Common questions about The Rentalists and how we work.
We manage the remote/backend side of your short-term rental operation, including:
You maintain responsibility for and control over the local/physical side of the property:
We coordinate with your cleaner and communicate cleaning schedules, turnover requirements, and guest instructions. However, you remain responsible for maintaining your cleaning resources and paying your cleaner directly.
We can communicate and coordinate with your maintenance vendors about issues that arise. However, you're responsible for maintaining your local maintenance resources and paying vendors directly.
Yes. We handle all guest communication including pre-arrival messages, check-in coordination, during-stay support, and checkout communication. We respond to guest questions, address issues, and escalate local problems to you when needed.
Yes, we can manage both Airbnb and VRBO when the property is set up appropriately and we have the necessary access and permissions.
Yes. Revenue management is a core part of our service. We use market data, seasonality, demand patterns, and competitive analysis to optimize pricing and maximize your rental revenue.
Yes. When appropriate for your property and market, we use dynamic pricing strategies based on real-time market conditions, demand, and other factors that affect rental rates.
Our management fee is 10% of accommodation revenue after Airbnb, Vrbo, or another booking platform deducts its Airbnb or platform service fees. Cleaning fees and taxes are excluded from the calculation. There is no variable "approximately 10%" rate—it is a fixed 10% of accommodation revenue remaining after Airbnb fees.
No. Cleaning fees and taxes are excluded. Our 10% fee is calculated only from accommodation revenue remaining after applicable Airbnb or platform fees have been deducted.
It means you do not pay us a management fee on revenue retained by Airbnb, Vrbo, or another booking platform. For example, if accommodation revenue is $1,000 and the platform deducts $155, our 10% fee is calculated from the remaining $845. Our fee would be $84.50.
Platform access and permissions depend on how your property is configured and the requirements of each platform. During onboarding, we'll establish the appropriate access and permissions needed to manage your property effectively.
Because our management is remote, we can potentially manage properties in many markets across the United States—provided you have reliable local cleaning and maintenance support. Different markets have different dynamics, and we discuss fit during the property review.
Yes. We can manage multiple properties for the same owner. Our remote model scales efficiently, and managing a portfolio is one of our strengths.
No. Short-term rental revenue depends on many factors including market demand, property quality, location, reviews, seasonality, competition, and local events. Our goal is to maximize your property's revenue opportunity based on market conditions—not to guarantee specific returns.
If you're currently using a traditional property management company and are unhappy with the fee structure or service, we'd be happy to discuss how we might offer a better fit. Our lower fee and remote-focused model is designed as an alternative to expensive traditional management.
Request a free property review. Submit your property information and we'll analyze your listing, performance, and market position. From there, if it looks like a good fit, we'll schedule a consultation to discuss next steps and answer any additional questions.
During the property review, we'll be transparent about whether The Rentalists is right for your property. If you don't have reliable cleaning and maintenance resources or need traditional full-service management with physical property visits, we'll let you know so you can make the best decision for your situation.
Request a free property review and discuss your specific situation with our team.
Request Your Free Property Review