Host FAQs
Host FAQs
General
Who are your guests?
Mostly they’re visitors to London: families and couples from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We’ve built a large base of happy returning clients and we always vet our new guests, only accepting people we'd be happy to have stay in our own homes. This standard is a critical part of our service. We automatically decline to deal with unaccompanied young guests (namely those under 30) and those about whom we have any reasonable doubts.
Who are your hosts?
They’re either Londoners who are able to make their home available on and off throughout the year, or people who own a second home here.
What type of properties are you looking for?
We are carefully growing our portfolio by taking on properties which are are fully furnished, well located and available for 6 weeks or more annually. We aim to build a relationship with our owners - many of our current hosts have been with us since Ivy was established in 2009, and some of them have listed multiple properties with us!
How long are the lets and when do your guests book?
Lets range from 5 nights to 6 months. Most rentals are one or two weeks in length. London is busy throughout the year, with the busiest seasons being April to September and Christmas/New Year. We do get last minute bookings but generally our guests book at least a few months in advance.
Are we committed to a contract with you?
No, but by listing with us you agree to our terms of business, and by accepting a let you agree to the terms of our rental agreement, which is between you and the guest. Our one golden rule is that you honour your confirmed bookings (see 'Cancellation' in our terms of business).
Do you require exclusivity?
No, you are free to list with other agents if you wish but we're proud to say only a tiny percentage of our hosts do this. Our advice would be to give one agent a reasonable trial before listing with a second, since dealing with multiple agents can bring more hassle than benefit!
Fees and Rent
How much can I earn?
Obviously this depends entirely on the property and we’ll give a precise quote when we visit, but as a rule of thumb your net weekly earnings will exceed the gross long term rental value for your home for the same period.
How do your fees work?
We agree with each host a host rental fee, which is an amount the host receives for each night their property is let to our guests. This fee may vary according to season, and is net of all our standard fees and VAT, including commission, housekeeping, linen and towel hire, provision of sundries (soaps, detergents etc), advertising, marketing and other listing costs.
When do I receive my rent?
On the first business Friday following the end of the relevant. For longer lets, we can pay in instalments (see our terms of business).
Day to Day
What do I need to do to prepare my home?
Much less than you think - our guests expect to move into a home so it's more a question of making space than moving out! When we visit, we’ll advise comprehensively how it all works. Remember that for each stay we do the cleaning (before and after) and provide everything from bed linen and towels to soaps and information packs for the guests.
How do we manage the property's availability between Ivy Lettings and ourselves?
You will be given access to your own owner account within our booking system, enabling you to update your property's availability easily and instantly. We will take bookings during the times it is advertised as being Available (or, if you mark dates 'Available On Request', following consultation with you) at the agreed rental rate and in accordance with any booking conditions you stipulate (e.g. no children under 10) both of which we agree at the outset.
What happens if something goes wrong during a let?
It's our job to be the main port of call for anything that comes up during a let, and we can solve most problems ourselves. If a contractor needs to be called, we'll arrange that ourselves following our best efforts to consult you, and we will charge this either to you or the guest, depending on the nature and cause of the issue. Guests pay a £500 deposit upon check in, from which we may make deductions to address any damage or losses caused during their stay, in accordance with our rental agreement. However in our experience, we find prevention is far better than cure - by 'vetting' our guests correctly and ensuring they are adequately instructed on how things work etc - we avoid the majority of potential problems. But if it's ever needed, all our hosts benefit from our host insurance cover.
What about keys?
We require two sets of keys for the guests and two sets for ourselves.
Host Testimonials
We have served hundreds of very happy hosts since we incorporated in 2009. Please follow this link to view some of their testimonials.