Questions to ask before hiring a manager
A first meeting goes quickly, and it is easy to leave with a good feeling and few facts. These questions are designed to produce answers you can check later.
About guests
- Who answers guest messages, and how quickly, on a weekday, a Sunday and in the middle of the night?
- How do you decide whether to accept a booking that looks unusual — a large group, a one-night stay, a very last-minute request?
- What does a guest do if they cannot get in? Who goes, and how long does it usually take?
- How are house rules explained before arrival, and what happens when a guest breaks them?
About cleaning and the home
- Do you employ your cleaners or use a contractor? Will it be the same team each time?
- Who inspects a turnover, and how is it recorded — photos, a checklist, nothing?
- How do you handle a repair? What can you spend without asking me, and how do you tell me afterwards?
- Who buys and stores linens, toiletries and cleaning products, and how is that charged?
About money
- List every fee for me, what it is calculated on, and when it is taken.
- When am I paid, and can I see a real (anonymised) owner statement?
- When a guest causes damage, what is your process from discovery to recovery?
About working together
- Who is my single point of contact, and who replaces them when they are away?
- How often will you report to me without my asking, and in what form?
- How do I block dates for my own use, and how much notice do you need?
- If either of us wants to stop, what is the notice period, and what do you hand back?
Listen for the shape of the answer
Good answers are specific and slightly boring: a name, a delay, a document. Be careful with answers that are enthusiastic but unmeasurable. And notice which questions the manager asks you — about the home, the neighbours, your own plans for it. A manager who asks nothing is usually planning to treat your home like every other one.
The same questions, as a tick list you can print: manager interview checklist.