Emergency issues while remotely self-managing?
I'm trying to migrate from Evolve, and I'm wondering how those of you who self-manage remotely handle emergency issues.
I'm concerned that if I place an ad to find people who will work on an hourly basis (in the area of the property) that I might have a hard time finding people who can reliably respond to emergencies during off hours, but I can't afford to have someone working full time or with standard on-call rotations.
I'm wondering how some of you have solved this problem.
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#2 Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions Contributor
- Olympia, WA
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#2 Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions Contributor
- Olympia, WA
Hey @Devin Bost, so one key to dealing with this is not having to deal with this.
Doing proactive maintenance on all hard systems on a regular basis is the key. Have the furnace, A/C, water heater etc all on a schedule to have inspected and serviced.
We pay $15 a month to have our furnace and A/C inspected and service 2x a year. And I take care of the water tank yearly.
In 7 years, I have had 3 "emergencies" that needed service. One where a kid stuck a stick into the A/C unit fan which over heated the 20+ year old pump.
One where the guest left the freezer door ajar and it cause a freeze up of the bottom edge of the door seal.
One for a clog in the master bath shower drain.
That is it. So I am a big believer in keeping up on the systems to make sure they are in top notch shape.
Hey @Devin Bost, I would highly recommend a few things to help with this.
1) Have systems and processes lined out for any emergency you can think of.
2) A spreadsheet of subcontractors/ vendors that could handle the situation that arises (plumbing leak, electric out somewhere, etc.)
3) Your cleaning team and handy person should be utilized for some things.
4) Something like Breezeway can give you 24/7 support around your property with a dedicated phone number line. You can train them in your systems for when something goes wrong and who to call.
#3 All Forums Contributor
- Investor
- Greer, SC
local FB groups and the Next door app have worked well for me.
#4 Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions Contributor
- Property Manager
- Gatlinburg, TN
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#4 Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions Contributor
- Property Manager
- Gatlinburg, TN
Most repair calls with STRs are "emergencies". Not so much life-threatening, but rent threatening. A few weeks worth of refunds per year because you couldn't take care of something ASAP, will easily pay someone to manage it for you. Unfortunately, Evolve isn't a management company. There are a lot better options out there.
- Collin Hays
- [email protected]
- 806-672-7102
This . . . Setup your property so that emergencies are avoided in the first place. Be sure to have redundancies for lockouts. Place "how to" signs next to any complicated amenities and front load your messages to make guests aware of any quirks.
Most issues will pop up in the first few months as guests use the place regularly, so have a good relationship with a handyman and maybe throw him some small jobs so that he will be on standby when needed. Beyond that, there is very little to worry about in terms of "off hours" emergencies so long as you are proactive with maintenance.
#2 Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions Contributor
- Olympia, WA
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#2 Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions Contributor
- Olympia, WA
Hey @Devin Bost, so one key to dealing with this is not having to deal with this.
Doing proactive maintenance on all hard systems on a regular basis is the key. Have the furnace, A/C, water heater etc all on a schedule to have inspected and serviced.
We pay $15 a month to have our furnace and A/C inspected and service 2x a year. And I take care of the water tank yearly.
In 7 years, I have had 3 "emergencies" that needed service. One where a kid stuck a stick into the A/C unit fan which over heated the 20+ year old pump.
One where the guest left the freezer door ajar and it cause a freeze up of the bottom edge of the door seal.
One for a clog in the master bath shower drain.
That is it. So I am a big believer in keeping up on the systems to make sure they are in top notch shape.
Hey @Devin Bost, it sounds like you’re facing a common challenge in managing short-term rentals remotely. Emergencies are sudden and in the moment can throw you for a loop, but they always pass. It is important to be prepared and have something in place rather than nothing, even if it's not "perfect". Taken from previous replies, the first step said perfectly by @Jon Martin is setting up your property to avoid issues in the first place is crucial. If comparing prices, do research and think bigger picture. @Michael Baum said it, and I could not stress more the importance of being proactive when it comes to maintenance. Properly scheduling inspections for HVAC systems, water heaters, septic.. etc, is vital to minimizing emergencies. Building relationships with local handymen and having a list of vendors to tap into whenever necessary, will also serve you well. Good luck!
No matter what you do, you cannot replace the value of boots on the ground so the next best thing(in our experience) is spend some time down there, interview some potential handymen etc. and forge a relationship, we have multiple that we have connected with in person and when you make a personal connection with them they will take care of your property better, especially in an emergency situation.
Thanks for all the guidance!
What about for non-emergency guest services? How do you all handle that?
We self-manage 3 properties remotely. The key is to have an amazing team, as well as backups you can call in an emergency. And in all cases this for us is a combination of our amazinb cleaners and handymen.
We have found most guests are pretty understanding, and if it's something that impacts their stay we will give them a gift card for breakfast or dinner with an amount that reflects the amount of the inconvienience.
True emergencies are fire, flood, or blood.
Hope that helps!
Mike
@Devin Bost to handle non emergencies would be the same thing for systems. You need to set the guests up so they don't even have to ask any questions the best you can (still will get some, though). You can get something like Breezeway, which has a 24/7 line for your property for $50 a month that can handle non-emergencies. You can have a PMS like Hospitable with custom auto messages and AI assistance to answer. I also do a YouTube walk-through video of everything a guest may ask and go through everything at the property. You can make a digital guidebook to put in written instructions. These steps will ensure that guests, 99% of the time, will not even need to bother you.
@Devin Bost emergency issues are handled through contingencies. Have your roster of contractors per type of emergency. Ask them, if I were to call you at such and such time what is your normal availability? that way if you do have to call, their word has some equity. How come you're moving away from Evolve?
