Your Rental Property

The traveling public has high standards in their selection of vacation homes.  In general, expectations have been established by the hotel and motel industry.  It is in your best interest to present your property in its most appealing condition.  This will encourage happy, repeat guests that will “spread the word” to their friends about their good experience at your property.  We have worked hand in hand with our owners over the years to establish an excellent reputation in the Sunriver vacation market.  This is a relationship that benefits all of our owners.  The quality and condition of your property is part of that relationship.

Wear & Tear

With increased occupancy of your property, you may notice normal wear and tear.  In general, we don’t see much in the way of significant damage; however there are a couple of areas that you should plan to accept.  So what is normal wear and tear in a nightly vacation rental?  If your house accommodates 8 people and rents for 105 nights, that’s potentially 210 people playing, eating and drinking in your home.  Homeowners should plan to set aside a percentage of rental income each year to re-invest into their property.  Carpeting and furnishings may only last one-half the time they would in a personal residence.  Think of a sleeper sofa, you may use it 4-5 times a year at home.  A nightly rental means (given 105 nights) that the sleeper sofa may be opened and closed twice a day for 105 nights.  That’s 210 times!  If there’s a coffee table in front of it, it has to be moved or dragged across the carpet the same number of times! 

Unless you have high quality bicycles, there can be maintenance issues when people take them off the bike paths.  The best bikes are the single speed, coaster brake, fat tire models.  They require less maintenance and stand up to a higher level of use.  Talk to us before making a purchase.  Bikes you can purchase at the “Big Box Stores” do not hold up well.  Also, you can expect a certain attrition rate of kitchen supplies.  Wine glasses get broken in the dishwasher, coffee cups go missing, etc.  You may find some kitchenware at your neighbor’s home or vice versa.  This would be the inadvertent result of a reunion occupying two or more properties.  The low humidity here in the high desert is hard on wooden furniture especially dining chairs, since they experience stress in the normal usage.  The lumber shrinks, the glued joints crack, and then they become weak.  You could also expect minor smudging on the walls around corners and staircases.  This most likely comes from luggage bags rubbing the walls.  The quality of your furniture and amenities will be a factor in the life expectancy.

Some common items you will likely need to budget to repair or replace annually are bikes, dishes, glasses, cookware, and hot tub covers.

So what could you expect if there is a significant damage incident?  We have a maintenance department and can make repairs in a wide range of areas involving “accidental” damage.  There can be little or no charge for most of this.  If we get in the habit of blaming every guest for each minor incident, it may backfire with less occupancy of your property in the future.  If there is significant damage or if the damage appears to be reckless, we will have a deposit, a credit card or both and will do our best to collect from the guest.  Fortunately, out of about 5,000 reservations per year, we have only needed to go back to less than 6 guests per year for collection (and the amounts are typically in the $75 to $250 range).  Our highest amount in ten years has been a claim for only $600, which was paid by the guest.  It is important to understand however, that you as the owner are ultimately responsible for your property and it is important that you have accurate insurance coverage for liability and damage.  Check with your insurance company regarding extent of coverage for a vacation rental home.

New vacation rental homeowners should view their home as an investment.  While you have a personal attachment to your property, it’s important to view it as a rental property that will generate income to pay for a portion of your investment.  Bennington Properties’ goal is to maximize each owner’s income potential.  We will do our best to keep every unit rented, clean and well maintained.  In order to meet this goal, homeowners are asked to evaluate and refurbish their homes, where needed, on an annual basis.

Please read the following décor and amenities list and carefully consider each item before deciding whether or not to incorporate it into your rental property.

Flooring:  Carpet vs. Hard Surface - The heavy traffic areas of carpeting need to be cleaned in mid-season, at a minimum, to insure a fresh, clean appearance.  Coffee and coke “dribbles” are normal wear and tear and must be expected.  The guests that arrive in August deserve a home in as good a condition as those that vacationed the first of June.  Plus, your August guests are paying the highest rate for your home!  If you’d rather not contend with the wear and tear associated with carpeting, hardwood flooring and tile are both great alternatives, especially in high traffic areas such as living rooms, dining rooms, recreation rooms, kitchens and even stairways.

Electronics / Remotes - Guests love to see nice stereo equipment and high end TV sets in their rental homes.  If your system involves more than a DVD player and TV, please provide detailed instructions so that guests can easily operate the equipment.

DVD / Video Library - A movie library is a great amenity to offer your guests.  However, we do not open each case or count the number of titles each week.  Assume that you will lose a percentage of your movies each year.

Pool Tables / Cue Sticks / Ping Pong - Because these games are so frequently used by guests, you should expect to repair them every one to two years.  The breaking of billiard sticks and/or tips is common and considered normal wear and tear.

The following items are NOT recommended in rental properties*:

Game systems

Remote controls for Garage door opener

Sports equipment (basketballs, volleyballs, etc.)

Exercise equipment (treadmill, weights, etc.)

*Please keep in mind, if an item is advertised, we must provide it in working condition.