BooksterShort Let properties: Use an agency or manage it yourself? Whether you're just considering a venture into the short let business, or you already have your holiday let, at some point you'll need to consider -should I use a Short Let Agency or manage it myself? It's never too early to start planning how you will run your rental business. There is significantly more to holiday let's than meets the eye. Let's start with what needs to be done. At different stages of the booking process, there are different tasks to be undertaken: Pre-booking Cleaning and restocking Maintenance Gardening Professional photography Creating listings descriptions Setting competitive rates Marketing the property on channels to attract bookings Marketing on social media Marketing on your own website Answering enquiries. Post-booking Guest vetting Taking damage deposits, initial payments and full payments Emailing information to guests and managing guests needs Guidebook / Guest Areas. Pre- and Post arrival Welcome baskets Welcoming guests Answering guest questions Dealing with problems or complaints Managing check-outs. Post-departure Post departure check Cleaning and restocking Arranging repairs and maintenance Gardening Refunding full or partial damage deposits Targeting guests to rebook Collecting guest reviews and using them to promote the property. Business Management Managing taxes Compliance with local government or council data collection Insurance Compliance with safety certificates Employment relating to cleaners Employment relating to maintenance teams Employment relating to gardening teams. So what options are available to Short Let owners? There are several options to you. Manage all aspects of the business yourself or Employ an agency to undertake all of the tasks. or Employ an agency to undertake some of the tasks. If you choose to employ an agency to do some of the tasks, their services can vary according to their location and skills. The services could include: All aspects of marketing your holiday let, to get you the bookings you need Setting the rates based on their expertise of the industry, to get you the income you want Vetting the guests, to weed out bad guests and scams Arranging for damage deposits, payments and refunds, to keep the finances rolling in Answering pre- and post- booking guest enquiries, to help guests book Creating guest focused guidebooks, to keep guests informed Targeting guests to rebook, to fill up your booking calendars Collecting guest reviews and using them, to promote your property. Whats the right option for you? There is no right or wrong answer here. The best option for you will depend on a number of factors; Your passion for any particular aspects of the role The time you have available to manage the business Your flexibility to being available for calls and trips to the rental The distance between your rental and your base The tasks you enjoy and are willing to do Your technical skills Your marketing skills The cost of employing an agency.
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Made for Holiday Rental Managers like you.

Short lets: Use an agency or self-manage?

Kelly Odor
3 minute read

Key Takeaways

  • Managing short lets is complex and time-consuming
  • There are a lot of tasks involved in managing short lets
  • Some property owners self-manage, or employ an agency to do it all
  • Alternatively, employ an agency to do the tasks you can't or don't want to do!
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Do you have short let properties? To manage the daily tasks you have 3 options: manage it yourself, employ an agency to do it all, or something inbetween.

We break down your options!

Read on.

Short lets: Should I use an Agency or Self-Manage? - Short lets: Should I use an Agency or Self-Manage? with icons of property types, and a Bookster logo.

There is no right or wrong answer here.
The best option for you will depend on a number of factors.

Short Let properties: Use an agency or manage it yourself?

Whether you're just considering a venture into the short let business, or you already have your holiday let, at some point you'll need to consider -should I use a Short Let Agency or manage it myself?

It's never too early to start planning how you will run your rental business.

There is significantly more to holiday let's than meets the eye.

Let's start with what needs to be done.

At different stages of the booking process, there are different tasks to be undertaken:

Pre-booking

  • Cleaning and restocking
  • Maintenance 
  • Gardening
  • Professional photography
  • Creating listings descriptions
  • Setting competitive rates
  • Marketing the property on channels to attract bookings
  • Marketing on social media
  • Marketing on your own website
  • Answering enquiries.

Post-booking

Pre- and Post arrival

  • Welcome baskets
  • Welcoming guests
  • Answering guest questions
  • Dealing with problems or complaints
  • Managing check-outs.

Post-departure

  • Post departure check
  • Cleaning and restocking
  • Arranging repairs and maintenance
  • Gardening
  • Refunding full or partial damage deposits
  • Targeting guests to rebook
  • Collecting guest reviews and using them to promote the property.

Business Management

  • Managing taxes
  • Compliance with local government or council data collection
  • Insurance 
  • Compliance with safety certificates
  • Employment relating to cleaners
  • Employment relating to maintenance teams
  • Employment relating to gardening teams.

So what options are available to Short Let owners? 

There are several options to you.

  1. Manage all aspects of the business yourself
    or
  2. Employ an agency to undertake all of the tasks.
    or
  3. Employ an agency to undertake some of the tasks.

If you choose to employ an agency to do some of the tasks, their services can vary according to their location and skills.

The services could include:

  • All aspects of marketing your holiday let, to get you the bookings you need
  • Setting the rates based on their expertise of the industry, to get you the income you want
  • Vetting the guests, to weed out bad guests and scams
  • Arranging for damage deposits, payments and refunds, to keep the finances rolling in
  • Answering pre- and post- booking guest enquiries, to help guests book
  • Creating guest focused guidebooks, to keep guests informed
  • Targeting guests to rebook, to fill up your booking calendars
  • Collecting guest reviews and using them, to promote your property.

Whats the right option for you?

There is no right or wrong answer here. 

The best option for you will depend on a number of factors;

  • Your passion for any particular aspects of the role
  • The time you have available to manage the business
  • Your flexibility to being available for calls and trips to the rental
  • The distance between your rental and your base
  • The tasks you enjoy and are willing to do
  • Your technical skills
  • Your marketing skills
  • The cost of employing an agency.

Managing short lets is time-consuming and complicated, with a significant number of tasks that need to be done. 

Choosing how to run your short let business is key to how successful your business will be, and how happy you are with it. 

You can choose to self-manage (manage it yourself), use an Agency to manage it all for you, or divide your tasks between yourself and the Agency.

There is no right or wrong answer here.
The best option for you will depend on a number of factors.

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