All Forum Posts by: Luke Carl

@Brandon Amdahl

This forum (correct me if I'm wrong) is of the belief that if you don't "self manage" your STR you likely won't make much money. If you don't want to do that (which is very easy but most people just don't realize that) then you should look into a modern national. Evolve, Vacasa, Turnkey.

@chase cline is the only one in Texas that I know of and he hasn't been around much lately. 

The answers you seek are on this forum. Spend a few hours reading then hit us with something more specific :) 

You should most certainly manage it yourself. It's totally doable. The initial set up can be a bit stressful. But once you're up and running there's nothing to it. I "self manage" 28 doors, STR and LTR all from a distance. I'd be totally happy to teach you everything I know!

 Also.. you posted on the wrong forum. 

You Want This!

@Alex Griffith Also.... everyone here is “self managing” because it’s pretty damn easy. Figure out a way to do our jobs better than we can do it ourselves and you’re on to something.

If you can convert @John Underwood into a client.... you’re on to something

@Alex Griffith You should buy one or two or your own and see if this bid something you’re interested.

Starting your own company is

1. A job

2. A losing battle.

You’re competing with big companies with millions and small companies with years of experience. Although to me years of experience means you’ve likely been left behind. Most people get comfortable and don’t evolve.

Speaking of.... I would get a job working for evolve or turnkey and read as many books as possible. Then take it from there.

@Juv Ster don’t make your guests or your housekeepers do checklists. This is a great way to have zero friends.

I should mention that I occasionally bend the rules and allow someone to check in early. My problem is scale. I've got 28 properties and 4 housekeepers. I don't want to spend time on such a small task. If the guest asks me two hours before check-in if they can check in early... there's a pretty good chance I'll say yes. I just can't promise anything in advance -it's too much to coordinate. 

 11-4 in mountains. 10-4 on the beach. ALSO highly depends on the size of your property. Our beach home takes a good 4 hours to clean every time. A one-bedroom can often be done in 30 minutes. 

The Enemy Method is fantastic for determining such times. 

To determine your Check-In Check-Out times... I highly recommend the ENEMY METHOD

First and foremost my system is based on "Give them an inch they will take you 10 miles" which I find to be true in this business. There are many different ways to run your Airbnb. Here is how I, (Superhost with 2000 glowing 5 star reviwes), run mine! 

This is my "Early Check-In Late Check-Out" System.

Rule 1. 

My listing mentions NO Early Check-In No Late/Check Out so I am off the hook even before they book. If it's mentioned in the listing and they don't read it.... you're still at risk of a bad review so you must beat them over the head with your systems. 

Rule 2. 

The following is included in my "Confirmed Booking" message which is sent AUTOMATICALLY by my PMS (property management software) (YourPorter) to anyone that has a PAID booking.

"CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT TIMES
Check-in is at 4pm and check-out is at 11am. While we try to go above and beyond to accommodate our guests, we cannot offer early check-ins or late departures. This is to allow our cleaning crew ample time to make sure your home is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before and after your stay."

This eliminates nearly all of the early/late requests. 

BUT you still get the folks that don't read anything. Which leads me to....

Rule 3. 

Here's a real-life example. I have currently a high maintenance question asker about to check in for a week for the in-high-demand July 4th weekend. This is a large party that has paid a lot of money to stay in a large home on the beach. But the thing is... If they were to cancel, I could have this rebooked within 3 minutes for MORE money than they have paid.***

I re-sent the same message from above, so she now has this a second time, and she said "That's unfortunate for us" clearly displaying her dissatisfaction in our policy. 

So my message in this particular situation is.... 

"Hello! We are happy to offer you a one-time courtesy full refund but you will need to take advantage of this by today at Noon (insert time zone). Otherwise, the cancelation policy will be in effect. Thank you and travel safe!"

Works every time.  

Of course, this is to be used sparingly. I wouldn't necessarily use it on a Tuesday in February. 

I'd love to hear how you handle this with the never-ending stream of multiple personalities that are entering your property and your!

***If I could get more money... why did I book them? Well, it's not always wise to wait until the last second to book in-demand holidays. It's worth a few dollars less to book it in advance. I find the sweet spot is 4-5 weeks prior. 

"If it's repeatable, you can build a system around it and anyone can facilitate this system" - Ray Dalio 

The goal is of course to take yourself out of the business and let the business run itself. My assistant is taught all systems and handles the messages for me. 

To summarize.... If it happens more than TWO times -build a system around it so it never happens again! 

@Mike V. I feel for you brother. Could happen to any of us. Sorry you’re dealing with it.