All Forum Posts by: Merritt Harris

 Shoot me a DM would like to chat 

Hey Ravi, I managed five units in the Poconos. 

1.Patio vs. basement installation for the hot tub? Patio for sure. Indoor hot tubs do not have the appeal that guests look for when they go to this market. 

2.How to run the hot tub without guests for a few winter months (avoid headaches)? Hot tubs will increase winter bookings! Keep it running

3.Hot tub maintenance for short-term rentals: cleaning & water changes? Cleaning after every guest, only need to dump it when a guest makes a mess. If this happens, we charge guests. Usually its lotions but i've also had guests do nasty stuff and or add dish detergent to the hot tub (they said it wasn't clean and thought that might help ha!)

4.Hot tub: value-add or headache for Pocono STR? I know this market, you wont get many bookings without one. Hot tubs in the poconos are a must unfortunatly because a lot of people have them. If you want to stand out from the crowd, consider outdoor shower and barrel sauna as well. 

 can you send it to me at [email protected]

 Would love to have a look!

Hello,

My partner and I are looking to buy an STR management company this year. I currently run one that's been in operation for little over a year and I'm looking to expand my business.

Ideal Criteria:

-30+ properties

-Current and strong contracts

-North East USA ideally, but will look elsewhere

-Manager run is a plus

I'm located in the NE in central New York but would entertain other markets, especially if the business is manager run and has strong team in place.

Shoot me a message and let's discuss!

Merritt N. Harris

Hey friends,

Was recently talking with my friend who manages 100+ STRs and he was sharing his onboarding PDFs which I found very helpful.

Would love to know what you do to help the onboarding process go smoothly. Do you any documents and requirements for new clients? 

Personally, I require Schalge Encode locks and have a google sheet checklist of amenities/items that need accomplished before a launch. I have a short list of items needed to move forward such as contract signed, W9, launch ready checklist and I need to be added to the homeowners insurance policy as "other insured". 
My startup fee is $500. It does not include photography expenses. 

On that note, do you have any red flags when onboarding a new client that make you reconsider accepting them as your client?

 Do you bill the guest for the Waivo Damage insurance? 

I factor any additional payouts (pet fee, early/late check out) as part of the gross revenue. 

What market are you in? Curious if 25% is standard or are you charging more than the competition? Thanks for the feedback 

 I'm thinking: Bonuses for X amount of five star cleanings... and setting a clear standard IE cleaning this unit takes 2 people 2 hours on average. If this time goes over, please send pictures of additional messes, call the property manager etc. 

 The way I pitch it is that cleaning fee is pass through, I take the payout and send it along to cleaning team. I then take 20%