Potential Owner FAQ

Why do I need a Booking Agency?
Renting a vacation home requires time and effort to be successful. You will have to handle advertising, responding to inquiries, taking payments, collecting, and filing hotel /sales tax, handling guest emergencies, complaints, and requests, and providing housekeepers. If you do not have the time, desire, or resources to handle these services, you should hire a Booking Agency. Note: We are not a property management company; we are a Booking Agency.

What services does Aggieland Vacation Rentals provide to Vacation Rental Owners?
We are equipped to service all aspects of your vacation rental home. We schedule a professional photographer, and advertise, promote, and market to potential guests. We service the entire guest experience, including the first inquiry to the reservation process, taking payments, check-in/out, 24/7 guest emergency line, housekeeping, periodic inspections, and guest follow-up and reviews. We collect and file hotel taxes on your behalf, we provide detailed owner statements, make monthly owner payments directly into your bank account, and provide you with year-end reports and 1099 rental income statements.

What does Aggieland Vacation Rentals charge for this service?
The monthly fee for owners is a 25% commission on the gross rental income, less any hosting or processing fee; the sign-on fee is $500, and $500 annual renewal. We also require $500, which is put into a reserve. $250 for photos of the property.

Who pays for the house cleaning?
The guest pays for housekeeping, so this does not come out of your rental income. When you or your personal guests stay at the house, we will also arrange for cleaning and bill you on your monthly statement, or your guests can leave a check for the cleaning made payable directly to the housekeeping service.

How do I get my home listed with Aggieland Vacation Rentals?
We provide you with checklists, a W9, and a Direct Deposit Form, and will prepare the paperwork to be signed in person or digitally. We walk the property with you to review anything you may need to do to prepare the home for rentals. Then once we have all the paperwork filled out, we arrange for photos to be taken and get our checklist started. The checklist process can take about 2 weeks.

What is the commitment to your contract?
Aggieland Vacation Rentals has a one-year contract; however, we believe that if you are unsatisfied at any time, you may provide a 30-day notice, and we ask you to honor all reservations on the books if we are unable to move the guests to another property.

How often can I use my vacation home?
Owners can use their homes whenever they like. You are required to block dates ahead of time as we will not cancel a reservation that is already in place. We provide a link to fill out the Owner Block form with your requested dates and will promptly process the request.

What type of homes will you accept in Aggieland Vacation Rentals rental program?
We accept houses, condos, townhomes, and ranches. We expect homes to be in good condition and tastefully furnished and decorated, to accommodate our upscale clientele.

What am I required to have at my home?
We require homes to be fully furnished and have kitchens fully equipped with cookware, dishware, silverware, appliances, etc. You must have Internet and Cable or Internet-enabled devices such as an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, or Smart TV.

Do I need to provide linens?
Yes, this will give you the opportunity to provide linens that go with your décor and personal preference for your home theme. We suggest white sheets, and towels so they can be bleached and sanitized.

How will Aggieland Vacation Rentals advertise my property?
Many of our bookings come directly through our website and various internet platforms we use. We have a team that focuses on staying active on social media and spreading the word about the different properties we offer. Our past guests are also our best advertisers – we love referrals!! Another great resource is Carla’s real estate company, Aggieland Realtors, and her 25 years of connections, relationships, and other real estate agents who refer her for all their vacation rental clients. Texas A&M University also books or refers visiting professors, contractors, and various contacts for us as we are on their approved housing list.

How do guests make reservations?
Guests will fill out the guest information form, then we will send an invoice fee via PayPal and alternate payment sources when booking directly through our website. The reservations are not confirmed until the invoice has been paid in full, so your property will not be blocked unless paid in full.

What about hotel taxes?
Aggieland Vacation Rentals collects and files all hotel and venue taxes for you. State, City, County.

When do I get paid for reservations?
Owners get paid once a month for all bookings that occurred in the previous month. Detailed owner statements are emailed with payment confirmation by the 5th of each month. We offer direct deposit and desire all owners to take advantage of this time-saving feature.

Who handles maintenance on our property?
We have a list of local contractors we work with and can refer you to, unless you already have service provider relationships. Please give us a list.

What about lawn care?
We can coordinate lawn care needs; however, you control the scope of the work and the schedule. Ask for details.

What other services do I need to have in place?
We suggest monthly or quarterly pest control, pool service if applicable, and HVAC cleaning and service in spring and fall. We can help you coordinate these services for you. Just ask for details. We will provide reminders and important weather notices to all owners via Memos throughout the year.

How do guests access my home?
We ask owners to purchase a Yale/Nest Keyless Lock to eliminate keys for guests, increase security, and improve the overall guest experience. Guests are issued a PIN (personal identification number) that is active only for the period of their reservation. Contractors are assigned special codes as well as owners and staff, so you know who is coming and going. The Nest App and Google Home make it easy for you to monitor and know who is always in your home.

How are damages to my property handled?
Guests pay a deposit when booking directly and are refunded after the property has been cleaned and inspected. If anything needs attention, the deposit is used to cover the costs of any damages. Note: We do not consider normal wear and tear to be damage.