investor FAQ

Our pricing model is based on the revenue that your rental has made each month. An owner can expect a 70-75% commission from the gross nightly earning of home. It is also based on the size and quality of your property and the length of rental season you signed up for.

Owners pay a startup fee to cover for digital setup and professional photography.  The property also needs to be  furnished including two full sets of bed and bath linens.

Owners are responsible for covering recurring expenses including toiletries and cooking essentials.  Owners handle repair and maintenance expenses and need to ensure the property is in excellent condition.

The payments are set up to go directly to you within 3 days after the guest has arrived at the property. Expect to be constantly receiving payments all throughout the month. Cleaning fees and our commissions are collected from you through a monthly invoice.

We have cleaning contractors trained according to the standards of our brand. We also have an inspector who does a formal check to ensure the place is clean, safe, and ready for the next guest. Cleaning costs are covered by the guests. We pay the contractors directly.  You will receive a monthly invoice from us. Expect no additional charges beyond initial clean-ups, occasional deep cleans, and post-construction clean-ups due to repairs and maintenance.

We know what works best in furnishing a vacation rental property that is appealing and comfortable for our guests.  Furnishing a three bedroom home costs approximately $18,000.

The most important investments are quality mattresses with high-quality linens. And we already know where to look so it won’t take us a lot of time to have your place ready to launch in a few days.

Enlisting the help of a tax professional is highly recommended before you collect your first short-term rental revenue.

Beginning January 1, 2018, every short-term residential rental property must be registered with the Department of Finance within 30 days of the property being offered for rental. This is an annual registration for each property offered for short-term residential rental:  

https://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/ShortTermResidentialRentalRegistry

Existing Requirements

• Short-term rental properties are already subject to the following taxes:

State and local Sales Taxes totaling 6% must be collected from the renter and remitted by the operator to the Virginia Department of Taxation.

• Regional and local Transient Lodging Taxes of 8.5% plus $1.25 per room per night must be collected from the renter and remitted by the operator to the City of Alexandria for any rental that can lodge four or more persons at any one time .

• Staff is considering a proposal to the City Council to amend the ordinance by removing this reference.  This would promote equity between short-term rentals of various sizes.

• The operator must obtain a Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) if their gross revenue is greater than $10,000 annually, and they rent more than four separate dwelling units (each having cooking facilities).  A BPOL license is only required if they meet these two conditions.

• Short-term rental properties do not require zoning or permitting approvals solely on that basis, but any normal zoning or permitting provisions (e.g. maximum occupancy, construction permits) would still apply.

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in the City of Alexandria, Virginia will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation: (Airbnb collects and remits to the City)

• Transient Lodging Tax: 6.5% of the listing price plus $1.25 per room per night, for reservations 29 nights and shorter. For detailed information, please visit the City of Alexandria Finance Department’s website and the Short Term Residential Rental Registry website.
• Regional Transient Occupancy Tax: 2% of the listing price for reservations 29 nights and shorter. For detailed information, please visit the City of Alexandria Finance Department’s website and the Short Term Residential Rental Registry website.

Your tax professional can help you calculate what you need to submit for the State of Virginia and the City of Alexandria.

Guests that come via the Airbnb platform must provide government-issued IDs. We also do web searches, social media research, and check public government databases for first-time guests. We have come to recognize telltale signs when a particular guest is suited elsewhere. We maintain several points of communication with guests before they book and during their stay. We are also quick to evict unworthy guests while maintaining their full payment.

Damages are rare but they do happen. Stained towels, sheets and broken glasses are the biggest casualties in short term rentals. Common wear and tear to the property tend to be the walls from suitcases. Often a magic eraser will help with those and other times a little wall patch and paint is used in between tenants to help keep the property look its best. The process of the recovery of funds needed to replace the damaged items is part of our service offerings and is all inclusive in our fees. We also utilize the Airbnb Host Guarantee which provides protection for up to $1,000,000 USD to a host for damages to covered property above the security deposit or if no security deposit is in place. This also covers things like fines from the City of Alexandria or bylaw for infractions such as noise.

Yes. Based on the City of Alexandria regulations on short-term rentals, anyone operating a short-term rental must enter their property on the Short-Term Rental Registry and apply for a business license if revenue exceeds $10,000 annually.

We will help you obtain this license and take care of all the monthly tasks required to maintain it.

The City of Alexandria Code Section 3-2-152 requires the operator of each short-term residential rental property to register with the Department of Finance on an annual basis. Please complete the online registry , reporting each platform you use to advertise your property.

The City of Alexandria allows a homeowner  to legally rent their properties for periods of less than 30 days. Every short-term residential rental property must be registered with the Department of Finance within 30 days of the property being offered for rental.

There are countless advantages of short-term rentals from that of having long-term tenants. Short-term rentals are more well-maintained.   Most guests come to enjoy the area and use the home for rest and relaxation causing very little wear and tear. The way long-term tenants treat properties is substantially different.

Our team is also always in your home cleaning, maintaining, and protecting your investment.

There is a significant difference in revenue for a furnished rental sold by the night versus a long-term rental.

For additional questions that come to mind, our Contact Us page is always open for any inquiries anytime. We will be glad to answer them all, just send us a message there.

Putting your property on the short-term market with us as your partner is easy and hassle-free.  We take care of everything for you from the set up down to the guests checkout. We look forward to partnering with you and adding your property to our portfolio!