FAQ

• How do I know if my property would perform well as a vacation rental?

  Unsalted Vacations offers a no-cost, no-obligation property walkthrough and consultation for homeowners interested in maximizing their rental potential. Our experts evaluate your property based on location, neighborhood desirability, size, capacity, nearby attractions, and compliance with local regulations. During the consultation, we’ll ask questions to understand your goals, expectations, and investment objectives. After touring your property, we provide a professional recommendation on whether your home is a good fit for our vacation rental management program. Maximize your property’s rental income, attract more guests, and ensure a seamless hosting experience with Unsalted Vacations, the trusted experts in short-term rental property management in Michigan.

• How much routine maintenance should I expect with my property?

  For homeowners, it’s essential to have realistic expectations regarding property wear and tear. Normal wear and tear occurs whenever guests occupy a vacation rental property. At Unsalted Vacations, our team works diligently to minimize damage and maintain your home, but some maintenance is simply unavoidable. Homeowners should anticipate periodic carpet cleaning, paint touch-ups, and occasional replacement of broken or worn items. By understanding and planning for routine maintenance in short-term rental properties, you can protect your investment, keep your vacation rental in top condition, and ensure a consistently positive guest experience.

• Why should I choose Unsalted Vacations, versus managing the property myself or hiring another management company?

  At Unsalted Vacations, we combine cutting-edge technology with a personal, high-touch approach to vacation property management. Our goal is to maximize your rental’s performance while providing a seamless experience for both owners and guests. We use professional photography, drone imaging, 3D walkthroughs, and immersive virtual tours to showcase your property, along with a dynamic online platform that gives you real-time access to bookings, calendars, and performance metrics. Smart home systems like Wi-Fi or cellular locks and smart thermostats help protect your property, improve energy efficiency, and reduce expenses. But what truly sets us apart is our local, hands-on management. Our team is always nearby, providing prompt, personalized service to guests, ensuring properties are well cared for, and maintaining strong communication with owners. By blending advanced technology with a local, high-touch presence, we keep your property competitive, secure, and performing at its best.

• When is the best time of year to add my property into the Unsalted Vacations’ rental portfolio?

  At Unsalted Vacations, we add new listings year-round, but the optimal time to list your vacation rental is in the fall. Listing during the fall allows your property to be fully marketed for the upcoming calendar year, giving it the best chance to attract bookings from the very start of the peak season. Adding your property in the fall also enables our team to focus on the onboarding process during slower months, ensuring a smooth setup, faster turnaround, and a fully optimized listing. Properties that are marketed 3–6 months before the peak summer season (June–August) have a significantly higher likelihood of a successful first rental season. For maximum bookings and a strong start, the best window to list your property is between October and March, giving your vacation rental the visibility and preparation needed to shine during the busiest rental months.

• What services are included in “rental management”?

  At Unsalted Vacations, we manage every aspect of your vacation rental to ensure a seamless, stress-free experience for both owners and guests. Our comprehensive services include: Marketing & Advertising: Professional photography, listings on top vacation rental platforms, and dynamic advertising to maximize bookings. Financial Management: Handling all paperwork, rental income, use tax collection and payments, visitor bureau assessments, cleaning fees, and owner payouts via direct deposit or monthly checks. Guest Oversight & Support: Coordinating check-ins, face-to-face interactions, and responding promptly to any guest concerns or issues during their stay. Property Protection: Conducting thorough inventories of any damages, monitoring for excessive wear and tear, and ensuring missing items are reported. We also provide guidance on optional damage waiver policies to safeguard your property. Cleaning & Maintenance: High-quality cleaning services between guest stays and routine property inspections to maintain your home’s condition. Liability & Risk Management: Our team works to protect you from unnecessary liability and expense while ensuring guests sign rental agreements acknowledging responsibility for any damages. With Unsalted Vacations, your property is professionally managed from booking to check-out, giving you peace of mind while maximizing rental revenue.

• What is considered the property owner’s responsibility?

  Unsalted Vacations will only handle maintenance items for the property if they become necessary immediately prior to or during a renter’s stay. For instance, if no renters are booked throughout the winter, we would not be responsible for any oversight or maintenance of the property during that downtime. The property owner is responsible for all regular or preventative maintenance and will be involved in the event that any major maintenance is necessary (i.e. repairs or replacement of HVAC systems, appliance repair or replacement, plumbing or electrical needs or emergencies, etc.) It is also the owner’s responsibility to pay all utilities and coordinate lawn care services or snow removal. We do help coordinate with vendors and subcontractors, and we do offer simple maintenance services, but these would all be handled on a case-by-case basis. Any of these additional associated costs fall under the owner’s responsibility.

• What is the best strategy for off-season rentals?

  Several factors influence the optimal strategy for your vacation property during the non-peak season, typically October through April. At Unsalted Vacations, we’re happy to review your options during a free property consultation. In many cases, we find that combining short-term rentals during the summer with a longer-term placement in the off-season generates the highest income for property owners. However, each property is unique, and decisions depend on variables such as personal use preferences, the costs and feasibility of keeping cottage-style homes open through the winter, and other considerations. Our recommendations are always customized to your goals and needs, ensuring your property performs at its best year-round while aligning with your lifestyle and objectives.

• What if we want to use the property for ourselves?

  Most of our clients do enjoy personal use of the properties—and we absolutely understand and encourage it! However, there must be enough availability for Unsalted Vacations to market, sell, and maintain a profitable and sustainable partnership for both sides.

• How do you screen renters to protect our property?

  At Unsalted Vacations, we take responsible guest selection seriously. While legal limitations prevent us from discriminating in guest selection, we do implement practical screening measures to help ensure your property is well cared for. We require that all primary renters meet a minimum age requirement and adhere to the maximum occupancy limits for your property. In addition, we prioritize guests with positive ratings on Airbnb, VRBO, and other trusted vacation rental platforms, or those who have previously rented successfully with Unsalted Vacations. This allows us to attract visitors who have a proven track record of being respectful, reliable, and responsible. Over thousands of stays, our approach has consistently proven successful. We are continually impressed by how much our guests care for the properties they visit, with many choosing to return year after year. By combining thoughtful guest screening with our hands-on management, we help protect your property and ensure it is enjoyed safely by all visitors.

• How does Unsalted Vacations get compensated for services?

  We offer our services in exchange for a commission based on the gross rental rate. This commission covers all of the services outlined above and is simply deducted from owner rental income deposits or checks, along with a full statement showing the activity that corresponds to the pay out. Quite simply, if we don’t place renters and impress them enough to come back and stay with us, we don’t get paid. If you are successful, we are successful, so we thrive on this model as we truly take pride in earning our keep!

• What are the next steps?

  Reach out to us! Let’s start by talking about your property and getting to know you and what your goals are. Our process is simple and designed to give you clarity every step of the way: Initial Conversation – We’ll answer your questions and learn about your property, your goals, and your expectations. Property Walkthrough – Next, we schedule a no-pressure site visit to evaluate your property, assess its potential, and discuss opportunities for maximizing revenue and guest satisfaction. Recommendations & Agreement – After the walkthrough, we’ll provide tailored recommendations on rates, improvements, and strategies to make your property successful. At the same time, we’ll share a management agreement for your review, giving you the chance to ask questions and ensure everything aligns with your needs. Send us a message with your contact information, and one of our knowledgeable representatives will respond promptly. Let’s explore how Unsalted Vacations can help turn your property into a high-performing vacation rental.