What to Ask Before You Hire a Vendor for Your STR

For most STR hosts, vendors handle everything physical that happens at the property: cleaning, maintenance, repairs, inspections, landscaping. You're coordinating, not doing the work yourself. 

That coordination only runs smoothly if you know who to call, you've already vetted them, and they know your property. What does that actually look like? A vendor who's been to your unit before knows where the water shutoff is. They know the back door sticks in humidity. They know the breaker box is in the laundry closet, not the garage. That familiarity cuts a two-hour job down to 45 minutes. 

A vendor you've never worked with, called on a Saturday, at a property they've never seen, is going to take longer and cost more. 

Build the list when there's no emergency. Use it when there is. 

At minimum, have at least one contact for each of these before your first guest checks in: 

• Cleaning. Your most frequent vendor. They should know your checkout checklist, your supply locations, and how to report what they find during the clean. 
• General maintenance/handyman. For the small things: a loose towel rack, a door that sticks, a light fixture that needs replacing. 
• Plumbing. Water issues can escalate fast. Know who you're calling before something happens. 
• Electrical. Same reason. A tripped breaker that nobody can reset remotely becomes a bigger problem quickly. 
• Locksmith. Lockouts happen. Having a contact already saves you an hour of scrambling. 
• HVAC. Especially important in markets with extreme weather. A broken AC in summer is a one-star review waiting to happen. 

You don't need a separate vendor for every category. A good general contractor often covers several. The goal is no category left blank. 

Before you add someone to your list, three questions are worth asking: 

Do they have experience with STR properties specifically? Short-term rental bookings turn around fast. A vendor who's used to scheduling a week out won't work well for same-day or next-day needs. Ask how quickly they can typically respond to an urgent call. 

Are they licensed and insured? This matters for liability. If a vendor causes damage to your property or injures themselves during a job, you want to know you're not on the hook. Ask directly and confirm. 

Can they communicate reliably? This sounds obvious, but it's worth finding out upfront. Do they text or call? How quickly do they respond? A vendor who does great work but takes 48 hours to confirm a job isn't useful in a guest-facing emergency. 

Your cleaner is your eyes inside the property between your visits. They're the first person to see if something broke, something went missing, or something needs attention before the next guest. 

Set up a simple way for them to report what they find. A shared photo log, a quick text template, a checklist they fill out after each guest checks out. Whatever system you use, the goal is to hear about problems when they're small, not when the next guest is already asking about them. 

Your HostDesk Property Profile is where you build and store your approved vendor list. When a job comes in, Koli routes it to the right vendor from that list and sends you a notification to confirm before anything gets dispatched. A plumber who's not on your list doesn't get called. A cleaner you removed last month doesn't get sent to your property. Your vendor relationships stay under your control, and Koli handles the coordination once you've confirmed who to send. 

Get started free at thehostdesk.com. 

• What Happens After Your Guest Checks Out 
• How Does the Automation Actually Work? 
• How to Set Up Your Property Profile on HostDesk 
• The Go-Live Checklist: What to Complete Before Your First Booking 
• STR Insurance vs. Standard Homeowner's Policy: What's the Difference?