We like to begin the working relationship from a point of trust and honesty, which is why we do require a written contract with our homeowners. The contract is intended to clearly outline mutual expectations and protections for both Beats Working Vacation Rentals and our future clients. For quality control, we require that every home joining our program be deep cleaned, professionally photographed, outfitted with bedding that meets our high standards for comfortable and easy-to-care-for linens, and sometimes re-keyed. These steps ensure that the home is clean, beautifully presented to guests both in person and online, and secure.

We have outlined the main contract takeaways and some rough estimates for set-up costs below.

The Break Down of the Contract:

• Preparing a new home’s listing across our preferred booking platforms requires a significant investment of time and effort on our part. All homes are professionally photographed and the content is written and edited by our staff. If a homeowner decides to end the relationship with Beats Working Vacation Rentals within the first 90 days of signing the contract, they are subject to a $500 fee to recoup this investment. (The $500 fee does not include the cost of photographs, which are taken by a third-party photographer. This service will be billed separately.)

• The contract is effective as of the date signed by the homeowner and expires 365 days from that date. lt will automatically renew and extend for a like period of time unless terminated by either party, by providing written notice 90 days prior to the date for such renewal. Following notice of termination, the "effective termination date" shall be the checkout date of the last existing reservation that is in place as of the date notice of termination is delivered, or any other date homeowner and Beats Working mutually agree on. If the homeowner refuses to honor any existing reservations, they will be charged $200 for every reservation cancellation required. This agreement may also be terminated by mutual agreement of the parties at any time. Upon termination, homeowner shall pay Beats Working any fees, commissions and expenses which are owed to the management company.

• We reserve the right to terminate a contract if a homeowner enters a home while the home is currently booked. The listing will be automatically removed from all platforms. Any pending reservations will be relocated to other homes under the management of Beats Working Vacation Rentals. This particular stipulation is non-negotiable.

• Beats Working Vacation Rentals requires all homeowners to carry homeowner’s insurance coverage for a rental home that list us as additional insured, additional interest, or additional agents. This change is free for homeowners, and simply requires an e-mail to your agent. The declaration page must be e-mailed to us before we host our first guests. If we decide to do business together, Beats Working Vacation Rentals will provide an outline of how this documentation should read.

• We do not allow security cameras, smart doorbells, or noise monitors at any of our rental properties on the Emerald Coast. Such items can be perceived as a violation of guests’ safety and have proven to be diabolically destructive to a vacation home’s financial viability. This requirement is non-negotiable at our Emerald Coast properties; however, exceptions are made for our more remote mountain cabins and Key West homes. Even in these instances, we will never allow security cameras in locations that could violate guests’ privacy. As a boutique company, we pay close attention to our properties to ensure the safety of our guests, homes, and owners. We prefer to keep an eye on things in person and are committed to doing so for each home on a near-daily basis.

The Break Down of the Potential Setup Expenses:

• We require all of our newly-acquired homes to be deep cleaned by our trusted staff. This is typically non-negotiable for quality control purposes, unless the previous management company was on top of their game—which is typically not the case. Deep cleans are more costly than regular cleanings between guests, but they serve as the foundation for an exceptional first year of revenue and reviews. The cost is determined by hours worked, so the longer a home has been neglected, the more expensive the deep clean will be.

• Beats Working Vacation Rentals also requires one of our professional photographers to photograph the rental home. These pictures are crucial for proper marketing capability across a multitude of platforms. Our photographers get interior shots, exterior shots, aerial drone footage, and images of specific amenities that should be notated, such as beach access or ski lift proximity. Prices vary based on the size of a home and its amenities. Homeowners on the Emerald Coast can anticipate to spend between $250 - $400 on professional photos, while homeowners with mountain cabins and Key West homes can expect to spend $675 for photos and $675 for an optional video, which really goes a long way on the marketing front. Unlike other companies, we share ownership of the original photos and videos with our clients. If homeowners ever decide to go a different direction with their management, they can use these same high-quality photos on their new listing without hiccup.

• We take great pride in offering high-quality, comfortable, and easy-to-care-for 100% cotton linens for guests at our homes. Depending on the set of linens already at a home, we may purchase 1-2 sets of sheets, coverlets, towels, washcloths, and hand towels before the first guest arrives. Typically, any existing linens will be kept as back-ups in case of a mishap, provided that they are in good condition. If an owner has been with a big-box company, they are usually on a linen program, which they pay for each month. Usually, this means that the sandpaper-quality sheets in the home do not belong to the homeowners. This fact also means the the coverlets have most likely never been washed. In this case, we have to outfit a home with a two full sets of linens per bed, so that we can properly turn the house in busy season. The good news is that your sheets stay at your house, and you retain ownership of them should you decide to change management companies down the road. They are not mass-washed at a laundry facility, but rather washed with the same care and attention that we give to our own personal linens. If a guest ruins a pair of sheets, we charge the guests for the replacement. Once the initial linen investment is made, homeowners only see replacement costs for general wear and tear. These costs could amount to one set for the house per year. We replace towels as needed, but in general, towel replacements cost about $80.00 per year.

  • The overall cost of linens needed for a home fluctuates, depending on the number and sizes of beds and bathrooms in the home. In general, to outfit a bedroom with one set of sheets and a coverlet, it costs $260.00 for a twin bunk room, $100.00 for a queen bedroom, and $140.00 for a king bedroom. Each bathroom can be outfitted with the proper number of towels, hand towels, and wash clothes for about $50.00.

• When we rekey the house, all doors that guests will access are keyed to the same lock, and our supply closet and/or storage room will be keyed to a different lock that guests cannot access. We use lockboxes and keyless entries for guest contactless check-in, and also mount an additional lockbox in an out-of-the-way location to assure seamless access for maintenance and repair calls. Keyless entries are a fine option for guest access—though they are not our preferred method, as they often malfunction without warning. For this reason, we require that keyless entry systems have back-up keys. Our ultimate goal is to keep the home safe from anyone who may have an old key, and to ensure that everyone on the Beats Working team can access the home as needed to set us up for success with guests. A locksmith typically charges around $85.00 per service call and $75.00 per hour for labor, plus materials, the cost of which is determined by the number of doors that need attention. This cost can also vary slightly by location.
  
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