Owner stays: using your own home
Many owners bought their rental partly to enjoy it themselves. Owner stays work smoothly when they follow a few simple habits, and cause friction when they are improvised.
Block dates early
The earlier your dates are blocked, the less likely they are to clash with a booking. Many owners set their own weeks for the following year at a fixed moment — for example when they review the season with their manager. Late changes are possible, but a date already sold to a guest should be treated as sold.
Agree how friends and family are handled
When you lend the home to friends, the manager needs to know who is coming, when, and whether they should be treated like guests (check-in, house manual, cleaning afterwards) or like you. Decide in advance who pays for the cleaning and who they call if something goes wrong.
A locked owner's cupboard
A lockable cupboard or room for your personal belongings — clothes, favourite kitchen items, documents — saves packing and unpacking every visit, and keeps guests from using things you would rather they did not. Tell the manager what is inside so the cleaning team does not wonder.
Arrive like a guest, once in a while
At least once a year, follow the guest instructions exactly as written: the arrival message, the key box, the house manual. It is the quickest way to find out what guests actually experience — a code that no longer works, a tired mattress, a missing saucepan.
Leave the home ready for the next guest
Agree whether a full turnover cleaning is done after your stay and who pays for it. Mention anything you noticed or broke, even small, so it can be dealt with before the next arrival.