All Forum Posts by: Sofia Sharkey

@Matt Devincenzo - brilliant. Feedback like yours is what makes Bigger Pockets amazing! 

Up to this point I have relied on the cleaners to let me know what supplies are low and I also drive to the units with enough frequency to note what needs to be purchased. I'm ready to systematize this process and wonder if any of you have a method you love to purchase and track supplies. 

At first, I thought of developing my own spreadsheet that includes the products I need for each of the units, the purchase date, the quantity, etc. Then, I wondered if there is already an app where I can just select my unit and click on what I need. Ideally something my cleaner could also access to let me know what's low so I get a consolidated list. 

For now, I'm creating a laminated page with all the supply items so my cleaner can just mark what's low, take a picture and send it to me. I'll also have one universal list that I will use to buy bulk supplies (hopefully from one single vendor) so that re-stocking is only done every so often.  

Any thoughts, suggestions, or ideas are welcomed! 

I would especially like to hear from members who have multiple units (ideally more than 10) as I'm looking for a scalable method. Thanks! 

@Mark Miles do you have multiple airbnbs? that is a brilliant idea I can try at least in a couple places! Thanks for the input 
@Michael Baum that's nice. Very convenient to have a dumpster close by. 
@Matt Devincenzo totally agree with you and I never suggested illegal dumping. One of my cleaners takes the trash with her to her dumpster. But the other crew will only place it in the bins outside the house. I leaned it's not about the law but rather an insurance liability on the cleaner. Still don't have all the details on that but will share when I do. 

Very helpful everyone, thanks! Still, if there is anyone out there with multiple units (ideally more than 10), I'm curious to learn what method allowed you to grow without 'trash' being a headache. 


 

@John Underwood great advice! I'm reaching out to check those facts. In this industry, great cleaners are highly valued and hard to find. They are not as replaceable as some might think because cleaning is just one of the tasks they need to do.  

@Anand S. thanks for the suggestion. We've thought about letting guests know when trash day is and asking them to put it out on the curb. However, we have been hesitant because doesn't seem reliable and wonder if they would complain. Sounds like it's working well for you so I might just test it and see how it goes. I'm definitely reaching out to the cleaners because I've been searching online and haven't found evidence that handling trash is illegal. Thank you!  

Check out turnoverbnb. 

When @Tom Sharkey and I first started our STRs, we would collect the weekly garbage and take it out on 'trash days' to be picked up. Now we have several units (trash days are different) and don't have the time to go unit to do this. Our cleaning crew mentioned that it is illegal for them to handle the trash (such as driving it to a dumpster). What are others in the STR/Vacation Rental industry doing to dispose their trash?

We bought large bins that we keep in the back of the house where the garbage from each turn over is consolidated. But the struggle still is taking it out on time to be picked up on specific days. 

Looking for suggestions and ideally a system or company names that can take care of this 

I really love smartbnb and want to continue to use it but recently I've been looking for a platform that allows me to have a website for each vacation rental and syncs all calendars and communications. Lodgify offers the website feature for each listing but is not compatible with smartbnb (since they both are SMSs and Airbnb will only allow you to connect with one). 

Do any of you have smartbnb already and sites for your listings? curious what's worked for others.  

@Andrea Cole have you looked into Turnoverbnb? You can post your needs there and get offers from cleaners in your area. That will give you insight into how much cleaners are charging in your area. In my market $100 is too high for cleanings but as others have mentioned, it's market specific.

Hi Andrew!

I was one of the first five people in my city to go through the Airbnb Plus program and it was not worth it. I figured by being one of few in my area, the returns would be even higher than in more competitive markets. After months of 'adjusting' and communicating with Airbnb, I actually saw a drop on bookings. The pictures were beautiful and the listing looked nice but not as authentic as the original. After a few weeks of testing it out and changing settings I decided to turn off the Plus feature (yes, you can activate it or deactivate it and it reverts back to your original listing). My experience is that I get more bookings by not being on Airbnb plus. It was a good experiment and I will test it again this summer but for the time being I'm sticking with the traditional view. Hope this helps!