Filtering unwanted customers: The solution to protect your assets?

A pool cover torn by a barbecue thrown during a party with too much water. Repeated complaints from neighbors who can’t stand being woken up at night. An owner who has to pay thousands of dollars in fines or has his or her license revoked by the Corporation de l’industrie touristique du Québec (CITQ). Short-term rental horror stories are heard every week.

At Reserver.ca, we have designed a filtering system that allows us to quickly identify undesirable customers and, therefore, protect our partners’ assets. Before revealing the secrets of our system, let’s first look at the source of the problem.

Why does short-term renting have such a bad reputation?

Since the arrival of Airbnb in 2008, short-term rentals have grown incredibly. Many owners of cottages and condos have embarked on this adventure without knowing the ins and outs of it.

This is what makes it possible for 30 people to party in a condo designed to accommodate only two. This is also the reason why neighbors are constantly complaining to the police about night-time noise or are fed up with their parking space being occupied by unscrupulous strangers.

The reason municipalities and the general public don’t like Airbnb is that even if they ask the police to intervene, the police can’t force guests to leave. In fact, the legal contract between the landlord and the guests stipulates that the latter have the right to occupy the place for a given period of time. Therefore, no one can evict them until the end of their rental contract.

The police can ask the revelers to calm down, but their power ends there. And even if the law allowed it, they still couldn’t force people under the influence of alcohol or drugs to leave the premises and take their cars.

Of course, we want to avoid trouble. That’s why you need to eliminate the problem at the source by filtering out unwanted customers.

How do I do a good filtering?

The Reserver.ca team has designed an advanced 21-point filtering system. These rigorous criteria include:

• Refuse all last minute rental requests (people who book with less than 24 hours notice are more interested in partying than spending a quiet weekend at the cottage);
• Ensure that the name and address of the person making the reservation matches the credit card and identification required;
  • If in doubt, check the guest’s social network profiles;
• Require a $500 penalty and eviction if there is a complaint from the neighbourhood (if it is written into the lease, it is allowed).
• And much more…

For example, last year the person responsible for a reservation provided a driver’s license that was no longer valid. After a search, the phone number of the credit card holder in question was found and… it was learned that the lady had had her wallet stolen two years earlier. As you can imagine, the reservation was refused.

Criminals look for loopholes and new properties to rent, as inexperienced landlords are not aware of all the screening rules. Thus, they exploit the smallest loophole to make parties and mayhem.

A management company for peace of mind and asset protection

To avoid unpleasant surprises and problems, hiring a management company that has an advanced screening process is the best solution. But before you entrust this responsibility, make sure you understand what is and isn’t included in your contract, as not all companies offer the same service and are rarely on the same level. For example, some management companies do everything but communicate. This means that these companies do not screen customers and are not responsible for their actions. We understand that the risks of parties and skids are important.

For its part, Reserver.ca offers a turnkey service that includes customer service with rapid communication. We even offer a Quiet Guarantee. So, if our filtering system lets an undesirable client slip through its cracks (no system is perfect, unfortunately) and your cottage suffers major damage, we promise to reimburse you for the amount deductible from your insurance policy.

In conclusion, at Reserver.ca, we are here to improve the image of short-term rentals by offering you a professional service, maximizing your profits and avoiding all kinds of disputes. We are confident that our system of filtering unwanted customers is effective. And if something goes wrong, our guarantee protects you. Long live freedom and peace of mind!

Finally, we remind you that we do not seek the highest occupancy rate for the properties we manage. Instead, our strategy is to lower the occupancy rate by adjusting prices on a daily basis to achieve the best possible profitability. The more a cottage is rented, the more wear and tear occurs and the greater the risk of breakage. And when you minimize wear and tear, you protect your assets at the same time. To learn more about this subject, we invite you to read the article What is the best recipe to increase your rental income?

 

Feel free to ask us for a business case and see how we can help you make the most of your rental property.