Short Term Rental Self Management

[Chaim Tarkieltaub]

Hi BP Fam!

I'm starting to self manage my STR and had a few questions:

1) Should I have my own guest agreement aside from Airbnb/VRBO etc.... guest agreement? If yes, where can I find a template and how/when do I have the guest sign it?

2) Should I be requesting a credit card & copy of ID to hold on file incase of damages and  stolen items I heard Airbnb isn't good with releasing the security deposit and I have had multiple guest thefts while the property was managed by a local management company.

3) How do I go about charging for for pool heat (which I'm told is standard for the area) and other services that are not included in the booking fee.

Thank you!

[Dave Stokley]

All three of these sound like great ways to make both your and your guests' lives miserable. 

1. Platforms like Airbnb/VRBO already have TOS that you and the guest agree to.

2. Platforms already do this too. I've hosted many thousands of people and never had a major theft.

3. Charging for pool heat sounds totally insane to me. At our units that are pet friendly we do have an additional pet charge that we simply send as a $ request through Airbnb.