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I’m feeling so discouraged this week. I’m embarking on my 4 year as an AirBnB host. I thought I things things all set. But in the last week, I’ve lost the guy that does my mowing (and has the entire time since I started this), and my cleaning assistant. My garden help is still available, but on a reduced schedule.
The mowing guy quit because he got full time work at a local plant so I’m happy for him.
My cleaning assistant quit because she doesn’t want to be 1099ed. She will still do work at my house, just not at the AirBnB or rentals.
Next to the bookkeeping, finding new help is the part of doing AirBnB I dread the most.
I’ve had a few different cleaning helpers Ive tried out…I’d say 50% of them don’t work out because they need too much supervision for various reasons or spend excessive time on their cell phone and not working, or steal from me. Some don’t work out because they can’t work with the irregular cleaning schedule that comes with doing AirBnB.
Please share any tips y’all have for navigating finding new helpers.
Any retired neighbors in the area who might be able to mow and clean? Some active seniors might welcome the extra money and be available on irregular schedules.
The 1099 issue is an economic issue. As a business you are required to issue the 1099’s, which reduces the after-tax benefit the assistant receives. You could increase the amount of payment so that the after-tax amount received is the same (or, possibly more, given Social Security benefits. That’s up to you.
I feel the same kind of vulnerability that you suggest. I pay $30 USD/hour, sometimes $25/hour. I hope that is a fair wage. I give bonuses. I share the reviews. I hope my folks feel that ‘they’re in this with me.’
I’m still learning on the cleaning requirement – just learned that is it best practice to wash duvet with each turnover. I share this with my cleaner. I actually lose on cleaning,. This is a work-in-progress for me. I do all I can to keep the best people, which is a fraction of the people who I’ve hired and paid.
I recognize that the economic return on the Airbnb is a combination of a return on capital (the property) and the return on labor (me and the workers). I hope I am sharing fairly but excellent workers are rare and need to be compensated fully or you will lose them or economically mis-treat them.
we are the only retirement age neighbors in the neighborhood. And actually, my husband is still working full time 6 days a week (he’s a long distance truck driver) so I guess I’m the only retired person in our neighborhood—though I don’t think I actually qualify as retired either.
It’s a good suggestion but we don’t have anyone that fits that bill here. The neighbors are younger people (30s—50s) with full time jobs and slightly older people (50s) with their own businesses (furniture store and antique store). Actually, there is another couple our age—but they are both disabled and have a severely autistic son.
Maybe I’ll make up a flyer and distribute it in the adjoining neighborhoods. Thanks for the suggestion!
I don’t know where you live but if you live in a coastal area, cover the lawn with plastic then dump tons of stones on it. That’s what we did, no more yard work. If you live nearby, you can block two days between bookings and clean the place yourself. It’s hard to get good cleaners.
In the case of my cleaning assistant, it’s not an economic issue. She’s very happy with the pay. What she does not want is to give out her social security number and have the pay reported to the IRS. She is trying, for whatever reason (I’m not privy to it and I’m not going to pry) to stay off the radar of the government. I know she’s not an undocumented person; she was born here and served in the Army. The issue is not the compensation per se, but having to file a tax return at all.
I don’t live on the coast; I live in West Virginia. That wouldn’t do for us at all, as far as the lawn!
In regards to the house, I live right next door to the AirBnB. But it’s a large house and a double lot with hedges, trees, shrubs, perennials, grass, etc.
It is impossible for me to clean the house by myself, no matter how much time I had. I have severe arthritis, have had both knees replaced, have a very bad back, such that I’ve had two back surgeries and have permanent nerve damage to one leg and foot, and intermittent nerve pain/numbness to the other leg, plus I’ve had rotator cuff surgery from severe damage to the right shoulder. I also suffer from vertigo at times. I work side by side with the cleaners but can only do certain tasks; they do what I physically can’t manage.
My AirBnB side garden…to give you a little idea what I’m dealing with. Guests are drawn here because of the garden and patio, in part.
Not sure if this will help, but after I re-opened last fall, my regular cleaner quit and the two replacements either did poor work or didn’t show. I ended up cleaning myself.
I removed a bedroom so now there’s only one king bed (usually a single or couple) and made the other room a den. I block the day before and after which gives me time to run a HEPA machine, start laundry but have plenty of time to do the turn-over over 1 1/2 days. With less guests and also only a kitchenette I can do it in less than 2 hours. I raised my cleaning a little and my rates a little and so far I’m doing as well as 2 year ago before the pandemic.
I used to have a back-up host when I went out of town but now I just block the dates. (Again less stress and worry.)
All these changes have made me more relaxed about my STR on Airbnb.
In regards to finding helpers, I can also suggest joining your local Facebook group for the community the town is located in. I have found my best cleaners from mother’s with school children who can work during the day. I mow my lawn but I found my fall cleanup guy and plow guy through the same Facebook group.
All over my city, and I’m sure many other cities in arid regions, rock landscaping is common. No, it wouldn’t work in WV, but it looks perfectly fine at a beach area. What wouldn’t look natural there is a perfectly manicured turf lawn and they are a poor choice ecologically.
Well, then it’s an economic issue to you. Strictly by the law my impression (check with your accountant) is that if you don’t issue the 1099, as required, you cannot deduct the payments. So instead of her compensation cost to you being (1-your tax rate) * Her pay, your cost to you is Her pay.
I don’t know if she would be persuaded (probably not) that she is losing Social Security benefits that she’d otherwise receive by reporting the income.
I know that if you have an employee and don’t withhold FICA taxes the employee can come back many years later (no statute of limitations as it is fraud) and if the employee can prove the pay the employer must pay both the employer’s and employee’s FICA taxes with interest.
I don’t know what penalties if any would apply to not reporting income to an independent contractor. Nor do I know if this cleaner is an employee or independent contractor. You might want to look that up. While it’s more complicated than what I’m about to say, if you provide the work tools/supplies or direct HOW she is to clean then that is strong evidence that she is an employee.
It isn’t rock landscaping that I think is horrid. I understand xeriscaping and not putting in lush gardens in arid climates. I’ve seen some gorgeous rock and low water plant gardens. Cactus and palms, cool boulders and interesting shaped pieces of wood and such.
It’s covering over a vast area with plastic (the earth needs to breathe) and covering it in gravel that looks and seems awful to me. There’s lots of ways to attractively landscape that don’t require water and mowing.
Even in coastal British Columbia, which is temperate rain forest, in the summer when it can sometimes go 2 months without raining, water rationing happens. Like not being allowed to water lawns and just letting them go brown.
I found my cleaner on FB marketplace. There are tons of ads there. I went through 4 of them before I found a good one. It’s takes a bit of time but not impossible .
Same with lawn people.
There is also Thumbtack with reviews. I usually pick those who are in business for few years.
Lawn people are usually all good…but with cleaners it’s different story. Some people go into cleaning not having common sense of how to clean.
I would advice to look for a cleaner who specializing on Airbnbs. They know exactly what to do. They also have helpers in case they need to turn around 4 houses. They know exactly how to leave a house ready for guests. They will tell you if toilet paper is needed or commodities, if toilet is running and they will adjust AC or heater and close all windows.
Good luck!
we are the only retirement age neighbors in the neighborhood. And actually, my husband is still working full time 6 days a week (he’s a long distance truck driver) so I guess I’m the only retired person in our neighborhood—though I don’t think I actually qualify as retired either. 
