All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

I always do a move-in checklist, and rarely has an owner ever asked for a copy. But, I'm happy to provide it to them if they ask. You should just ask, they may send it right over.

@Lauren Lockett Yes, we are planning to buy several more vacation rentals in the Big Bear area. The two we own now make us a pretty good return. Big Bear is a huge vacation spot in California.

@Lauren Lockett Some other great places to list your rental are: Airbnb and Flipkey. Of all the sites I have my places on, Flipkey gets me the most inquiries. They are part of TripAdvisor and a bunch of other places that Flipkey syndicates to. I find my listings on places all over the internet from Flipkey.

I own 2 vacation rentals in Big Bear, CA, as well as manage several others for the homeowners.

I would say my biggest challenge is the constant upkeep. There is always something to take care of. Making sure they are really clean is extremely important. Towels and wash cloths go missing, so I frequently have to buy more of those items. Things get damaged, so there is the dealing with repairs/replacement of items. Yard maintenance, dealing with the City inspectors, etc. I really could go all day with this list.

How we deal with things: My husband and I take care of most of these things ourselves. We do delegate some repairs and landscaping. But, we spend a lot of time going to all the rentals each week to deal with issues.

No doubt that vacation rentals are a lot of work. So, if you hire someone, make sure they are a go getter and don't put off the work. Guests will not be happy to walk into a place that is not really clean and has broken things, missing things, etc.

@Randy Brockett I'm in Big Bear, so if you have any questions about vacation rentals up here, please let me know.

I just re-read your post. I thought the place was in California, but apparently it is in Chicago. 

The rules are probably pretty similar there too. Find out if posting a notice on the door will work in Chicago. 

In California, you just need to post the notice on the front door. Then send a copy in the mail (with proof of delivery required). Be sure to take a photo of the notice on the door, with the address or other obvious marker in the photo.

If they don't respond, start the eviction process.

I am a property manager and write all my leases between my company and the tenants. It does say that the lease is between us, but we are "acting on behalf of property owner".

@Cynthia Rinne You should check out Big Bear. It isn't that far from you and there are some really good deals. People buy vacation properties, then don't use them as much as they think they will, then sell them. 

I also know a great property manager.  :)

Kwikset Smartkey deadbolt with a non-locking doorknob. You can easily reset the lock after each tenant and they can't lock themselves out because there is no lock on the doorknob.