Frequently Asked Questions

Ask the Questions and Get the Answers.

Natural Retreats makes renting out your vacation rental easy - but we understand that homeowners have a lot of questions. We’re here to help! We have compiled answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive from homeowners. If you don’t find an answer to your question give us a call, or submit an inquiry via our form and a member of our team will reach out right away.

About Us

What makes Natural Retreats different?

Natural Retreats is known for distinctive vacation rentals in remarkable destinations. We pair our handpicked properties with resort-style amenities and services, delivering exceptional vacation experiences throughout each of our destinations.

Our local team are experts in high-end home management providing you personalized care, housekeeping, security, maintenance, and consistent owner communication. We serve as your local hosts to guests providing dynamic sales, marketing plans, and seamless booking experiences.

We Make Our Guests Feel at Home & Our Homeowners Feel Like Guests through concierge-style services and check-ins, knowledgeable information, and thoughtful amenities to ensure we are maximizing the revenue potential for your home. Our owners seamlessly enjoy time in their homes and peace of mind while they are away.

What is the length of your standard management agreement?

Our standard agreement is for 12-months from the effective date and renew for an additional year at the end of the term unless either party provides advanced written notification of their intent to cancel per the terms and deadlines of your management agreement. You may cancel the agreement at any time with sufficient notice.

How do I make reservations for myself, friends, or family?

Our owners make personal and friends/family reservations via our propriety owner's portal. Our owner's portal is a web-based system which you can access through any computer/phone/tablet without the need to download an app. You'll have the ability to add notes or requests that pass directly to our sales and operations teams to any reservation booked in through the owner's portal.

Do I get a special discount on other homes or destinations?

Becoming a Natural Retreats’ partner not only elevates your vacation home’s reputation and recognition to a national database of travelers, but when you join us as a homeowner, you also receive special rates at many of our other beautiful destinations throughout the United States.

Property Management

How do you handle on-the-ground services?

Unlike most national vacation rental management companies that work through 3rd party vendors or rely on homeowners to make arrangements for routine repairs, Natural Retreats offers a full range of services via our trained contractors and repair personnel. Most routine maintenance needs will be serviced through a Natural Retreats property specialist. For any specialty repairs such as HVAC, pool service, or appliance repair, we only work with insured and accredited partners that have been vetted to ensure repair integrity and the best price possible.

Will you call me when my house needs repairs?

Yes, Natural Retreats will make owners aware of any necessary repairs or replacements over the pre-approved amount, which is typically $200 - $300. The only exception is in a situation where delay could cause damage to the property or harm to the guest.

What is your process for handling emergency repairs?

Whenever repair needs arise, we make every effort to make our owners aware and discuss remedies. That said, we do work to mitigate all damages that could continue if not addressed. With rare emergency repair events in mind, we take a proactive approach by first coming to an agreement with our owners on cost threshold they're comfortable spending before first giving approval.

How frequently will you check on my property during vacant periods?

Each property will be checked on a weekly basis. If your property remains vacant for a period of 2-weeks, we will perform a property walk through at no cost to you.

How does garbage collection work?

This varies by location, but in general, our housekeeping and maintenance staff will ensure all garbage is disposed of properly following each guest stay.

Guest Experience

How do you handle questions and requests from guests?

Our sales and concierge team is a real distinguishing aspect of our guest services experiences. We have a team of travel professionals in all of our locations that look after each guest stay. We handle everything from making reservations over the phone, to answering home specific questions such as in-home amenities, sleeping configurations, proximity to local attractions, to what the view is from the property to name a few. We're able to accomplish this level of product knowledge by sending each of our agents to each location to experience it as a guest would. This firsthand knowledge enables us to accomplish our goal to provide each guest with a unique experience that meets their individual needs. This high level of service creates loyal customers to our destinations and your property.

For all needs that come during the guest stay all guests have a direct line to our onsite team who actively manages all aspects of their vacation.

How are guest payments handled?

We make the payment process as easy and convenient as possible. In accordance with our booking terms, we accept credit card and bank transfer payments directly from guests. We also offer our guests the convenience to make their payments online via our websites. Reservation balance payments are collected well in advance of each guests arrival. Any reservation set to arrive without first paying the balance will not be honored and they'd be unable to access the residence.

Do you handle all guest communication?

We employ a variety of channels to communicate with our guests. Our guests may contact a Natural Retreats staff member 24/7 - 365 over the phone, via email, or through our online chat feature to name a few.

Do you allow smoking in your properties?

All of Natural Retreats managed homes prohibit smoking.

What is your security deposit policy and how do you handle property damage?

Each guest stay includes a mandatory charge for accidental damage protection. This protection includes coverages for accidents such as broken cutlery or removing spill stains from carpet. Per our terms and conditions, any guest damages above this amount will be charged to a pre-authorized card on file for the guest. Any damages deemed to be intentional or egregious upon the post checkout inspection will be charged to the guest immediately.

Security deposits will also be scaled in accordance with each unique property.

How do you screen the guests that will be staying in my home?

This is where our high levels of service not only serve our guests but also our homeowners. We understand that our product is you as the homeowner. As such we take great lengths to make sure that your property is protected through our guest interaction. We will always protect your investment above all else, including guests. Over the years we have learned what to look for when vetting out our guests and we are proud to protect your property above all else if there is any red flags in our vetting process.

How do you deal with noisy guests or those who break rental rules?

All guests are provided a detailed account in writing of all property and location rules. Guests must sign a rental agreement that states they must abide by all rules or risk immediate remove from the premises without refund. In instances such as noise complaints, our on-the-ground management staff will contact the guest immediately to first notify the guest that they are in violation of house rules and provide a warning that any additional complaints or violations will result in their remove from the property. Additional infractions will be handled directly by our management who will involve local law enforcement when needed.

Service Fees/Costs

Your commission rate seems high. What does it cover?

We encourage you to interview several vacation rental management companies and explore the different models to find the right fit for you. Historically, any company promoting a split under 20% is offering marketing and reservation services only. They may not ever visit your property, and cleaning and maintenance services will need to be retained separately. Most full service property management companies are going to fall in the 25-40% range depending on location. Where they are within in this range usually depends on how they bill for things like credit card fees, listing site, subscriptions, etc. We work to make our commission as inclusive as possible, and do not bill owners for any marketing, credit card fee’s or accounting services.

Is there a cost to the owner for cleaning after a personal stay?

In short, yes. We provide a full service clean and inspection following every stay, including owner stays. Owners are charged for the labor/time it costs us to ensure the home is guest ready again. The price for this owner cleaning will be determined and agreed upon before our management agreement is executed. If owners elect to clean their home following a personal stay, returning it to guest ready standing, then the cleaning fee could be waived following a post stay inspection.

What upfront, monthly, and other “hidden” fees (booking channel fee, management fee, credit card fee, etc.) do you charge?

You will only be charged our agreed upon management fee for guest reservations. You will not be charged a booking channel fee, or credit card fee on any guest reservations. We do offer reoccurring services at some locations such as monthly pest control or electrotonic lock management that you may elect to enroll in, but this will be voluntary.

Do I have to pay for housekeeping?

Our homeowners do not bear the cost of housekeeping for guest reservations which Natural Retreats arranges and manages.

Do I need to provide soap, paper towels, toilet paper, etc for each guest reservation?

No. Homeowners do not bear the cost of providing consumables for each reservation. Natural Retreats furnishes each reservation with a starter set of consumables such as soap, paper towels, trash bags, dish detergent, toilet paper, etc. Once this starter set is exhausted, it is the guests responsibility to purchase additional provisions. These consumables will be restocked following each guest stay at no cost to you.

What if I already have forward reservations?

There are a variety of ways we can handle this scenario, all of which we are open to discussing. Natural Retreats is amenable to negotiating on and accepting a reduced management fee, acknowledging that considerable expense went into confirm the transferred reservation.

Additionally, we can migrate any and all reviews that you currently have on your privately run VRBO, AirBnb, etc. sites.

Property Qualifications

Do I need special insurance to list my home as a rental?

Yes, we require maintaining the industry standard coverage which includes comprehensive general public liability insurance covering any and all claims or demands arising out of the operating, renting or maintenance of the Property in the suggested amount of $1,000,000, and property insurance for the replacement cost of the real and personal property.

Do you have any owner usage restrictions?

It's your home and you're welcome to use it at your pleasure! We do not restrict when or how long our owners can utilize their properties. We do require that you reserve your property in advance to prevent any availability conflicts with guest stays.

Do I have to commit to a certain amount of availability?

You do not. It is our goal to maximize your revenue. This goal can only be achieved with maximum availability. The more availability you provide us with, the more we can sell and generate revenue for you. This decision however lands with you as the property owner.

Do I need to have a big expensive home to be managed by Natural Retreats?

While Natural Retreats primarily manages high-end luxury accommodations in resort towns, we are open to reviewing the property for every interested homes, providing feedback if/how the property would be a good for the Natural Retreats portfolio.

What am I required to have in my home?

Guests expect a fully-furnished home when booking a vacation rentals including appliances, cookware, glasses, silverware, internet, TV, etc. We are happy to work with you to ensure that all desirable amenities are in place.

Does my home need to offer Wi-Fi and cable TV?

We do request that these amenities be available to our guests. Considerations will be made in any regions where these services are not readily available.

Do I have to allow pets? If I allow pets, are guests charged a fee? If so, will I receive revenue from such fees?

This is completely your choice. We have seen an increase in the number of guests that travel with their dogs, so allowing pets in your home will increase the appeal of your property to the widest range of travelers. We do charge any guests bringing a dog a pet fee which is non-refundable. This fee is used to perform the extra cleaning that may be required to remove any pet hair/dander from the property following the guest stay. These funds are typically applied towards the additional labor and consumable expense, but revenue splits on such fees could be pass to you at certain locations if agreed upon in your management agreement.

Price/Rate Management

How do you determine nightly rental rates?

Our in-house revenue management team actively studies current market statistics, comparable properties, and historical data and trends to determine fair market rates and seasonality. Nightly rates are reviewed on a weekly basis and adjustments are made as needed to keep our pricing for your home competitive and fair. It's our shared goal with our owners to maximize each nightly rate. Rate ranges and minimum/maximum thresholds will be discussed with owners to avoid any miscommunications.

Financials and Reporting

How are my expenses tracked and accounted for?

Yes, all expenses are tracked and accounted for. A detailed account is provided within your end-of-month statement.

Do I have to worry about taxes?

You do not. Each guest is charged the required tax amount on every reservation. We will remit these taxes to the appropriate municipality on your behalf. You will also be provided with a full tax account at the end of each financial year for tax preparations.

When do I get paid for reservations?

Natural Retreats will deliver Owner’s share of the Net Accommodation Revenue no later than the last day of the month following the month in which such amounts are earned.

Marketing/Sales

What is your marketing strategy for my short-term rentals?

Your home will be supported by strategic marketing initiatives at the local, national, and global level with targeted digital advertising, social media and email marketing, as well as public relations campaigns to ensure your home receives maximum exposure at every level.

Where is my home marketed? How do you enable online bookings?

With development of the digital age, we place particular emphasis on those channels. We will showcase your property on our directly managed websites, NaturalRetreats.com and ABsite.com, both of which benefit from the traffic driven by aggressive Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing strategies. In addition to our directly managed websites, Natural Retreats will distribute your listing to a robust network of online travel agents, such as HomeAway/VRBO, AirBnB, TripAdvisor/Flipkey.

We are pleased to announce that Homes & Villas by Marriott International, the newly launched vacation rental brand of Marriott HotelsⓇ, has partnered with Natural Retreats to offer our portfolio of distinctive vacation rental homes to its 120 million Marriott Bonvoy members. Only Marriott’s hand-picked partners, such as Natural Retreats, may list properties on Homes & Villas.

How do you encourage repeat guest bookings?

Our reservations team is dedicated to knowing your home and the area, so that we offer a seamless booking experience. We pride ourselves on offering exceptional guest service around the clock, which gives your home increased repeat and referral guest revenue year after year. Our repeat guests are so excited to rebook that they often do so before returning home from their current vacation.

This is where exceptional service really shines through. We strive to create brand loyalty through consistent and quality experiences with all of our guests, capitalizing on bringing repeat guests from other destinations and introducing them to our entire portfolio.

Do I need to arrange and pay for photography?

At no cost to the homeowner, Natural Retreats provides professional home portfolio photography that is in line with current design and luxury hotel styling practices. Home listings are optimized to make your home more appealing to the right guests.

Additionally, we also provide professional property consulting services to homeowners wanting to further their home’s appeal and marketability.

Let's Get Started

We want to be your vacation rental partner for years to come, but we believe in earning your long-term business—not locking you into an ironclad contract.

Plus, enjoy your vacation home whenever you like. We don’t limit the number of nights you can use for your own vacations—and it’s easy to reserve your preferred dates in your online owner account. Your home will always be yours.

Interested in Joining our Luxury Vacation Rental Management Program?

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No Startup Fees | No Long-Term Contract | Higher Financial Return