At your vacation rental, anything and everything can happen. Guests can get locked out at midnight. Air conditioners can break down on a sweltering summer day. Pipes can spring a leak.
For homeowners working with DAS, these issues aren’t high-stress situations. That’s because they have a dedicated local support team to handle it all. Included in our full-service vacation rental management, these local teams are the key to getting glowing reviews and repeat business.
We chatted with five DAS local team members, from Lake Tahoe to Belize, to find out how they support you, your vacation home, and your guests.
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How does your local DAS team help you and your home?
1. They act as an extension of you—caring for your guests and maintaining your investment
From housekeepers to maintenance technicians to local managers, every local support team member delivers two things:
On-the-ground vacation home care
“Homeowners entrust the local teams to take care of their assets,” Allen explains. “It’s a truly important responsibility that we take seriously. “We are a homeowner’s eyes and ears on the ground.”
Even better, DAS has systems in place to take care of issues as quickly as possible. For repairs under a certain amount, DAS will go ahead and fix it immediately and bill the homeowner. Or, if a major repair comes up, we’ll alert the owner and suggest one of our preferred local vendors—or we’ll schedule a vendor on the homeowner’s behalf.
We also offer the Accommodation Protection Program, supplemental damage protection exclusively for vacation rentals.
24/7 guest service
“Our local teams are the go-to people for basically anything guests need,” Len says. The oven breaks or WiFi goes down? The local team overseeing that area knows every home, has trusted vendors on speed dial, and can quickly jump in to help. Having guest service within immediate reach not only makes guests feel safer—it’s critical for garnering a five-star review once they leave.
2. They focus a lot on prevention
Prevention is the name of the game, in more ways than one. “One of our most important responsibilities is thwarting guest problems (and bad reviews) from happening in the first place”, says Sheldon. A lot of our day-to-day efforts are aimed at avoiding future problems for both our guests and homeowners.”
In fact, every time a local DAS team member is at your home—no matter if they’re cleaning or checking out a potential issue—they use their visit to conduct a visual inspection of the home.
Some preventative measures our local teams take:
- Thorough cleanings following every stay. DAS housekeepers are trained in a four-step cleaning process and adhere to our DAS Premium Clean standards
- Pre-arrival inspections, which include checking appliances and amenities, plus testing WiFi speeds
- Routine maintenance checks
- A text to guests upon arrival to gauge their satisfaction with the home and see if they need anything
- Providing all the pertinent information—such as door lock codes—in one place and making sure it’s sent to guests early
- Stocking homes with essential supplies, such as hand soap, laundry detergent, and garbage bags
3. They’re prepared for anything
From spotting a bear outside a mountain cabin to a child who locked themselves in the bathroom (both true stories), our local teams have seen it all. With decades of experience assisting travelers in their destination, our local operations teams are ready to tackle whatever issue comes their way. In Panama City Beach, Rachel and her team are accustomed to helping guests navigate situations typical for their region.
“We’ll call guests ahead of time letting them know if a nearby road is closed or if the beach entrance closest to the property is blocked off,” Rachel explains. “We’re always armed with alternate options for them to enjoy their stay.”
Meanwhile, across the country, Len and his Lake Tahoe staff are primed to help guests find their cabin nestled in the woods and deal with extreme snow or nearby fires.
Some situations our local DAS teams are prepared to handle:
- Broken appliances, air conditioners, and heaters
- Plumbing and water heating issues
- Extreme weather conditions
- Internet issues
- Guests who are lost and can’t find the vacation home
- Early check-ins and late check-outs
- Guests locked out of the property
- Spotting a wild animal onsite
- Disruptive guests or house parties
“Maintenance problems happen wherever you’re staying,” Allen says. “It’s our job to jump on the issue right away and come ready with solutions. The faster we fix any problems, the less impact it will have on the guests.”
“It’s all about making your guests feel safe and comfortable by simply being there for them”, Kaprie says. “I want them to feel like they made the right choice when they booked with us.”
4. They move quickly to resolve issues
Swiftly jumping in with solutions is another way local teams prevent bad reviews.
In Lake Tahoe, Len and his team can be at any home to deal with guests’ issues within 15 minutes on slow days and about an hour on busy days. “Homeowners love that we respond rapidly and take immediate action to remedy guest issues,” Len says. “In most cases, our quick response can save homeowners from paying fines and having damage to their home.”
Kaprie says that speed is paramount to getting 5-star reviews. “When an issue arises, we don’t dawdle,” she explains. “Our local team is always on call to quickly fix problems so guests can enjoy the rest of their trip worry-free.”
”It’s all about making your guests feel safe and comfortable by simply being there for them.”
5. Their team is larger than you think
Most of our homeowners will only interact with one person at DAS—their local operations manager. However, there are so many other team members working behind the scenes.
Market size can dictate how large your local team is. For example, the local DAS team in the Panama City area in Florida consists of 21 staff members, including maintenance technicians, inspectors, property caretakers, and homeowner relations managers.
In South Lake Tahoe, about 50 local team members service our vacation homes.
Robust local teams are vital for successful vacation rentals—so much so that local operations teams make up the majority of the DAS workforce.
6. They can save you a lot of money
With so many local DAS team members looking out for your vacation home and guests, they can more easily spot and react to concerns before they grow into expensive emergencies.
Len recalls a time when water was gushing out from underneath a Lake Tahoe vacation home. Turns out, one of the main water lines had cracked. “We were able to prevent the water from getting inside and damaging the home,” he says. “We had the city shut off the main line, fixed the issue, and had the guest back in the house in about three hours. We also bought them a pizza for lunch.”
Rachel and her team also prevented a flood in a DAS vacation home, thanks to regular inspections. After a team member noticed a small leak was getting bigger and bigger, they investigated and found that the hot water heater in the condo unit above was leaking, Rachel explains. “Since that home above is not rented out, the leak would have worsened and damaged our vacation rental, too. It pays to have a steady local team looking out for you and your home.”
“We protect every owner’s vacation home like it’s our own,” Sheldon says. “We understand how much it can cost to repair damage, and we jump in immediately to minimize the impact.”
7. They have strong relationships with trusted local vendors
Local relationships matter. DAS’s standards are high and our teams have a network of trusted vendors they’ve thoroughly vetted. Two of the major traits we look for in every vendor:
- They respond quickly and show up on time
- They consistently deliver quality work to avoid more issues
“Strong relationships with our area partners are extremely important,” Kaprie says. “We need to resolve issues quickly and rely on trusted experts to help us.”
“Our connections with local professionals are one of the biggest deciding factors for new homeowners to work with us,” Rachel adds.
An example of vendors we have on speed dial in many of our destinations:
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Pool cleaners
- Hot tub technicians
- Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians
- Arborists
- Pest control
- Roof repair