FAQ
Why Staylocal?
Most of our owners have been with us since 2014 & continue to trust us with new properties.
We are the longest operating full-service STR management company in Seattle. We are the ONLY company, including the national brands, to keep operating through covid & regulations.
Our team is ALL in-house.
We started in Hospitality managing hotels - More about us.
Long-term property care is a priority.
This IS what we do.
Does Staylocal use subcontractors or 3rd party cleaning companies?
Nope! ALL of our team is 100% in-house. This keeps our costs down and quality within our control. This is something that is unique to Staylocal.
Are there requirements for STR’s?
In King County, the homeowner is required to have a Seattle Business License + a Short-Term Rental Operators License.
How long has Staylocal been in business?
We have been in business since 2014, we were the first professional hosting company in Seattle and the ONLY short-term rental management company to survive the county’s regulations and covid. This includes national companies that either went bankrupt or left the state. We aren’t going anywhere :)
How does owner support and communication work?
Our owners have a dedicated support email with an average 24-hour response time. We also provide an owner portal for viewing your property performance and all tasks happening at your property in real time.
How does Staylocal handle guest support and communications?
Our team provides 24/hr support for guests. Generally, all messages are responded to within 20min to an hour at the latest. Most issues that come up are resolved within an hour between 9a-9p.
How does Staylocal handle property care and maintenance?
We have the best maintenance team hands down! We prioritize maintenance based on the impact on guest experience, safety, and the overall impact on the property. There’s virtually nothing we haven’t experienced and nothing we can’t handle. All maintenance tasks are logged and tracked in our property management system and viewable to owners via the owner portal.
We also provide 2 full seasonal property inspections per year.
Can Staylocal help set up our rental?
Absolutely, we have a flat hourly rate for anything that’s “out of scope”. We aren’t designers by any stretch, but we have furnished/set up 450+ successful short-term rentals. - Note: A a deposit is required in additional to all furniture/items to set up to be onsite.
What E-lock to get:
Our preferred lock is the Schlage Camelot. It’s dummy-proof and has a manual knob that can override a dying battery.
*Avoid August locks and if you really want the features of a more tech-enabled lock, Schlage encode works great.
How much will my rental make?
There are so many things to factor in and EVERY market is very different. We have an internal marketing report that you will receive after our initial discovery call. We also have a calculator tool that will give you a foundational idea of the income potential. You can find that here - Revenue Calculator
Advice for owners new to investing or rentals?
There is a lot of misinformation in the real estate world, and “passive income” is one of the biggest. In no way is renting your property passive (that’s where we come in). Additionally, cash flow is not guaranteed and cannot be forced - we are limited by the local market and we will always position your property in the best way to generate revenue.
Your debt service and expenses, specifically utilities, are the key factors that determine your property’s ability to generate positive cash flow.