Port Aransas Texas Property managers

[Louis Barkhuizen]

Good morning all. This post is directed to all STR owners in Port Aransas, Texas to get feedback on property management companies in the area.

I have an STR in Port A that I started in February 2021. I signed up with a very well-known and highly recommended local property management company in Port A. We were off to the races! Bookings were good, after initial delays, - June and July fully booked - August slowed down as expected, and so on. We appear to be on track regarding bookings, however, we finally hit a wall last weekend.

My wife and I went to stay in our STR for a planned regular maintenance weekend - the usual clean, paint patch, etc - no big surprises until I sat on the master bed - big urine stain right there on the bed cover. After inspecting all six beds in the house we discovered that every single bed had urine or some other stain on the bed covers or mattress protectors. The sheets were clean - as they are swapped out after every guest checks out. The bed covers or mattress protectors appear to never have been washed or checked for stains or dirt - disgusting!

I understand that guests tear stuff up - comes with the territory right? I also understand that clean bedding is the holy grail of providing a pleasant and hygienic experience to my guests. I was absolutely mortified - but glad that I found the stains instead of receiving a call, text, or bad review from a guest regarding the same.

I interviewed most of the property managers in Port A, and they all give the same song and dance - "we have inspection policies" or "we have quality control" or "we have the best housekeeping staff", blah, blah, blah. I am going to fire this property manager as this is the last straw in a long line of broken commitments and quality issues. So - I am considering managing the property myself, but this will be somewhat challenging as I live in Austin - a 4-hour drive.

I would appreciate feedback from any STR property owners in Port A on this forum that uses a local property manager. Who would you recommend or NOT recommend for that matter? Also, I am looking at turnoverbnb or properly as platforms to find and schedule local housekeeping crews - any recommendations on local cleaning companies or platforms should I decide to manage the property myself.

I am absolutely appalled that property management companies can provide this pathetic level of service and charge what they do. I don't mind paying them if they provide a quality service but come on man...

Thanks for any replies...all feedback is welcome.

Louis