“A client I represented brought me in for a meeting. He mentioned a a new system which would allow him to view his home using an Internet connection. Between that system and a lock-box, he felt he really did not require my services. I asvised him, that was fine w/ me and I understand the cost savings. However 1) most guests would not feel comfortable with an Internet web cam on them while staying in the house and 2) When a toilet breaks at 2:00AM, is he, the owner a) prepared to get the call in the middle of the night and 2) who is he going to call? the plumber in the yellow pages?”

Thus, after a long discussion, as his PM, I showed the value a professional PM serves, from the accounting i.e. 1099 statements (and PM fees are tax deduct. against income) to check-in/out, mid-week clean/inspection, insurance, marketing and so forth.

Mr. Davis, as mentioned, your comments are “right on” and you understand the value PM’s offer. If more Property Managers could provide the facts you have, the vacation home rental industry would shed all neg. comments.

Thank you for your insights!

Concerning the trust issue, I am a fan of discussion. From the Property Management POV, I strongly suggest honesty i.e. decor, location and so forth. If the house is NOT family-oriented, be honest about it. If the house is best suited for the Ritz-Carlton client, advise this.

On the client side, trust is an issue. Having the credit card on file concerning damages is a good option. Also, some property managers are including mandatory insurance (usually $59/stay for $5K coverage). Most renters do not mind paying the extra fee. We had one client who let go of a Wii controller smashing into a 46″ flat-screen, no problem, covered ny insurance.

Concerning Second Porch, I am familiar with the app. The one issue is, you can post one home for free, additional homes are $99. Also, with my friends and family, they all comment ” hey let me use it for free and my response is, I have a mortgage to pay.”

As a vacation rental owner and vacation rental user, I have found that apartments and private homes offer many advantages over hotels. Aside from price point, vacation rentals offer more space and privacy.

The question from both the rental guest as well as rental owner side is the issue of trust.

How do I know the property I am choosing is all it is written up to be? How do I know the people renting will use my property with respect?

One of the best solutions to these questions is a new Facebook application called “Second Porch”. With Second Porch the rental guest gets to know a little about the owner and vice versa.

For fussy rental guests and fussy owners, Second Porch provides a confidence and level of trust not found in traditional vacation rental portals.

Dealing with acurate accounting, trust account regulations and the tax structure for State, County and Local Governments is not easy but who does the guest call when the AC goes out, when the water stops working, when the ants start marching, when the wine is spilled on the carpet, when the toilet stops up, When the ceiling fan falls, when the neighbor backs over the septic tank, when a window gets broken, when someone falls and breaks a leg, when sparks come out of the oven, when a water pipe breaks at two in the morning, when they find bed bugs, when the washer overflows, when raccoons get into the attic, when the hot tub is green, when mold is found in the duct work, when they arrive on the wrong day, when absolutely nothing is going right and last but not least when they want to talk to the manager?

What kind of quality control is there over the cleaning? Who counts the guests and checks their age at check-in.? Mom makes the reservation and sends the entire senior class on an outing. It happened to me several times times. I caught it most of the time but when I missed it was not pretty.

Who checks to see if the windows and sliders are wide open when the guests go to the beach for the day and leave the AC on? Who cares if there are ten cars at a house that sleeps six people? Who cares if there are two RV’s in the driveway plugged into a house outlet? Who cares if all your deck furniture is left sitting down at the beach?

I could go on and on but is the few percent charged by the management companies really more important to an owner than the potential hazards of self-rental? I have been at this for a long time and even when I am out of the business I would never consider not using a management company for my rental property.

Dick Davis