Vacation Rentals

April 16, 2018 CHBO General, Corporate Housing, Relocation Advice, Vacation Rentals 1 Comment

A Pet-Friendly Furnished Apartment Living Guide

Did you know that the pet supplies industry is in the billions of dollars every year? In fact, many pet owners say they are likely to shop for presents for pets when they are away in addition to picking up gifts for human family members. That is why there are now so many pet friendly apartments for travelers to rent. Of course, housing statistics also prove that millenials are now buying homes more and more because they want to be able to live with pets and have room for pets to roam. That too means that any pet friendly rentals are going to get attention.

If you have a CHBO Certified property and are eager to make the most of your premium listings, you may want to consider transitioning some of your properties into pet friendly apartments. More and more often, travelers (whether for business, pleasure or any other reasons) want to bring their pets with them. In fact, some find they must as they just cannot board or find a temporary home suitable to their beloved friend’s needs.

Because so many hotels have yet to adapt a pet friendly model, you can really build an advantage for your CHBO Certified property by making it a welcoming space for pets. Be sure you provide resources for those with pets, such as a guide with local veterinary facilities (particularly any 24 hour options or alternative providers), places with dog parks, pet supplies stores and so on.

Traveling to Pet Friendly Apartments

If you are a traveler, you can easily search through the many CHBO Certified property listings and quickly find a large number of pet friendly apartments. Living in them is quite easy as most owners have taken steps to ensure that pets remain safe and feel welcome. A first step is to look specifically for CHBO property listings and ensure that the pet friendly apartments have the space and layouts needed for your pet or pets. As an example, a tiny apartment may not be suited to the family with two large dogs.

Also consider the location. You can easily find a certified property in a more suburban rather than urban or city center location, and this might be advantageous to all. A short commute into a business district, industrial area, medical facility or tourism area is worth it if you can have a secure yard for a dog to romp and enjoy.

Ask your property owner about the local resources essential to keeping your pet healthy and happy, and also consider a microchip if you are going to be a frequent traveler. Animal control officers and animal rescue groups always have scanners and can help reunite you and your pets quickly if they are chipped.

Remember to keep your pet’s medications, basic health information and any travel approvals on hand, too.

You may be surprised at the number of people who now travel with pets and the number of pet friendly apartments and rentals welcoming them for short or long stays.

January 22, 2018 CHBO General, Vacation Rentals 1 Comment

How to Welcome Pets in Fully Furnished Apartments for Rent

As someone with fully furnished apartments for rent, you may balk at the idea of allowing a constant stream of renters with pets to stay in your properties. Yet, national corporate housing statistics reveal that roughly 40% of rentals are pet friendly, and this has helped them to remain fully booked, or booked more often than before.

Naturally, there are a few ways to approach the issue, and ensure that the fully furnished apartments for rent emerge without any need for in-depth cleaning, repairs or replacements due to pet damages.

Advice from national corporate housing owners typically includes the following steps to ensure the best results when you rent a furnished apartment to someone with pets:

Limitations are fine and allowing one small dog and up to two cats is a good policy
Security fees are anticipated, so be sure you calculate a reasonable deposit per pet or rental
Think about the possibilities, beginning from the floor and upward. You can do a lot to protect flooring, furnishings, walls and moldings from any damages. Consider the finishes on the floors, add door mats to catch debris caught in paws and shoes and even treat more rugged upholstery with stain blocking agents.
Think fragility. You may like offering fully furnished apartments for rent that feature your collections of trinkets, books or other unique items. However, they are breakable or tempting to pets. It’s best to leave those out of the mix.

With just those few steps, you can make your apartments for rent welcoming to pets and to your bank account, avoiding damages and potential issues for all.

August 21, 2017 Vacation Rentals 3 Comments

Why Longer Term Corporate Rentals Are Better for You and Your Property

Temporary housing

The Internet age has changed the way we live in many ways. Information is flying around us all the time, and we have access to more knowledge than at any time in human history. Some of these changes are good, some bad, but it is certain that the way we live has been affected.

One example is how we travel. There was a time when travelers had to make many calls or hire a travel agency to find a place to stay, transportation, and take other steps to prepare for a trip. Today, at the click of a button, we can book a room, rent a car, make reservations for out favorite restaurant, and so much more. AirBnb, HomeAway, VRBO, and other vacation rental websites came along with a simple premise: instead of paying for a hotel, you could use the home of a resident in the place you were traveling. In the past ten years, this has become a revolution, with vacation rental sites claiming up to 10% of the hotel industries’ $1.1 trillion dollar market. Naturally, the hotel industry isn’t pleased with this development. Property owners and neighbors have had their issues, too.

The Misuse of Vacation Rentals

Most vacation rentals are structured to be available anywhere from a day to a week. A risk of renting for a short time to an individual is that they will misuse the property. It has happened that wild parties, porn shoots, and commercial use of holiday rentals have caused damage to both properties and the reputation of their owners. A flood of guests and ever changing tenants has caused traffic headaches too, with renters taking up all available parking nearby. Despite ways to combat this problem by refusing to rent to suspected abusers and flagging those who have misused a property, these stories continue, as it is easy to create new fake profiles and avoid blacklisting.

The HOA and the Neighbors Respond

Abuses like these have had a negative effect on property values. In some cases, owners have evicted long-standing tenants in order to use their property as a short-term rental. Neighbors have been vocal in complaining about these abuses, and Homeowners Associations have been creating clauses in their agreements and amending existing agreements to limit or restrict the use of their homes as vacation rentals. These clauses are enforceable because even a short-term rental qualifies as a “lease” legally, and some owners have been warned and even fined for violations.

Government Regulations Increase

Another abuse comes from owners who buy multiple units in a building or neighborhood, and rent them all out as vacation rentals. This makes living conditions for the permanent residents worse as the chance of abuses occurring multiply. New York City and other cities across the US have responded by passing “Primary Residence Laws” stating that properties rented for less than thirty days must be the owners’ primary residence, and have authorized fines up to $75,000 for violations. Other laws have increased taxes on short-term rentals and forced owners to hire a caretaker that neighbors can contact in case issues come up. Some of these regulations were championed by the hotel industry, which have launched a massive campaign to combat holiday rentals nationwide. In some areas, owners are now being required to charge an 11.5% hotel tax to be passed on to the city government, and they have even gotten congress to start investigations about the effect of holiday rentals on property values.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Rental Property

If you want to rent your property as a short-term holiday property, your only option is to be sure you are in compliance by keeping hyper aware of these constantly changing HOA, municipal, state, and federal regulations. There’s a simple workaround that is trending now, and that’s converting your rental to a corporate rental via CHBO. Rentals of thirty days or more are not subject to these new laws. Plus, with commercial clients seeking long-term housing for relocating staff or temporary assignments, you vastly decrease the chance your property will be misused, as the company assumes the financial and reputational liability for damages. CHBO is easy to use and can help you comply with local laws and find trustworthy tenants. Get started by learning how to furnish and price your rental property for corporate clients today!