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Imagine you’re someone who just booked an apartment online. You’ve got great expectations, and on the day of your arrival you’re eager to settle in. It’s late, and you’re ready to kick off your shoes after a long flight, and what seemed like endless traffic. Arriving at the location of your stay, you notice there’s no lights outside.
It’s a little suspicious, but you continue on anyway, remaining cautious as you approach the front door. Managing to fumble around for your phone in your bag, you find it so you can use the flashlight. You were sent a message telling you there is a key under a green vase, but to your surprise, there are two green vases, and a key under neither of them.
You spend 30 minutes looking around the house, and after some searching you finally find the key under a small vase around the back area of the house. By then you’re already exhausted, so when you get inside you don’t really notice the nicely folded towels or welcome note on the side table.
Is this sounding dreadful already? Lights and a badly placed door key may not seem like much. But the thing to think about, is how those shortcomings affect the way a guest feels. Bad exterior lighting creates a sense of danger, immediately putting someone on edge, when they should be feeling safe. The key hunting process doesn’t help either, further lengthening the time it takes to get inside when they’re already uncomfortable.
By the time they get inside, everything could be okay, but since most impressions are made at the beginning of an interaction, this could prove to be damaging, to say the least.
And just because it could happen once to one person, doesn’t mean the word won’t get around. Most times, many disgruntled guests can go on to tell others of their experience. This is a nightmare leading to poor reputation, less visitors, and less sales on your end.
If that’s all that a light and key can do, imagine the impact something like a bad a/c unit or lack of hot water could have.
A property management company’s commitment to quality determines how they do in business, and in turn how much you, the property owner can earn. At Olala Homes we know exactly how to handle every aspect of rental property amenities. The following points may serve as a refresher, but are still important to keep in mind.
Most Important Rental Property Amenities
Not all amenities are created equal. Some are more crucial than others, but all play a part in an efficient staying experience. To start with, let us explain the absolutely necessary amenities you need in order to have happy and satisfied guests.
Safety & Security Related Amenities
Remember that door key mentioned earlier? Having to keep track of all the keys, and not losing them is already a challenge. Then there’s the issue of replacing it, and changing the locks on doors if a guest takes them. If you take it a step further, Smart Locks have quickly become vital as a part of the security solutions.
Smart Locks are something we stand behind at Olala Homes. Guests can access the apartments with one click on their phone, and the key becomes valid and expire automatically when the guest starts and finishes a stay. In addition, it functions at a level that is harder to penetrate by those with bad intentions. On the health safety side, Smart Locks has less physical contact than physical keys, thus reducing the potential risk for viruses to pass around.
But, Smart Locks are just a small part of our entire smart home solutions. we implement security cameras, and we can now monitor noise volume, CO2, electricity consumption, and temperature, among other things. In any case, it would be to your benefit to partner with a management company that uses a security system. All is to help manage your properties and provide our guests with a safer and smoother experience.
Reliable Wireless Internet
Among the different types of guests that come and go, oftentimes most of them will want a reliable internet signal. Many parents like to entertain their children with it, busy students use it while traveling, and self-employed business owners rely heavily on it. There are many individuals who now invest in ‘workations’, in an attempt to find relief from constantly working in the same space.
It was estimated this year by Eurofound (2020), that around 40% of individuals employed in the EU have decided to switch their normal full-time work schedules to a telework one. The stress of the pandemic has placed thousands in a state of constant stress, so implementing reliable internet is no longer optional, but necessary.
But business use aside, streaming services like Netflix are now commonplace as well. Having a high speed internet service in addition to entertainment are the best duo for guests and business owners alike.
With all that being said, make sure your internet is secure and safe from outside threats. Even though you’re not responsible for certain damages, you do want to hold the highest concern for guest safety when it comes to internet security.
Do These Things to Keep Your Guests Happy
There’s a multitude of items to be reviewed in preparation for a guest’s stay. But, it probably goes without saying that sanitation is now being held to the utmost importance. Every step from putting on gloves, to disposing of materials are to be monitored closely.
Certain items have sometimes been slacked on by other companies, such as bed comforters and curtains. Everything should be thoroughly sanitized and cleaned before each guest’s stay, with no exceptions. But even with the heavy use of cleaning chemicals it’s important to avoid damaging septic systems. Use caution when choosing cleaning items, and also confirm that what is being used to clean is effective in killing most, if not all strains of bacteria and viruses.
It’s important to keep the following amenities in mind as well:
Clean sink with multiple soap bars
New towels
Fresh Linens
Comfortable pillows
Soft mattress
Sun blocking curtains
Thoroughly cleaned floors, dressers (inside drawers as well), and mirrors
Safe for personal items
Mini fridge
Coffee station
As for linens and towels, using outdated sets that still appear to be usable are not the best option. The slightest makeup stain or spot on bed sheets put guests in an uncomfortable position, leading them to thinking of the last person who slept in their sheets, or used their towels.
It’s the Little Things
Lastly, these things aren’t necessary, but you can be sure that each guest appreciates these add-ons to their stay:
Coffee station (including but not limited to coffee machine, coffee, cups, and creamer)
Hair dryer
Plenty of indoor lamps and lights
Shower gel and shampoo
Guest guides
Hangers in closets
Ironing board
Laundry bags
Washing machines and dryer
Some of these things may seem trivial, but they are still enjoyed. The busy mom who forgot her hair dryer for a wedding will be ecstatic, and the traveler with a bag of clothes to wash will revel in the smell of their fresh laundry.
Doing the Most for Your Guests
Most of the items on these lists can seem obvious to implement at rental properties, but you’d be surprised to see that many businesses don’t. Avoid partnering with a company that gets by on the bare minimum to make a profit. You won’t do good business, and over time you may find yourself struggling to stay afloat.
But good news is, if you read this then you’re probably ahead of most people out there! You care enough to make sure you’re doing all you can do to make the guest experience a good one with your management company. And Here at Olala Homes, that’s our mission too. We take that work off of your hands, and do everything we can to ensure your guests receive the best stay possible.
Schedule a call with one of our experts to explore how Olala Homes can help manage your properties in a safe, efficient and profitable way.