know that laundry can be VERY time consuming and costly to both owner and cleaning service.  The price you are quoted, more than likely, will include a load of laundry while the actual cleaning and next guest preparation in underway; however, laundry can certainly slow down a service that is on the move since so many vacation rentals have sensitive/strict same day check out/in timeframes. Many cleaning companies allow a certain amount of time to a job before heading off to the next. If you ask them to do the laundry that day, it may create a conflict for their schedule moving down the line. Typically, what wo
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Reviewing your guests so next owners can make the best decision to allow them to stay

Hello, fans. This blog will be based on leaving reviews. But these aren’t reviews your guests leave about you, they are about the reviews you leave about your guest! Did you know that you can leave reviews about the people that use your home? Yup! Airbnb allows and encourages reviews so future Airbnb owners know whether or not the people staying should actually be there. There are several points to hit on when leaving a review about your guests. A one sentence review doesn’t quite cut it. There should be a little depth to your words. Some key spots to cover in your review include whether or not your property was left clean, within reason. Do we think they should make their beds? …. No. But renters shouldn’t be leaving wine bottles all over the house and food on the counter. That falls under common decency. HAHA! The biggest part to review is whether or not your house was respected. Was a faucet broken? Hardwood floor nicked? Neighbors call you to complain? If so, these are definitely i
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Digital Home Locking Systems

As a seasoned vacation rental owner or Airbnb host, there are different options when it comes to keeping your property secure when you are not around. Whether you are a traditional key type of person or are interested in the latest wireless controlling devices, there is a little bit of everything out there to fit your needs and style.  With the many locking systems on the market, there comes a slew of benefits to both the homeowner and the renter. You no longer need to leave a key under the mat and wonder if it will be there for your next guest or the prospect of losing it. You can now allow your renters access to your home using different smart phone apps. You can set the times they have access and voila! All done. Many of these apps offer a tracking system in which you can see what time the dog walker arrives, what time your guests got there or what time the cleaning company got to your house. A win-win all around.  Let’s take a look at some of the smart home technology curr
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Set Your Cleaning Company up to Succeed

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Whether you are new to having a cleaning company take over the household chores or you have been using a specific person or company for years, these are some tips to help your cleaner help you. Having the necessary tools and resources available will allow your cleaner to be more effective at his/her job.  We all like things to be a certain way and there is nothing wrong with that. Let’s look at the basics. One sure fire way to make sure your cleaning person does things your way is to lead by example. We don’t mean get on the floor and clean with them but give them a walking tour of your house, office, etc and show them what you would like cleaned and how often.  Have a lot of things or areas to be cleaned?  A great supplement is to provide a check list. Having a defined set of guidelines allow the person to run through quickly to make sure every box is checked this way you don’t have to be compelled to stick around for the cleaning as the checklist will take care of that for you. 
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