Get rid of this guy! Make sure the AirBnB listing is in YOUR name with the PM as a cohost. It’s YOUR property and YOU need to be in charge.
Why I would never host a remote property.
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Agreed, agreed, agreed.
When a co-host / property manager has listings in their own name, that should immediately show that the person doesn’t have the property owner’s interests at heart.
A CO/PM should be able to demonstrate their abilities and explain their experience in the hospitality industry, especially with STR. Ideally, they should also be au fait with the vagaries of using Airbnb and any other services the owner chooses to use.
By having the listing in their own name, by not addressing their client’s (owner’s) concerns, by not producing weekly reports detailing guests / bookings / platforms and by generally acting in an unprofessional way shows that the ‘manager’ does not see themselves as part of a team with their client.
It shows that they are more concerned with their own bank balance rather than building a strong, lasting business for themselves and the property owners.
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This. I can’t imagine why a property manager wouldn’t be happy that there were security cameras in place – makes their job easier. I wonder if this PM likes to have a side biz of renting out “vacant” days.
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I agree as a co-host there would be no reason for them to object to CCTV unless they were letting it out to their mates/for profit when they don’t have host bookings.
I much prefer for hosts to have CCTV so we can see that only those who are booked use the property.
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There are many legitimate reasons to leave a legitimate service dog at home. For example, most dogs don’t want to run for 10 or 20 miles in the heat even though that’s not much when you’re on a bike, and the dog could be for PTSD when they have night terrors. And people regard Airbnbs as their temporary homes much more than they would a hotel.
However, TWO service dogs seems like the only indicator they might be a little iffy, since no one person needs two, and the odds of a couple both needing and having their own is pretty scant.
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For entire rental units, you can say no pets are allowed if you use the rental yourself and are allergic to dogs or someone in your family is. That is your only out within legal guidelines. I’d add cats in the mix as well as no one wants cat pea in their properties as it a permanent stink. If there are other unfriendly animals near the premises that could be mentioned in your listing that there are terrotorial dogs nearby and you would not want to be responsible if a pet was injured or killed. Unfortunately a lot of people take advantage of bringing dogs where they are not welcom and being dishonest that they are service dogs. Best to nip it upfront within legal guidelines.
What about day terrors? Such BS some of these people pull.
Regardless, it contravenes Airbnb policy for a service animal to be left alone in the unit without prior approval from the host. So a guest does not have this choice.
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We spend time every month at our vacay rental property so that we can work on upkeep and upgrades on the property. Our PM once told us that his cleaning crews inspect the property for damages when they clean. We spoke with the head of his cleaning crew who told us that she and her staff do NOT inspect for damages when they clean. If they see extreme damage then they report it to the PM. Renter tore up an upholstered chair. That’s the only thing reported and it was very obvious due to large rip all the way across the back of the chair. We’ve had renters who heavily stained (bicycle grease and food) on our outdoor patio furniture cushions. No word from PM or cleaning crew. I spent hours scrubbing the stains and finally had to replace all dining set cushions. Sofa and swivel chair cushions saved by my scrubbing. It amazes me how some people can be such pigs!
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Hint from me, as an upholsterer who lives in a tropical environment where people always have lots of outdoor furniture, and even indoor furniture covers get stained with sunscreen, people’s dirty bare feet, etc. Make sure cushion covers are made of Sunbrella fabric (real Sunbrella, not just some indoor/outdoor fabric). It is really hard to stain, you can use bleach or even acetone on it to remove stains, without it affecting the color or fabric. What is important with that fabric, which may be hard to monitor given you are remote hosts, with a less than stellar PM, is that while it can easily be washed in a machine in cool water, heat destroys the non-stain, non-fade, non-mildew aspects of it, so it should never be washed in hot water, or put in a dryer. You wash it, and hang to dry. It dries quite quickly, though, as it doesn’t really absorb water.
I’ve had clients tell me that the Sunbrella cushion covers I made them 8 years ago still look almost new, despite having a steady stream of guests.
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Thanks for the info. Most (sofa and chair) of our outdoor furniture cushions are made with Sunbrella fabric. The stains are easier to get out but still requires some scrubbing on lighter Sunbrella fabric. I replaced our outdoor dining chair cushions. The original dining chair cushions were hard to clean. I leave rug and upholstery cleaner in the pantry for renters to use if they spill. Thanks for your help!
Another vote for real Sunbrella. Lasts almost forever here in Houston, Texas, and at our house in the Caribbean.
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I have had success removing what seem like hard to get out stains on removable Sunbrella covers by putting the covers in the washing machine with some bleach in the water, letting it agitate for a couple of minutes to make sure the bleach water is evenly distributed, and then just letting it sit for a few hours before actually turning on the wash cycle.
The long term renter in a place I looked after had let the cushions just sit on a wet concrete bench for months, all through the rainy season, and the light yellow Sunbrella fabric had mildew spots all over it. It all came out when I treated it like that.
My husband has a service dog, so I’m familiar with the laws, regulations, misconceptions (there are more of these than the others), etc. There ARE times a service dog will be left at home. If there’s a situation that isn’t safe for the dog (biking/hiking in extreme heat,etc), if it’s at a private facility that won’t allow the dog - Church, Club, etc. ADA and Air BnB both state they shouldn’t be left alone in accommodations. So, how I handle the request at non-pet bookings is to ask the screening questions and then if they are able to answer those in a satisfactory manner, I will remind them of the service dog rules - there is no pet fee or deposit, however if there is any damage or extra cleaning, they will be billed, they are not to leave the service dog alone at the property at any time for any reason. If they don’t follow these rules, they will be asked to leave and will forfeit any reservation fee. Most fakes bow out at this point. If they advise me they’ll be going to a weddng, etc and ask if they can leave the dog, I advise the dog MUST be crated. It’s up to you if you allow that exception, but if you advise them of the service dog rules, follow your States rules along with the ADA, then you’ll be okay. Be consistent in relaying them to everyone and how you enforce them.
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I want to add, someone mentioned 2 service dogs. This does happen. You may have someone whose dog is nearing retirement, and the handler will have the aging service dog help train the new dog. Another thing I’ve seen is a person who had dogs who performed different tasks. One dog may do something that is a natural skill such as diabetic alert, etc that cannot be trained, but can be shaped. The other dog will perform the other tasks the owner needs- ex. mobiity assist - the dog has to be the right size and right breed/build for this particular job.
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Good info and advice. For sure, reinterating the rules and possible charges regarding service animals is a good way to ward off the scammers.
What I don’t quite understand is why the disability associations and service dog trainers and the disabled don’t push for some sort of official registration that people who have real service animals could submit proof of whenever requested. It seems like it would go a long way to cutting down on the scammers, who are the ones who ruin things for those who do need and have trained service animals. It’s natural to just start not trusting anyone’s claim of a service dog when there seems to be more scammers than legitimate handlers.
There was a woman in my area who wanted to take her 2 dogs with her everywhere- they weren’t service dogs, they were just pets, but she claimed they were ESAs. But get this- she said one was her emotional support animal, and that the other dog was emotional support for the first dog.
Some people just don’t know how ridiculous they sound.
have you seen those vids of the Royal Guard (uk) yelling at people for touching their horses reins? thankfully the vast majority of commenters agree with the abrupt way the guards react.
Why do you continue to employ them. I allow my cleaners additional time to check for damage and check items such as remote controls.
There are groups who train dogs who issue certifications, some states & Canadian provinces require a registration. I believe the main reason is because they’re considered medical equipment. You don’t have to register walkers, wheelchairs, etc. These are just live animals. So the arguments for that case are: Who will run this certication. Who has to pay for it? Many disabled people are on limited incomes & service dogs are already tens of thousands of dollars, unless you’re lucky enough to qualify for a dog thru a non-profit organization (very few do). Now you have to disclose what your disability is to non-medical professionals. What will be required? Proof of tasking? You can’t always duplicate the disability - ie fake a seizure or low blood sugar. And who gets to determine if that dog is legit if it doesn’t react to a fake scenario as it would an actual scenario. So aside from the intent - dogs are medical equipment, this opens a whole can of worms. Would that then be a form of discrimination since it’s the only medical equipment that has to be registered? There are many discussions around this in the service dog world. Yes, a certification would make things easier for store owners, but they dont enforce the laws now because they’re either uneducated or scared of a lawsuit. It would make things more difficult for the disabled person. It’s actually illegal to fake a service dog. But again, that’s hard to get police to take action on. We have a $30,000 pet now because a fake service dog in Sams Club attacked my husbands service dog while he was sitting with his back turned toward the direction the dog came from. Ironically we were talking to the employees about said dog. They were telling us of all the issues that dog caused in that store, including attacking other dogs. But Sams Club/WalMart won’t enforce the laws they’re entitled to because they fear a lawsuit. We should have sued, but COVID happened, shut down our state and the court system for a long time.
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I can’t see why a disabled person would have to disclose to their particular condition to anyone, just have a certification that it’s a legiitimate service dog. If someone obtains a trained service dog, the entity they get it from would know for what purpose they need the dog, because the dog needs to be trained for that specific purpose. Those are the only people who would need to know the nature of the disability and issue a legal certificate.
Classifying service dogs as medical equipment is nuts to me, though. Wheelchairs and walkers don’t shed hair, or smell like an animal, or sleep on beds and furniture, they don’t use “pee pads”.