All Forum Posts by: Lauren Kormylo

Agree with the others, it's definitely a scam, so report it to Vrbo as such through the app, no need to call them.  You will get others too, since you're new.  It's likely a scam anytime they sound like AI or the grammar is weird or they use the word "kindly", if they ask for you to respond to them off-platform, if they say their employer will pay for it, if they ask if the dates they've specified are still open (when they can clearly see they are open on your calendar), if they ask for a video of your property (they probably want to set up a duplicate listing with your photos and video and scam others out of money), or if they want a long term booking and they have just joined the platform and have no reviews (could have been evicted from somewhere else, and hope a newbie will let them in with no background check, they'll end up not paying or credit card is bad).  

Avalara does remit it for you.  Here's their page called My Lodge Tax, for STRs. https://www.avalara.com/mylodgetax/en/index.html

Process returns, Save time and hassle.

Automates lodging tax returns based on your monthly transaction data

Prepares, files, and remits lodging tax based on jurisdiction deadlines — for one location or thousands

Allows quick access to your lodging and tax filing payment history

You can't legally deny a true service animal. As others say, make it crystal clear in your listing that the "shells may cut a dog's paws, and we don't allow pets."  That way someone bringing a service dog, which is not considered a pet, will have fair warning of the danger. 

I don't use it because I only have one property, but there is Avalara for that.  https://www.avalara.com/mylodgetax/en/index.html

What @John Underwood said.  Does the license require that you have an inspection?  Then you are going to have to let them in.  If not, they might be knocking repeatedly to make sure you live there. Have you asked them why they want to come in?

I do direct booking through the Houfy website, taking credit card payment by Square.  It was easy to sign up with Square.  So far, I have only had direct bookings with previous guests that booked with me before on Vrbo and Airbnb, and they were good then so I didn't require a deposit.  Houfy now has a damage protection plan that costs the guests $5 a night and does light identity screening through SuperHog.  If I get a direct booking by a new guest, I would use that. Houfy is very inexpensive to list on, and syncs with the other platforms, making it a very quick and cheap way to do direct bookings. https://www.houfy.com/houfy-protect

I wondered if it would affect PriceLabs too. They do have you approve different settings that prices your property at the 50th percentile of your market or 75th percentile etc. So it’s not a blanket price for the whole market. I see neighboring properties of mine that are a comparable size and I know they use dynamic pricing of some kind, but no one has exactly the same price as me. Some must be using PriceLabs because it’s so common. 

If you only have a homeowners policy, and something happens like a fire or a guest gets injured, and the insurance company finds out you're renting out the house, you're in deep trouble. They will not cover you at all for anything, it'll be in the fine print of your contract that they don't cover rentals. Like everyone else says, you need specific STR, MTR or LTR coverage.

Aircover is a mild form of property damage insurance where they MAY cover a guest's damage at their discretion, and you will have to fight for it.  It is not real insurance, it doesn't cover things not caused by guests, and can't be depended on.  The other groups I'm in are always reporting the difficulties of getting claims paid for.    

Quote from @Carolyn Fuller:

Quote from @Lauren Kormylo:

Also, the reason the east coast beach areas traditionally don't supply linens etc is because it was also traditional to rent for a week, Sat. to Sat. There are not enough cleaners to clean all those rentals on Saturdays only, and also do laundry, and restock all the other stuff.  I decided to just do a 3 day minimum.  My first year, I couldn't find a cleaner to clean on Saturdays at all, they were all booked up for the season.  So I had to block Saturdays off for check outs and check ins. After the first year, my cleaner was able to make me a priority and do Saturdays for me.  

Fascinating history. I remember the period when rentals on Cape Cod and the Islands were weekly Sat - Sat. At the time, we spent our vacations camping and hiking so we never actually booked a beach vacation home. By the time, we started renting beach vacation homes, the weekly Sat - Sat routine was no longer the norm. Towels, linens and paper goods were all supplied. 

I totally get how historical customs are slow to change and I can't imagine how difficult it was to find a cleaning crew with that kind of competition. 

Yep, these customs are slow to change.  People forget that rentals at the beaches have been going on for 100 years, way before Vrbo and Airbnb came along.  They started out with owners informally renting out their summer homes when they weren't there for some extra money, and the owners would come clean on Saturdays (and beach houses back then didn't have washers and dryers).  There weren't many people who lived year round at the beach, so not many professional cleaners.  And now, beach properties are so expensive, cleaners can't afford to live nearby. Even with local property management companies now handling a lot of these rentals, they still have trouble finding cleaners. I contacted over a dozen cleaners before I could find one who could take my rental on. All of the business is done in the summer, and pro cleaners have no work during the winter. It really speeds things up if cleaners just have to clean and not do the other stuff.  That's why it's still going on, and because that's the way it's always been there, local people expect to bring their own sheets etc.  We vacation in Ocean City MD, and I still have to bring my own sheets, TP, cleaning supplies, etc.  Been doing it for 40 years. But I can see where a lot of people wouldn't understand it. 

Also, the reason the east coast beach areas traditionally don't supply linens etc is because it was also traditional to rent for a week, Sat. to Sat. There are not enough cleaners to clean all those rentals on Saturdays only, and also do laundry, and restock all the other stuff.  I decided to just do a 3 day minimum.  My first year, I couldn't find a cleaner to clean on Saturdays at all, they were all booked up for the season.  So I had to block Saturdays off for check outs and check ins. After the first year, my cleaner was able to make me a priority and do Saturdays for me.