PM disappeared, thrust into self managing long distance. Help!

[Andrew C.]

The title pretty much says it all. I bought a property long distance as a STR. Had a full service PM who basically disappeared after setting up and a few guest stays and now I have to manage it. I have a family member in the area which saved me since he cleaned, fixed a door knob and changed the passcodes. I had to learn the ins and outs of using the AirBnb platform in the last few days.

Main questions: How do I find a reliable cleaner?  I got good quotes from Handy.com but the reviews of the service are horrible.  TurnoverBnb looks like a good platform but only 1 cleaner in the area and I googled her and she has a criminal history.  Other cleaners want to come get an estimate and then schedule for a week later!

What questions and issues usually come up with guests during their stay?

Should I try to find another PM company?  I'm in contact with Rented.com which matches owners with PMs.  I tried to contact a former BP podcast guest who offers PM services but no response.  Should I try to self manage?  My big fear is that something comes up during a stay that I can't fix...like no heat/hot water.  Finding a reliable handyman is even harder than a cleaner...and especially if it's short notice.

For those who want details as to what happened...I found the PM on BP forums (Michael Melendez of MVP Management). I was looking to buy a LTR but saw his post where he mentions how lucrative a STR in that area could be. I couldn't find other BP members who had used him...he's a pretty new member, but he worked as a GM of a NYC hotel. In any event, the set up of the property took longer than expected. He listed it before it was even ready and surprisingly people booked. He was scrambling to have it ready before the first guest arrived. He finally uploaded photos the day before guests arrived and the place looked decent but there were a lot of things that were shoddily done.

 The first two guest reviews were very negative.  Broken door knob, smell of cigarettes, messy, etc.  He promised to do better and placed some blame on the guests.  By the time I saw the negative reviews, the next guests were arriving and the local area manager quit on him and I was stuck as primary host responding to the guests. 

Michael said he found another manager and said he would have her take over but I still received messages.  A few days later, the manager messaged me saying she was quitting too, wanted her cleaning fee and that Michael was not responding.  I had a guest arrive that day and of course I got the call.  He wasn't able to get access...and I didn't have the code.  I called Michael and the manager with no response.  I was furious.  The next morning, he sent me brief e-mail apologizing.  I sent a letter terminating our agreement.  I haven't heard from him since. 

[Ethan Cooke]

@Andrew C. - I’m sorry to hear about your experience—what a nightmare! 

I think it comes down to time vs. money and how “passive” you want your investment to be. The good news is that your place is set up, the listing is live and guests are booking. You may need to lower your prices to keep the place booked and get past the negative reviews. 

The main activities to manage a Short Term Rental are:

1. Cleaning/re-stocking

2. Handling bookings/guest communications

3. Occasional maintenance-related issued

Re: #1, I recommend using yelp.com to find highly rated cleaners in the area. With some trial and error you can get a good person who will handle all the cleanings and re-stocking/inspection between guests. Offer them an extra $10 per cleaning if they keep they place stocked, plus of course you  reimburse them for all the supplies. Feel free to PM me with your email address and I can send you the online re-stocking list and cleaning schedule that I use with my cleaner.  I even put together big clear plastic bins full of supplies so my cleaner would have a big inventory of supplies to start with.

Re: #2, check out Evolve Vacation Rentals if you want to outsource this. They charge a 10% flat fee to handle marketing/ booking/ guest communications. And they offer other services a la carte. (I have no affiliation with them but I’ve heard they’re good).  

Re: #3,  ask your cleaner and  folks you know in the area for names of good handymen and then make a few calls to start building those relationships for when you need them.

Good luck!