#even with the covid and budget restraints like picture this:

[moongirl0305]

Don't hide this in the tags, omg!!

[superstarstrategies]

What do you do with your holiday homestay rental property?

In light of the uncertainty around when borders will reopen and continued restraint even once travel for tourism is permitted, many owners of homestay accommodation (for example Airbnb listings) are considering securing longer leases for their properties. Chelsea Viljoen of Just Property gives some advice.

“Due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the short-term rental market, many landlords who focused on very short-term rentals in the past have entered the long-term market,” says Chelsea.

“The supply is higher than the demand at this stage and many landlords have had to reduce their rental asking price. Landlords are hesitant to sign for longer than six months in hopes that the short-term rental market will improve”.

But there is an opportunity cost to offering 6-month leases. Moving is often expensive and always disruptive, so tenants may be disinterested in these shorter rental periods, leading to extended vacancies. There are other considerations too, making the shift from homestay to long-term rentals something to think long and hard about.

Conversion considerations

Most tenants will want the premises unfurnished. Remove pieces such as vases and paintings but leave more practical items like fridges and beds until you know for sure, says Chelsea. “If the tenant insists on having all furniture items removed, you will then have to store or sell these. If they want it fully furnished, do a thorough inventory and be clear about who will be responsible for repairing/ replacing items in the inventory.

Any subscriptions that were provided for homestay guests, for example, Netflix, DSTV, security etc might work to attract a tenant but if they don’t want to take over the subscriptions, cancel them.

Evaluating the correct rental

“When you post your listing, you will find out within a week if the rent is reasonable. If there is no response for days, it is almost certainly due to the rental being too high. Don’t list above the going rate, thinking you can negotiate if you need to,” Chelsea warns. “Tenants do not search for properties above their budget and then negotiate but rather tend to search only for properties within their budget.”

Drawing up the lease

“It is very important to customise your lease agreement according to your specific property and tenants,” Chelsea notes. The relevant laws and case studies with regard to the Consumer Protection Act and Rental Housing Act need to be taken into consideration.

“If you bind yourself to a standard online lease agreement, you open yourself to risk,” she says. “Rather work with an experienced rental agent who knows what to include and how to tailor it specifically to your property and your circumstances.”

Marketing your property

“The first thing a prospective tenant looks at when viewing an advertisement online is the pictures,” Chelsea points out. Include as many high-resolution pictures as possible and try to show all angles/rooms/the interior/exterior etc. Ensure the beds are made, cupboard doors are closed, lights are on and toilet seats are down.”

Many people are still wary of viewing properties in person, so we recommend filming a walk-through of properties. Making a few clips instead of a very long video allows us to easily share these via WhatsApp, email and on Social Media.

In your advert, include as much information as possible, says Chelsea. “If your property is connected to fibre Wi-Fi, including that in the advertisement could lead to a tenant choosing your unit above another similar one.”

Choosing a tenant

An extensive vetting procedure is the only way to ensure that you are placing the right person in your property. Chelsea insists on the following:

1.      Credit check. Study it carefully.

2.      Pay slips, bank statements, employment contracts etc to verify income.

3.      References from friends, family and previous landlords.

4.      Copies of ID or passport and visa if applicable.

Character traits that in Chelsea’s experience can give you an idea of the applicant include how responsive they are and whether they’re good with communication; whether they pay rent on the same day every month; whether the rental amount paid varies; their spending habits and whether money being saved. Most of this can be deduced from bank statements.

“Another good idea is to check out their profiles on social media,” says Chelsea. “You can tell a lot about a person by their online presence.”

Listening to an experienced letting agent so freely sharing her tips of the trade highlights the fact that for any homestay host hoping to become a landlord should really consider teaming up with a passionate and astute property professional who intimately knows the market and your area.

SOURCE: www.privateproperty.co.za

SOURCE: www.just.property

[pollsnatural]

#I'm going to be annoying and say it depends on the theme of the episode. it depends what 'looking back' means within the context of#the spn mythos#which they would establish by talking to the still alive orpheus. who would be a white guy in a suit.#GOD an orpheus ep would be SO good#even with the covid and budget restraints like picture this:#we open and keep cutting back to Dean in the empty walking in the dark monologuing to Castiel#explaining to him what's happening and what happened and - most importantly - how Dean feels#and we don't see Cas bc Dean is facing away from him and Dean doesn't even know if he's there bc he doesn't speak#and we cut between Dean slowly breaking down into deeper and deeper topics the longer they walk#like starts off usual false-cheery trying to make the best of things Dean and then gets into#why he doesn't feel good enough for cas. why he loves him. how he breaks whenever cas dies. blah blah blah you know the good stuff.#and it's intercut with Sam (and Jack?) talking to Orpheus and maybe Charon or Persephone to establish context for what happens to Dean#and they have a fun and tense little side quest to convince them to let Dean and Cas out#and near the end of the episode. we're with Dean and he's like. 'i wish you'd just say something Cas.'#and then just before the commercial break he starts to hear. 'Dean.'#and Dean is like. I can't turn around. and Cas starts making pained noises and begging Dean to stop and it's all dialogue from other eps.#and dean is like. TREMBLING with the effort of not turning#intercut with dialogue from Orpheus telling Sam that the Empty tried to fool him with Erudice's voice. or at least. he hopes it was a trick#Dean is finally almost at the exit and he's like 'see cas just a bit further!!!!'#and Cas. has gone completely silent. Dean can't even hear footsteps behind him anymore.#and Dean is like. talking now pretty much just to himself.#'I need to have faith that you'll be there for me. because I may not believe in much but I believe in us. I believe in you.#'and you make me believe in me.'#(a little cheesy but fully sincere as most spn dramatic speeches are)#so he gets through. covers his eyes. waits for 10 seconds for cas to definitely have time to come through (a lesson from orpheus perhaps)#and the last thing we see is Dean pulling his hand away from his eyes and a beautiful look of relief. a single joyful man tear.#roll credits (via @kerryweaverlesbian)