A partnership with
The Boroughs is a truly
human relationship.

We adapt our services to each owner dependent upon their specific need. Our baseline service delivery method is completely turnkey – hands off, mailbox money. This includes all marketing, guest relations, plus coordinating cleanings, maintenance, repairs, etc. Essentially anything necessary to ensure each space is impeccably clean, well-appointed, and hospitable.

We understand that this arrangement may not work for everyone and can adjust approach to account for preferred vendors, unique reporting requirements, and other special circumstances.

We have been in the short-term rental space in Charleston since 2016. With 7+ years, and about 6,000 stays, our team knows what guests are looking for when planning their trips in Charleston. We also own and develop short-term rentals. Being our own customer, allows us to apply lessons learned (e.g., preventative maintenance, vetted service providers, design/furnishing) to our whole portfolio of Owner-Partners.

As a Partner to our Owners, our agreements are structured based on a revenue sharing agreement. We find this approach ensures there is a common goal for both parties, to drive occupancy and to drive revenue. Our standard revenue share is 20% of gross receipts (sometimes referred to as payouts). It’s a simple calculation, what amount was paid out via a booking platform such as Airbnb multiplied by 20%. We generally expected owners to “net” aka be paid out, 65-70% of gross receipts accounting for our portion of revenue share plus an estimated for cleaning and allocation for repairs and maintenance.

Each jurisdiction in Charleston requires a business license, a permit, or both. As property owners, we know and understand the required processes to obtain a permit, license, and complete the requisite inspections. Although most jurisdictions require owners to prepare and submit the application, our team can help support the completion of the application plus help prepare for and attend the fire inspection (if necessary).

Accommodations taxes are required for all units rented for less than 30 days. These taxes vary by municipality. Owners must apply for the vouchers with the town or city where the rental is located. We can help with this process plus help assemble the required data necessary to pay the taxes. For example, in downtown Charleston, the accommodations taxes are 14% of gross receipts. VRBO pays all 14%. Airbnb pays 10% and the delta must be paid manually by the Owner via the accommodations tax vouchers. Given the importance of taxes, we ask Owners handle this process and The Boroughs team support.

We have a cleaning team that flips units during the 4-hour turnover window. Cleaning includes laundering of all linens plus restocking certain consumables that may have been used by the guests. Given the scale of our partnership portfolio, we have a fixed rate per property “turn” based on bedroom count of each unit. Each Guest also pays a cleaning fee for each reservation. The cleaning fee is including in gross receipts for each payout as well. Our team manages scheduling and quality control of all cleanings as well.

Your property will require repairs at some point. It’s inevitable with guests staying that wear and tear will occur. If a repair is required, we use our network of service providers to ensure a repair is made during the turnover window (if possible) to ensure no lapse in occupancy. Generally, we will always make a repair to ensure guest satisfaction and continuity of guest stays. Preventative maintenance is so important in ensuring we can maximize occupancy in your units plus minimize large repairs that could have been avoided. It’s hot in Charleston so we recommend all Owners have a quarterly HVAC maintenance. We have negotiated a discount for our Owner-Partners but can coordinate with any preferred provider.

We also recommend monthly pest control. When folks first learn what a “palmetto bug” is, we want to ensure that all pest preventative measure have been taken. We have a provider with a discount but can always work with another preferred vendor. Yard maintenance is also important. Charleston is a beautiful City to spend time outdoors and ensuring backyards are manicured for fun and front yards are clean for curb appeal is critical. We have a preferred provider with a large discount but (and sure you are sensing a theme) can always work with another preferred provider.

Yes! Our team can handle anything from swapping furniture to full on cosmetic renovations and full furnishings. We draw from our full portfolio to understand style and layouts that attract guests and can pull those elements into your units. Our real estate experience spans full development projects downtown to cosmetic renovations in North Charleston and updating furniture and fixtures in Mount Pleasant. If you project does not fit what we can do in house, we also have a vetted network of designers and stagers who we have worked with in the past
and can happily refer you to.