Common Questions, Honest Answers

With co-hosting, you remain the legal owner and operator of record. Your listings stay in your name, guest payments come directly to you, and we operate as your service provider. Traditional property management typically takes possession of your listings and revenue, then pays you out — which can change your tax treatment and reduce your control. Co-hosting keeps you in the driver's seat.

National companies operate at scale and treat properties as inventory. We treat each property like our own — because that's exactly how we got here. We own a Smoky Mountains cabin that earned Airbnb Superhost and Vrbo Premier Host status in our first eligible quarter. We use the same systems on your property that we use on ours.

No. We handle day-to-day operations, but the owner remains involved in key decisions. This keeps the relationship transparent and aligned.

A one-time onboarding fee covers the complete setup process — listing optimization, dynamic pricing configuration, vendor sourcing, smart access, welcome book, and quality checks. After that, we charge a percentage of net booking revenue (excluding cleaning fees and platform fees). Exact pricing is shared during your discovery call once we understand your property.

For Airbnb bookings, the owner receives rental income directly, and Trinity STR Management receives its agreed co-host fee through the platform when available. For Vrbo and other channels, the owner receives payouts directly and Trinity STR Management invoices for management fees. Either way, you remain the owner of record — important for preserving tax position.

The owner is responsible for all property-related expenses, including cleaning, maintenance, repairs, utilities, and supplies. Trinity STR Management coordinates these services but does not act as the payer unless otherwise agreed. Cleaning fees pass through directly with no markup.

No. We don't mark up repairs, supplies, vendor invoices, or cleaning fees. Our compensation is the onboarding fee and management percentage. That's it.

It doesn't — and that's one of the key advantages of the co-hosting model. Because you remain the owner of record on your property and your listings, you maintain full control of the asset and continue to qualify for short-term rental tax benefits, including accelerated depreciation, cost segregation, and material participation rules where applicable. We always recommend confirming specifics with your CPA.

This structure keeps income and expenses directly tied to the owner and allows for continued involvement in key decisions. This may support cleaner records and participation tracking, but each owner should confirm tax treatment with their CPA.

Yes. Many owners use participation tracking tools or methods recommended by their CPA to document participation hours.

We do. Guest communication is one of our core operational pillars — fast, professional response across messaging, calls, and emergencies, including overnight. Quick response time is the foundation of every 5-star review.

Cleaners — we use ours. If we're delivering 5-star results, we can't compromise on the single biggest factor in guest reviews. Cleanliness drives more 1-star reviews than any other issue. Our cleaners are trained to our standard, accountable to us, and rotated on a system that ensures consistency. Cleaning fees pass through directly with no markup.

For other vendors — handymen, lawn care, hot tub service, pest control, pool maintenance — you can use your existing relationships if you have trusted pros. If you need recommendations, we have a vetted local network.

Yes. It's your property. One thing to keep in mind if you're claiming accelerated depreciation: the IRS has rules around personal use days that can disqualify your STR tax treatment if you exceed certain thresholds. We'll flag this during onboarding and recommend coordinating with your CPA before blocking extended periods.

We follow your chosen cancellation policy. We recommend Moderate or Strict for most properties — we'll discuss what makes sense based on your goals. For exception cases (weather, family emergencies), we communicate with you before issuing any goodwill refund.

We provide monthly performance reports comparing your property to market benchmarks. If you're underperforming, we identify why and adjust — pricing, photos, listing copy, amenities. If you're outperforming, we tell you what's working so we can do more of it.

Yes. Always. Your listings stay in your name. We're added as a co-host with operational permissions. If our partnership ever ends, you walk away with everything intact — your reviews, your ratings, your account history.

Honest answer — listing photos are the #1 factor in whether a guest clicks your listing. Phone photos that look great on your camera roll often look flat, dark, or amateur once they're sized down to a thumbnail competing against 50 other cabins. We strongly recommend professional photography during onboarding. It typically pays for itself in the first 2-3 bookings through higher conversion.

That said, it's your call. If you have professional-quality photos already, we'll use them. If you'd rather skip it, we'll use what you have and revisit it later if conversion is suffering.

Yes, with notice. After the initial onboarding period, we use a simple month-to-month agreement that either party can terminate with 30 days' written notice. If the agreement is terminated early for reasons unrelated to performance, an early termination fee applies — we'll walk you through the specifics during your discovery call.

Most properties go live within 14-21 days of signing. Timeline depends on property condition, photo readiness, and vendor sourcing.

When practical. For Smoky Mountains properties, we visit in person during onboarding for a thorough walkthrough. For properties further out, we use detailed virtual walkthroughs combined with on-site partners. Most onboarding work doesn't actually require physical presence.

You'll receive an onboarding checklist and a single point of contact. We'll schedule your discovery details session, gather property information, begin listing setup, and walk you through every step. By go-live day, everything is configured and tested.