Owner FAQ’s – Oregon Beach Vacations
- Is it ok for me to take care of my own maintenance? And, is it ok for my handy man or yardman to take care of my home or yard?
Do you take an inventory of everything in my home? How do you know if something is missing from my home?
We carefully document all electronics in the home and generally speaking, any “”special”” items. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll not want to leave anything in your home that is irreplaceable due to cost or sentimental value. We can say, however, that in 8 busy seasons with this company, we have not seen blatant theft or damage. Generally speaking, damage is incidental or accidental and most often reported by the guest.
We assign a team of 4 housekeepers to your home. They are trained to understand every aspect of your home. They will know the proper placement of furniture and recognize your decor and such. Should they see something is missing or damaged, it will be reported to the office.
How and where do you market?
Oregon Beach Vacations engages in advertising through print, bill-boards, online marketing, social media, television and over two dozen radio stations throughout the Pacific Northwest. We devote hundreds of thousands of dollars to marketing every year, which dwarfs the total revenue generation of many of our smaller competitors.
How do you handle damaged or missing items?
First of all, our guest agreement clearly states that the guest must be age 25 or older and they must possess and use a major credit card for the booking. That agreement also states that we can bill the guest for damages or missing items. We have a departure checker that secures your home after a guest has left, checking for damages, documenting as needed and reporting anything they feel amiss to our office immediately. Additionally, when housekeeping is in the home, as they touch nearly every surface while cleaning, they will further note any damage or missing items. While it is true that a guest can do a “charge back” on their card, we do carefully document damages to a home to help us pinpoint the guest responsible.
How long have you been in business?
River City Group began Oregon Beach Vacations in 2004. We needed a vacation rental company that would work with us to provide quality vacation homes and experiences for our Corporate Clients. We found there to be a great need for a quality property management company and soon began Oregon Beach Vacations. As a side note, many of the first owners we signed in 2004 are still with us!
How many homes do you have? Will my home be overlooked? Do you rotate the homes for booking?
All good questions. We currently have over 200 properties from Gearhart to Yachats. We are actively engaged in seeking additional homes to meet the growing guest demand. Our Reservation Specialists are introduced to each home as they come into our portfolio, giving them opportunity to become fully acquainted with your home. Each Reservation Specialist is trained to match the guest to a home that is best suited to the guest’s vacation rental needs, thus eliminating the need for rotation and reducing your concern of being overlooked.
How much will my home rent for?
Once we have the opportunity to tour your home, we will be able to narrow down a specific price that we believe will be most competitive in the rental market. Also, when we further understand your financial goals for this vacation rental home, we will be able to further guide you towards appropriate rates. Other rental rate factors include location, views, beach access, amenities and maximum occupancy of your home.
Is it ok for me to take care of my own maintenance? And, is it ok for my handy man or yardman to take care of my home or yard?
Yes. You may do your own maintenance or have your own handy man complete the work. We ask that all work be accomplished when there are no guests at your home, to ensure the guest the quiet enjoyment of the vacation home. We are pleased to notify you when we see a maintenance or yard care issue that occurs, allowing you the choice to care for it yourself or have an Oregon Beach Vacations maintenance person complete the work.
Tell me about your housekeeping standards and explain to me how you will ensure my home will be clean?
With the team of 4 housekeepers being assigned to your home, they will come to know your home and its needs very well. We have very strict 5-Star cleaning standards that our staff and occasional vendor have agreed to adhere to.
What do you charge for your services?
Oregon Beach Vacations operates on behalf of our home owners entirely on a commission basis, with commissions starting as low as 25% depending on the services you desire.
What if I want to stay or allow friends and family to stay at my home?
We want you to come and stay at your home as often as you like and invite your family and friends whenever you please. We simply ask that you book the home through our Owner’s Web Access, so we don’t send a paying guest to the home while you’re in residency! If you can’t access the Internet prior to arriving at your home, simply pick up the phone and book your home through a Reservation Specialist.
What is your occupancy rate?
We find that the average home rents about 140 calendar nights per year. Oceanfront homes with direct beach access are seeing 195 to over 200 nights per year. These kinds of occupancy rates are something to expect once your home is fully exposed in the market and begins to have repeat clients.
What other charges or expenses will I expect? I don’t have to pay for housekeeping, do I? Do I have to pay to have light bulbs changed?
Some common things you’ll anticipate will be your utilities, hot tub fees, if applicable, or general maintenance items. Leaky faucets, slow plumbing, light bulbs in difficult or out of reach areas are just some examples of general maintenance items. The exciting news is that with our own dedicated maintenance staff, we are able to save you a substantial amount of money with this, as we charge around 50% of what local vendors charge.
Oregon Beach Vacations will always clean the home after guest or owner. We know you take very good care of your home, but we want you to enjoy your time while you are here and we want to always ensure the home is returned to our strict 5-Star standard prior to the next guest arrival. AND, we do have a program that will allow you 10 free cleans during the calendar year!
What’s included with that price?
With options, your vacation rental home will be added to our on-line portfolio of homes allowing both guest and reservation agent to see it and reserve it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your home will be equally marketed with our other homes. Also included in our management fee, you will find that we provide professionally laundered linens for the beds, a substantial savings to you when we do not launder the sheets at your home. We provide a starter kit of supplies for guest comfort and convenience. This includes 2 rolls per bathroom, hotel size shampoo and soap, 2 rolls of paper towels in the kitchen. We also provide the dishwasher detergent, liquid dish soap, liquid hand soap, laundry detergent, wastebasket liners and batteries for the TV remotes. We believe one of the most important pieces is the extensive marketing that we engage in on your behalf
