TAXES/VALUE SCORES: City and state taxes on short term rentals in GA have increased quite a bit since 2021. Currently:  

1. Stays of 30 nights or less are subject to a $5 per day hotel/motel fee, an 8% lodging tax, and 8.9% sales tax

2. Stays 31 to 90 nights are subject to a flat $150 hotel/motel fee, 8% lodging tax based on 30 nights, and 8.9% sales tax

3. Stays of 90 nights or more are subject to a flat $150 hotel/motel fee, and 8% lodging tax based on 30 nights

 

As the state taxes have increased, our value scores have decreased, despite us having lowered our rental rates as much as possible to help offset. We ask that you please consider taking only our rental rate into account when assessing value scores on platforms like airbnb and vrbo, since we have no control over state taxes and fees. 🙌

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HVAC: Most air conditioning and heating systems in typical home environments can handle about a 20-degree difference between outside and inside air temps. That means that if it is 90 degrees outside and the thermostat temp is set to 70, the system may have to run nonstop to get there. This is especially true in more humid places like Atlanta (lucky us!). 

Having to run non-stop increases the risk of system failures, and often results in insanely high utility bills. So, we just ask you to please keep this general 20-degree rule in mind throughout the day and night, and take a few small measures to help, such as in the summer months, setting the temp a bit higher when you leave (or set a schedule), running fans (if applicable), closing any curtains and/or blinds possible, especially during the hottest times of the day. 

Of course, even when taking preventative measures like above, HVAC systems can still call it quits. If you find that the system is not turning on, pushing out air, etc., let us know and we will do our best to get it back on track asap!

 

Bugs: Unfortunately bugs are common in the south, especially during the warmer months and during the transition from spring to summer and sometimes even during the transition from summer to fall.

 

We agree that bugs are unsettling and unwanted inside the home. As such, we have all of our ground level free standing homes on more frequent treatment schedules than a typical homeowner would (bi-monthly vs quarterly). Even still, you may occasionally see bugs, such as the large "water bugs" that are common during the spring and summer months. They often come inside to either find water when there's been a consistent lack of rain, or to avoid water when there's been a consistent downpour of rain. 

 

These pests love it when they have easy access through open windows and exterior doors so we recommend keeping them closed to help avoid issues. If you see water bugs (they are large so they are hard to miss!) or any other types of bugs, please let us know and we will get pest control out ASAP for a touch up visit. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding!

Quiet Enjoyment: Your quiet enjoyment is important to us, so we do our very best to avoid needing access to our property during your stay. However, while infrequent, on occasion we (or our owners/landlords/vendors) may need to gain access to our property during your stay, especially since our stays tend to be longer term.

 

The need for access is typically for more pressing matters such as potential water leaks, HVAC, or appliance issues, etc., but can also be for more routine services that are required to help keep the property in tip top shape, such as pest control treatments or other necessary/routine maintenance needs.

 

On the rare occasions where we have to enter the premises for an unplanned visit, we try to give as much notice as possible, but sometimes the notice given to us (from our Landlords or Owner Clients) is shorter than we would prefer. Should that happen during your stay we apologize in advance for the inconvenience and greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation.  

 

How to Avoid Extra Fees:

Don't smoke:
Our properties/buildings are 100% smoke-free. Please refrain from any kind of smoking in these units or in any building common areas (if applicable) to avoid hefty fees. Also, note that our buildings do have exterior cameras in the common areas. 

Keep track of keys/fobs:
Know the whereabouts of the unit keys and parking passes to avoid costly replacement fees (vary by unit/building and can get quite costly). We also recommend leaving an extra key in your secure lockbox (where applicable) to prevent lockouts. 

Be mindful of utilities:

Please keep in mind that there's a cap for utility usage. It's not an unreasonable cap, however, we recommend that you set your thermostats so that the A/C or heat doesn't run excessively while you are not in the unit (per our note above regarding HVAC). Also please refrain from running the heat or air for long periods while windows or doors are open. Also please report any dripping faucets or running toilets to us as soon as possible. Thanks for your help!

Avoid stains and treat asap if needed: 
Accidents happen, we totally understand. We just greatly appreciate any effort you make toward saving our item from total ruin (and keeping it nice for you next time!). Acting fast and pre-treating stains can often make a huge difference. So whenever possible, please treat spills or other mishaps on towels or linens immediately to help prevent a permanent situation. Also, please be sure to separate our black make up towels from our white towels when laundering. Excessive staining (of multiple items or items that look like they were inappropriately used) may result in replacement fees. Stain removal tips

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We've also seen an uptick in Guests removing duvet covers from the duvets during their stays because some Hosts may not launder the covers after each stay. Oftentimes it results in stains on the duvets themselves, which will result in fees to try and remove or if we have to replace. Please note that we our duvet covers are changed out with clean ones following each stay, so no need to remove. 

Treat throws kindly:
Some of our units have throw blankets in the living room and/or bedroom(s). While we provide these throws for added comfort, we do realize that it's a bit tricky because some people are not thrilled about the idea of sharing throws with others. We totally understand. And if you are uncomfortable with using a throw please feel free to place it in the closet until your departure. Amazon is a great place to purchase inexpensive throws for your stay if you prefer a new one. Some  of our throw blankets are machine washable. If the throw in your unit is machine washable, as indicated by a tag, we are okay with you washing and drying it per the instructions. However, some throws are dry clean only. We do dry clean our throws on a regular schedule but not between every stay. If you wish to dry clean one of our throws, we are okay with it -- just let us know. But please DO NOT WASH A DRY CLEAN ONLY THROW as it will ruin it and we will have to charge for replacing it (and they are not inexpensive). Thanks so much!