Getting Started
Does TahoeVHRs service my area?
We currently operate in these areas:
- South Lake Tahoe/California and Nevada Side
- Zephyr Cove
- Incline Village
- Homewood/West Shore
- Tahoe City, Carnelian Bay, Kings Beach
- Truckee – the greater area.
What does the sign up process look like?
- Send us an inquiry here.
- One of our friendly staff will contact you to set up a viewing.
- After the viewing we will provide you with a projection of the rental income you could expect to make and outline the next steps to getting you fully on-boarded.
How long until my listing is up and running?
- Once the home is guest ready we will take professional photographs. We will receive the photos within a week and have you up and running the following day.
What happens to my existing bookings if I am switching over to you?
- We are used to taking over Airbnb and VRBO listings. We will happily manage any existing guest bookings and incoming guest communications, as long as we can get the right access to your property & listing in the right time frame. Once you sign up with us, all of your existing and future bookings will be imported under our TahoeVHRs agent terms.
How long will it take for my listing to reach peak performance?
- Our listings usually take 3-5 guest bookings to ramp up. Due to the seasonal nature of the VHR market, this can vary depending on the time of year.
How long must I make my home available for?
- Tahoe: For the summer months (June-August) we require a minimum of 4 weeks and for winter a minimum of 2 months.
What do I need to provide as a Host to get started?
- Your property needs the basic items a great home always has. We’ve summarized these below for you. If you don’t have all of these, let us know and we can purchase them and charge you back. We can also provide you with a full furnishing guide.
- Un-throttled WiFi
- Pillows (2 per person), duvet, mattress protector (we can provide all linen for additional fees), curtains, lamps, clothes storage, hangers
- Toaster, kettle, microwave, bin, cutlery, plates, bowls, cups, glasses, pans, pots, coffee plunger or machine.
- Kitchen utensils (we can provide you with a full list)
- Hair dryer & toilet brush
- Clothes rack
- Smart TV or TV with Cable/Sat.
- Iron and ironing board, mop and bucket & vacuum cleaner.
- AC or alternatively fans & heaters.
- Seating for all guests.
Which of my personal belongings can I leave in my home?
- We always recommend that items of high monetary or sentimental value be removed from your home for safe keeping and peace of mind. You may leave other personal belongings in the home provided they are stored & locked away and leave sufficient space for guests to unpack their belongings. We encourage hosts to leave decor and some personal touches in the home as these help to create a welcoming environment.
Do you list across multiple channels?
- Yes we do. We list across all major booking platforms including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, HomeAway, Trip Advisor, Google Vacation Rentals, and Flipkey. We also have our own dedicated booking platform which corporate travel agents and production companies can use to book with us directly.
Pricing & Payments
What is your standard Hosting agent fee?
- TahoeVHRs charges a fee of 17% on your net rental income. Cleaning services are paid for bu homeowners on top of this, but this cost is passed on to the guest in the form of a cleaning fee.
Are there any extra charges?
- We can use our own 400TC 100% Cotton Percale hotel quality linen, and charge a monthly linen rental fee depending on the number of beds in your property.
- We have a concierge team whose time we do sometimes charge out, inquire about this service.
- There are no other costs.
Do you charge for the use of my own property?
- The apartment is yours to use whenever you like. We would only charge a cleaning fee to cover our cost of cleaning the property and laundering the linen.
When will I get paid?
- Our homeowners are paid directly from the OTAs (online Travel Agencies like Airbnb/VRBO). We invoice our clients the first week of every month.
How can I see my earnings?
- Once you are signed up we will send you login details to your Owner’s Portal which will allow you to keep track of all bookings & expenses across all platforms. You will also be able to view all past and current statements and view current reservations/bookings.
Our Service
Do you take same-day bookings?
- Yes we do. We take same day bookings until 11am (we may not be able to take same day bookings during High Seasons/Holidays).
What is included in your housekeeping service?
- Our housekeeping service can include a change of linen, amenities like dish soap, paper towels, as well as shower gel, soap and toilet paper.
Do you do in-person check-ins?
- Yes, many of our check-ins are in person unless a guest requests a self check-in and this is possible at the property.
My home is unfurnished. Can you help?
- We have very talented (and reasonably priced) in-house interior decorators.
Can you help with maintenance at my property?
- Yes of course. When guests or our staff report issues we will then contact you (home owner) and you can then decide on whether to mobilize one of our vetted external suppliers.
How do you deal with guest damages to my property?
- Our housekeeping and concierge team are trained to identify any signs of obvious and substantial damage to your home, and then alert this issue to your property manager. We then proceed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the severity of the damage. We would always advise, however, that hosts should expect some light wear and tear, and encourage you to look into short letting insurance options (we can help you with this). In addition, we also recommend to lock away items of value that you want to protect.
Can I use just some of your services?
- We find we can provide a better guest experience if we fully manage your listing; mixing responsibilities between TahoeVHRs and the host results in communication difficulties and lower response rates to guest inquiries – all of which affects the guest ratings that your home receives. In addition, we are confident we can achieve a higher income for our homeowners than if they manage the listing themselves.
Can I rent out my room?
- Currently we only accept entire properties.
General
How do I get onto Airbnb Plus?
- Airbnb Plus is offered to hosts on a case-by-case basis. Once selected we will do everything required to get you accredited. However, we do not recommend this program. We have not seen any data to suggest that it provides a benefit to Hosts.
Do you work with property investors?
- We work with property investors across Lake Tahoe. If you are a property investor interested in learning more about our services tell us about your portfolio and we will connect you with the right team member.
Can I edit my Airbnb/VRBO profile settings?
- No, hosts may not change any settings on their Airbnb/VRBO account. This includes: minimum length of stay, price per night, security deposit, booking request settings, check-in / check-out times. These are controlled internally by our teams so talk to us about your requirements and we will find the best way to address them.
How much will my property earn?
- This is a common question and there is no one size fits all answer. There are many variables that go into pricing a home including size of the home, number of beds, maximum number of guests, neighborhood, competition in the area, monthly costs, furnishings etc. We are happy to provide you with revenue projections for your home. Please email us and we can help you out! Typically property owners can expect to earn between 1.5x-2x of the long-term residential rental yield.
Can you guarantee my income?
- Nothing in life is guaranteed, even your Short Term Rental revenue. While we will do everything in our power to make sure you have the highest occupancy rates at the right price, we cannot guarantee you a minimum amount of revenue.