Listing Your Home: FAQs

How easy is it to get started?

Below is the typical fashion in which a home gets brought on our program:

  • Home is previewed to determine price point and any suggestions for marketability
  • Owner signs Rental Management Agreement and W9
  • The SMEA Manager will then reach out to you and take a preliminary inventory to ensure all items on the Owner Supply List are present at the house
  • Any items needed to be purchased or acquired are added to the home
  • Professional photos are taken
  • Your house is placed on our website
  • We begin marketing your home in a variety of venues
  • You receive bookings!

If my home is a part of Endorsed Accommodations, will I still be able to use it?

Yes, you may identify time periods for personal use and this calendar will be updated annually. In the event that your plans change and you wish to use your home at a time that has already been reserved by a rental guest, every reasonable effort will be made to relocate the guest. However, please keep in mind that each home is unique and many guests will request a specific home. We cannot cancel rental reservations once they have been accepted.

Who may use my home if I am a part of Endorsed Accommodations?

Owners, the owners’ immediate family members and their close friends or associates may use the home under the terms of the owner use program. If you are in the Endorsed Accommodations program, you will be designating Endorsed Accommodations as the exclusive rental agent for the home and will be agreeing not to rent the home in any way other than through the Endorsed Accommodations rental service. If you generate a direct rental for your own home through the Endorsed Accommodations rental service, a credit of 10% of the rental income will be applied to your account.

How are rental rates established?

Rental rates are set based on our best estimate of market demand, including review of comparable rental rates and occupancy levels in the region. A standard nightly base rental rate will be established for each home at the time the home is placed into the rental program. The base rate will be the minimum rate that your home will be rented for (less commissions and appropriate fees as outlined below). A formula has been established to determine adjustments from the base rate for peak, off-peak, holiday and package-program rates.

What are the Distributions Rates to Homeowners?

Sixty percent (60%) for reservations of less than 32 nights in length, seventy percent (70%) for individual reservations of 32 nights up to six months (6) in length, and eighty percent (80%) for reservations of six months (6) length or more.

How do you determine which home is rented to each guest?

Like any service, successful rental programs are driven by a high degree of customer satisfaction; therefore, our first priority in the selection of a rental home will be meeting the specific requirements of the guest. If a rental guest requests a specific home, and it is available, that home will be the one selected for rental.

Who is responsible for the contents of the home?

The owner of the home is responsible for the contents of the home. Endorsed Accommodations will maintain the home and its furniture, fixtures and equipment as required to meet minimum standards for the rental program. A required inventory of furnishings and household items will be established for each home.

What do I need to have in my home for household furnishings?

Household furnishings are the items that are used from day-to-day in the home. They include dishes, glassware, utensils, small appliances, linens, towels and other general household items. Owners participating in the rental management program will be required to maintain “minimal standards,” or to purchase household items and a linens package from Endorsed Accommodations that includes all of the household items and linens required for participation in the rental program.

Who pays for the initial photography cost?

In order to maintain the highest visual standards marketing and advertising your home, upon joining our program, we will arrange to have your home professionally photographed. This an Owner’s expense. Photos are used on our website, in print advertising, email newsletters and other marketing collateral.

What housekeeping services are included in the rental program and who pays for them?

All rental-related housekeeping is paid by Endorsed Accommodations from its portion of the rental income. A standard cleaning of each home will be required after any owner or owner guest usage; this cleaning will be billed to the owner at a fee appropriate to the size of the home, with the minimum fee being $200.

Will pets be allowed in my home?

Owners may bring pets into their own home, but due to health considerations such as allergies, we must notify renters that pets have been in the home. This may affect your rental occupancy rates. At your option, you may designate your home as “pet-friendly,” allowing rental guests to have pets in your home during their stay.

Will my home be non-smoking?

If you smoke inside your home or are simply willing to allow smoking, it will be designated as a smoking home and renters will be notified of this fact before renting the home. If you choose to have your home designated as non-smoking, you must also refrain from smoking in the home as renters may be susceptible to allergy attacks or other smoke-related reactions.

If you’d like to learn more about being a part of the Schaffer’s Mill Endorsed Accommodations program, please contact our team at 530-214-7381 or vacations@schaffersmill.com.