Letting a home well for short stays does not mean putting it on Airbnb and hoping for the best. It is a job made up of many steps, and each one affects how much you earn and how well the property is looked after. We have been managing short-term rentals between Ospedaletti, Sanremo and Bordighera since 2019 and, in that time, we have looked after more than 200 properties: this is the method we use, from start to finish.
1. The visit, free and with no obligation
We always start from the actual home. We come to see it, assess its location, space, amenities and condition, and check it against the Bollino Abitare (our quality checklist): safety, amenities, cleanliness. We tell you frankly what already works and what is worth sorting out before going live.
During the visit we also give you an estimate of what it could earn, based on data from similar homes we manage in the same area and broken down by season. If you would like an idea beforehand, you can use our income calculator.
2. The proposal, in writing
After the visit you receive a written proposal: the Abitare commission is 30% + VAT, calculated on net revenue, with no fixed fees and no set-up costs. The proposal lists the services included, in black and white. If you want to understand in detail how we get from the price the guest pays to the transfer you receive, we have written a dedicated page: how the figures work.
3. Preparing the home and paperwork
Before publishing, the home has to be compliant and ready to welcome guests. We handle the application for the CIN (Codice Identificativo Nazionale, the national identification code for rental properties) and check the required safety equipment, such as detectors and fire extinguishers. If anything is missing, we tell you what is needed and help you put it right.
We also suggest the small touches that make a difference in reviews: good lighting, quality linen, a fully equipped kitchen, a comfortable place to work. Major spending is often unnecessary: we cover this in our article on how to prepare your home.
4. Photos and listings
The first photos are what decide whether a guest opens the listing or scrolls past. That is why the home is photographed professionally, with natural light and shots that portray the space honestly. Then we write the listings in several languages, with clear descriptions, house rules and all the information a guest looks for before booking.
5. Distribution across several channels
The home is published on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, on smaller portals and on our own direct booking site. All channels are connected through a channel manager: a single calendar, always in sync, with no risk of double bookings. When you need the home, you block the dates and the calendar updates everywhere.
6. Prices updated every day
The right price is not a fixed number. We recalculate it every day based on the season, events (the Festival above all), demand and the dates still available. In high season you can ask for more; in quieter periods it pays to fill the calendar. We explain the reasoning in our article on dynamic pricing.
7. Guests: from enquiry to review
We answer every enquiry ourselves, before and during the stay, in several languages. Every guest completes online check-in with identity verification before arrival and is registered on Alloggiati Web (the police guest registration system), as required by law. If something goes wrong during the stay, we deal with it: you do not get the phone calls.
8. Cleaning and our own laundry
After every stay our teams clean the home following a checklist. We wash and sanitise sheets and towels in our own laundry: we do not rely on outside suppliers, so we control the quality and the timing, even when one guest leaves in the morning and the next arrives in the afternoon.
9. Maintenance and care of the property
A home that is lived in regularly is a home that is checked often. If something breaks, we spot it, have it repaired and you will find the work in your statement, with the receipt. For larger jobs we always ask you first.
10. Tax, statements and transfer by the 15th
We act as withholding agent (sostituto d'imposta): we withhold and pay the 21% tax on your behalf, and at the start of the year we send you the Certificazione Unica (the annual Italian income certificate). We also handle the tourist tax and the mandatory reporting. By the 15th of each month you receive the transfer for the previous month, with a line-by-line statement: revenue, commission, cleaning, withholding tax.
You can follow all of this live in the owner app: bookings, revenue with year-on-year comparison, statements and documents for your accountant.
Where to start
The first step is a chat and a visit, both free. If you like, you can put your home forward or first read exactly what our management includes and the questions we are asked most often.