The Imperative of Specialized Maintenance for Short Term Rentals

When it comes to property maintenance, most assume it’s a one-size-fits-all approach. After all, maintenance is maintenance right? Well, not exactly. Simply put, homeowners live onsite, are directly impacted and responsible for general maintenance, and treat their property with care. Conversely, a short term rental is a revenue-driving asset. Rentals inherently welcome more guests.  For context, a typical property with a capacity to sleep 8 and a 75% occupancy rate can welcome 2000 people in a single year. These visitors also have a vastly different mindset. “Let’s change the HVAC filter to improve performance and system longevity,” said no renter ever. 

Managing maintenance for short-term rentals involves several unique challenges that demand a tailored approach. Mend has executed over 25,000 work orders in this space and continues to evolve to this general industry problem. 

Understanding the Unique Nature of Short-term Rentals

• Non-Resident Property Owners: The inability of owners to handle maintenance tasks directly makes third-party maintenance crucial. Moreover, property owners can rarely review the work firsthand, necessitating comprehensive documentation to assure them of the value delivered.
  

• Tight Timelines: Short-term rentals must often accommodate urgent maintenance requests, either due to guest needs or narrow property availability windows. Any delays can impact revenue and customer satisfaction.

• Guest Interaction: Unlike traditional property maintenance, work in short-term rentals often occurs with guests present, making professionalism and courtesy vital. 

• Damage Documentation: For guest damage, claims must be filed in a timely manner and the final arbiter for payments is an AI or outsourced call center. The science of adhering to required timelines and art of outlining the claim are important variables for reimbursement. 
  

• 24/7 - Consumers have high expectations. This applies to both the work delivered as well as the experience. A hotel customer would never wait until the morning for a broken Air Conditioner in a warm market. 24/7 needs are driven by additional categories like leaks, clogs, appliance failure, electric issues, broken furniture, and pests. 

• Trust Triad: With any recurring revenue model, trust is essential,  A high degree of trust is essential between the property manager and the property owner. Poor work, lack of documentation, or high costs are simple ways to deteriorate that trust. 
  

Why General Maintenance Companies Fall Short

While general maintenance companies may boast a wide range of skills, their lack of specialization often results in high costs and customer refunds..  Some examples of the innovations delivered through a specialized approach

• Data Driven Maintenance - Knowing the property, and knowing the market, creates intelligence in maintenance. Property Specifics can create an accurate and dynamic maintenance plan. Many variables drive this, including but not limited to occupancy, amenities, and geography. 
  

• Proactive Maintenance Assessments: Given that short-term rentals are revenue-driving assets, akin to Ubers, airplanes, or commercial properties, they require proactive maintenance to ensure optimal uptime. Most STR’s have a slow season. All STR’s have windows between bookings. 
  

• Quick Response Times - Response times reduce refund requests. Effort impacts earnings.

• Property Calendar Integration - If the property is occupied, “Permission to Enter” is required. Calendar visibility is key for cleaners; it's also key for maintenance.  
  

The Numbers Don't Lie

Generally, properties with high levels of occupancy should anticipate monthly general maintenance. Furthermore, quarterly maintenance should be conducted on elements that drive the most complaints and refunds, including:

* HVAC repairs

* Cleaning all drains, coils, and vents

* Reinforcing beds

* Securing toilet paper and paper towel rolls

* Changing light bulbs

* Securing door stoppers

* Changing filters and batteries

At Mend, we understand that the short-term rental industry isn't your everyday property market. Our comprehensive, detailed, and hyper-specialized approach sets us apart from general maintenance companies.