From the first conversation to the first booking: how working with us runs

First conversation — about twenty minutes

You tell us about the flat: location, size, fittings, whether it is furnished, from when and how often you want to let it. We tell you what we consider realistic — including when the answer is that the effort is not worth it.

What we do not do in this conversation: tell you whether letting is admissible at your address. That clarification rests with you, and it should come before everything else — an income projection for a flat that may not be let is worthless. Your municipality is the authority; with condominium ownership the association’s management as well, and under a tenancy your landlord.

That is not a formality. We begin letting only once you have confirmed to us in writing that it is admissible.

Property visit and assessment

We look at the flat. What matters here are things not visible in photographs: sound insulation, window quality, the state of the kitchen, the bathroom fittings, the light, access and the locking arrangement.

You then receive a written assessment: what nightly rate we consider achievable, what occupancy, which guest segment. Together with the assumptions the calculation rests on, so that you can check it.

If we conclude that short-term letting is not worthwhile for this property, we say so. An honest refusal costs you less than a year of trying.

Setting up — ten to fourteen days depending on the property

What happens in that time:

• Photography by a professional photographer. Good pictures raise the click rate measurably; they are the one item on which we never economise.
• Creating the listing: title, description, amenities, house rules. The title is truncated after about fifty characters — the first half decides.
• Setting the pricing strategy, with the event dates for the coming months. A pricing tool recognises demand only once others have already booked; a calendar entry recognises it beforehand.
• Listings on Airbnb and Booking.com, with synchronised calendars. A double booking is the most expensive mistake in this business, because a host cancellation damages the ranking.
• Locking arrangement: key handover or an electronic lock. With an electronic lock, monitoring the battery is part of the job — an empty lock at midnight is worse than none.
• Where needed, advice on furnishing, with an eye to what guests actually book.

Operation

From the first booking the daily work runs: guest enquiries, booking approval, messages before and during the stay, cleaning and laundry between stays, minor repairs up to the agreed limit.

You receive a monthly statement in which every booking, every clean and every platform fee is itemised — not a monthly total that nobody can check. Third-party services are passed on at cost, with receipts.

And you can block weeks for your own use at any time. It remains your flat.

What to expect in the first year

One point that belongs to honesty: a new listing does not reach market occupancy in the first month. It has no reviews, and review volume is one of the strongest factors in ranking.

Reckon on about six months before the operation settles in. AirDNA has found that listings with a good launch date run up to six months above the market average; after a poor start, recovery takes more than six months.

Then there is the season: in Zurich July is the strongest month at 56.2 per cent occupancy, January the weakest at 37.8. Judge the first year over twelve months, not over the first.

What we do not take on

We provide operational letting services. Expressly not part of what we offer:

• Tax advice, tax returns, tax files
• Legal advice, review of contracts or association rules
• Checking the zoning code, the residential share (Wohnanteil) or permits
• Monitoring day limits or letting caps
• Accounting for levies and official notifications, including guest registration
• Rental, income or occupancy guarantees
• Profitability and investment audits
• Insurance advice and claims handling beyond reporting