How do you handle guest communications?
Our team will answer guest emails and calls 24/7 and our average time taken to respond to emails is less than 25 minutes. Because we’re able to get to enquiries so quickly we’re able to secure more bookings and we’ve now looked after hundreds of thousands of guests. Using this experience we have built a system that uses a combination of automated messages – e.g. “…Here’s some useful information about how to find the property that will help you during your stay…” – and personalised messages – e.g. “…Just messaging to confirm that we’ve successfully extended your stay.”
When talking to the guest we clearly identify ourselves as your support team, so that they know we are helping them on your behalf. If you also wish to respond directly to the guest, for example to add further detail on a query, you are always able to do that. We find that most of our hosts like to leave the messaging to us and as long as you’ve shared enough detail on your property it’s easy for us to do so without the need to contact you.

How does AirOperate screen guests?
Guests that stay in your home will need to have passed our rigorous screening protocol. We’ve partnered with the global leaders in online verification to run checks on national identification documents. Our guest experience team are also trained to apply additional measures that reduce risk. For example, we are extra cautious with accounts that are brand new. If you’d like to apply further measures such as longer nightly minimums, you can do that on your host dashboard.

What if a guest breaks something?
Accidents can happen and if one does, we’ll step in to help. AirOperate will act as a mediator between guests, booking platforms and you, but we can’t take responsibility for your home or any items in it. There are two pieces of cover that offer protection when damage or loss is spotted.
If our housekeepers spot damage we will first make a claim against the guest and then work with the Airbnb team via the Resolution Centre to seek fair compensation, either from the guest or from the Airbnb Host Guarantee.
Other bookings platforms do not provide the same guarantee as Airbnb. This is why AirOperate has partnered with GUARDHOG to provide insurance at no additional cost to hosts. You must have home insurance in place for either the Host Guarantee, or the cover provided by GUARDHOG to be valid.
Damages are very rare, but if you are particularly attached to something, the safest thing to do is lock it away in a cupboard so that you can relax. You can also receive a discount with our storage services partner, just ask us for the details. 

How do guests access my property?

AirOperate provides a 24 hour guest support and check-in service – we’re on hand to help day and night! We don’t charge anything additional for this service and we will provide you with the equipment and installation. Each home is different so we have 3 options to suit all property types:

1. Wall-mounted lockbox (FREE)
   • 24 hour access
   • Police approved
   • Discreet and secure
2. Custom door lock (FREE)
   • 24 hour access
   • Perfect when there’s no suitable wall
   • Installation included 
3. Key collection point (Approx £50/month)
   • Not always 24 hour
   • Only possible in certain areas
   • Variable monthly fee

We provide hotel quality cleans so you don’t have to worry about finding cleaners or providing fresh linens. We source, train and manage exceptional, local housekeepers. Our average cleanliness score is 4.75 out of 5.
We will provide you with: hotel quality towels, tea towels, hand towels, pillow cases, duvet cases, sheets and bath mats. These will all be laundered by our linen supplier in a professional facility and the housekeeper will rotate them between guest stays.
Please ensure that each bed has pillows and bedding for each bed and that the home is stocked with these items.
The host pays for the very first clean, to start the process. After that, guests pays the cleaning fee for their stay, and there is no cost to hosts for cleaning after guests, apart from the share of AirOperate’s management fee, which accounts for the cost of coordinating the cleaners. You will see the cleaning fees coming in and out of your account as it is passed between the guest and the cleaners (see the How Do I Get Paid? section for a detailed explanation). You can book additional cleans if you would like to.

What is the AirOperate management fee?

We charge a percentage of your earnings – so if you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid. The management fee is 10%. Please see the “How do I get paid?” section for information on how this fee is collected/paid because it depends on the booking platform. The below infographic gives an example of how the money flows, including the flow of the cleaning fee. Cleaning fees are paid by the guest, apart from AirOperate’s management fee proportion which covers the cost of coordinating the cleaners.

* Guest pays for the Cleaning Fee

What do I get for the management fee?

Your management fee covers a wide range of activity both during your account set up, and on an ongoing basis. For this, AirOperate will:

• Create your listing, including photography and writing attractive copy
• Handle all the steps to get your listing live
• Create guest guides, including access details
• Create and maintain your account dashboard (as well as regularly developing new features and improvements)
• Handle all booking enquiries promptly
• Vet all guests
• Help guests with any enquiries, 24/7, during their stay
• Coordinate all housekeeping and linens
• Optimise your pricing using our market knowledge and smart algorithm
• Assign you a dedicated account manager who will work proactively to get the best returns for you

How long until I start earning?

We will get you up and running as quickly as possible. Your listing will normally go live approximately one week from the date of the onboarding meeting. Your property will also be marketed on other platforms including Booking.com, Homeaway and Expedia – these listings will go live one-two weeks after your Airbnb listing.
It’s very important that you get in touch as soon as you know the first availability date of the property so that we can get you live and start accepting advance bookings.

How much will my property let for?

We will maximise your returns in line with your financial goals. Your Client Success representative will consult with you at the onboarding meeting to establish what your financial goals are. We will apply a pricing strategy that best matches this. We will plug in our price optimising algorithm, which you can adjust at any time using your host dashboard. Depending on your property size, we may also charge a supplement if there are more than 2 people in a booking, to get the best possible returns for you (this will be shown to guests in your property listing).
If your property is new to Airbnb and you do not yet have guest reviews, we will list the property at a lower rate for a short period to encourage some early bookings. This is because we know from experience that properties with guest reviews get more bookings and can realise their full value; the initial discount period aims to get your property into that category quickly. You can override the discount using your Dashboard if you want to.

How do I get paid?

Payments in and out of your account are seamless and easily trackable via your host dashboard. Each booking platform has a different payout method.
Booking platform Payment method
Airbnb Airbnb will pay you directly on the second day of each booking. The nightly rental and the cleaning fee from the guest will come into your account at the same time. AirOperate will then collect the cleaning fee 48 hours after the clean in order to pay the laundry provider and housekeeper, and collect the management fee via weekly Direct Debits.
Booking.com, HomeAway, Expedia (etc) AirOperate will collect funds on your behalf and pay you the total amount excluding fees in monthly payments. Apart from AirOperate’s management fee proportion, the cleaning fee is still paid by the guest. AirOperate will collect the cleaning fee from you after the clean for the Airbnb bookings, and you will be reimbursed by AirBnB in your monthly payments.

Are there any other costs to consider?

We’ve built a transparent payment structure so that you can keep track of every spend via your host dashboard.

1. Cleaning fee:
   Guests make payments for this, and you will see the money coming in and out of your account so it’s important to note. We set the cleaning fee according to how many bedrooms you have, and whether additional beds like sofa beds have been used. Since the guests cover this, there is no cost to hosts for cleaning after bookings apart from the share of AirOperate’s management fee, which accounts for the cost of coordinating the cleaners. The fees are detailed below:
   Size of property: Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed 5 Bed
   Recommended cleaning fees: £40 £40 £60 £80 £100 £120
2. Replenishments:
   We will restock your home with toiletries and cleaning products, only when supplies run low. We will add the cost of each item to your invoice and you can track this in your Host Dashboard. Hosts can also chose to restock themselves if they prefer.
3. Refundable £90 deposit:
   We will return this whenever you decide to leave the service providing that you return the lockbox and linens and you have stayed with us for a minimum of 30 booked nights. If you sign-up and pay the deposit but chose not to go ahead, it is refundable at any point prior to your onboarding meeting, but if you have the onboarding meeting or cancel the meeting with less that 24 hours notice, you will forfeit the deposit. 

How does AirOperate market my property?

Your property will be listed on Airbnb, Booking.com, Homeaway, and Expedia, with more platforms to come in the future. This gives your home greater visibility and opportunity for bookings, maximising your occupancy and returns.
Airbnb is the cheapest letting platform – at 3% plus VAT – and has added benefits like the Airbnb Host Guarantee. This is why we focus the majority of booking activity to that platform. Guests that book via other platforms with higher fees (ranging from 3-15%) and that don’t have additional cover will pay a higher amount so that your net returns will not be lower than they would be on Airbnb and you still have cover provided by AirOperate, in partnership with GUARDGHOG Insurance. You must have some form of home insurance in place for that cover to apply.

What should I keep in the property?

As a minimum, please make sure you have the items in the attached pdf (or the following list). Properties that have character and a homely feel generally earn more. If you’d like help with that, please see our design section.

Keys

• 3 sets for 1 bedroom
• 4 sets for 2+ bedrooms
  Toiletries
• Toilet rolls (24)
• Hand soap (2 per sink)
• Shampoo (2 per bathroom)
• Shower gel (2 per bathroom)
  Household items
• WiFi
• Kettle
• Toaster
• Hairdryer
• Cutlery
• Crockery
• Mugs & glasses
• Cooking equipment
• Iron & ironing board
• Mattress protector
• Waste & recycling bins
• Vacuum cleaner (with 1 pack of bags)
• 1 duvet per bed (including sofa beds)
• 2 pillows per person
• Broom
• Dustpan & brush
• Mop & bucket
• Duster brush
  Cleaning equipment
• Cleaning cloths
• Multi-surface wipes
• Multi-surface cleaner
• Dusting cloths
• Surface polish
• Stainless steel cleaner
• Floor cleaner
• Drain unblocker
• Bleach
• Toilet & bathroom cleaner
• Oven cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Viakal limescale remover
• Descaler
• Washing up liquid
• Sponge scourers
• Dishwasher tablets & salt (if applicable)
• Kitchen rolls (8)
• Bin bags (2 rolls)
• Rubber gloves

What if my fridge (etc) breaks?

We are the point of contact for both housekeepers and guests so if there is a maintenance issue, we’ll hear about it first. We have highly trusted maintenance providers that are available seven days a week at short notice. We will facilitate the maintenance of any jobs in relation to bookings (e.g broken toilet seat) in the most cost-effective way. It’s important to note that AirOperate is a provider of services relating to short-lets, not a building maintenance company. If larger issues (such as structural problems) occur, we will update you with the information that we receive from guests and housekeepers so you can resolve as you see fit.
You can specify what we do in the event that maintenance is required. For example, you can specify that we involve you on every decision, OR you can ask that we resolve every issue without consulting with you at all. It’s entirely up to you and you can update these settings at any time in your Host Dashboard.

Will AirOperate provide design advice?

Our home design partners provides design services to our clients. They can provide tailored packages that include either simple design tips or full room designs complete with collection, delivery and assembly. Clients of AirOperate will receive a free design consultation. Ask your AirOperate Advisor for details.

Does AirOperate have a minimum standard of property that it will manage?

AirOperate believe there is a place in the market for a wide range of properties, from basic budget accommodation through to luxury homes, and we have a lot of experience supporting hosts all along this spectrum.

We also know that there are a few ‘must-haves’ necessary to offer guests a good experience and hosts satisfactory returns. These are:

• The property must have its own bathroom and kitchen or kitchenette (not facilities shared with another property)
• There must be adequate standards of health and safety in the property, for example lockable doors and windows, no pest infestations, no major patches of damp or unsafe furnishings or electrics

If we identify any issues like this that might hold your property back, we’ll give you some advice on addressing them before the property goes live with us on Airbnb. We can also offer advice on decor if we notice ways you could make the property stand out more to potential guests.

How long am I allowed to let my property for?

There is no maximum term with AirOperate – we will work with you for as long as you would like. Local authorities in some cities do place restrictions on how many days a year properties are allowed to be shortlet. The definition of shortlet varies from city to city – please educate yourself on these matters.
AirOperate lets on Airbnb, Booking.com, HomeAway and Expedia. Of these platforms Airbnb is currently the only platform that limits the total number of days that a property is let.
AirOperate will create flexible letting cycles to optimise your yearly yield. We can list your property for short ( <3 months), medium (3-6 months) and long lets (>6 months). This product is called BigEstates – please ask your AirOperate advisor for more information.