Property Manager FAQs

What if I want X to happen? Can it?

TIDY is designed to handle almost any workflow you may want to accomplish for cleaning and maintenance. The reason we can do this is that we combine software, humans, and AI together to find the solution. We are here to solve your workflows, and this includes:

• Want to send a SMS reminder to a pro before a job? Sure. What to review before and after photos and create issues if there is a problem?

Does TIDY do the actual on-site jobs?

No, TIDY doesn’t do the work on site. We work with vendors you provide, or can help you find new vendors.

I’m keeping my own cleaning company for now — what does TIDY still do, and what am I paying for?

Even while your existing cleaning company keeps doing the physical, on-site work, TIDY is still handling the property-manager work around it: coordinating and scheduling with your cleaners, reviewing before/after photos, and monitoring supplies and restocking needs. On top of the cleaning coordination, your plan also covers everything else TIDY automates for the property — listing optimization, pricing strategy, and guest messaging. You’re paying for that AI + human coordination layer, not for TIDY to physically clean the property.

If TIDY isn’t doing any vendor scheduling for an engagement — not even coordinating your existing cleaners — see the Vendor Markup and Vendor Payment Processing fee question below for how that changes your billing. For the full price breakdown, see TIDY Pricing or tidy.com/pricing.

What are prices for individual services?

TIDY supports customers with managing almost any kind of cleaning or maintenance service, and everything is custom. You can request some services online and see instant pricing, but other services we won’t know for sure until we figure out what is right for your specific property.

What should I do if I am not happy with a service I manage with TIDY?

If you are unhappy with a job, for example think a cleaning was bad or not done at all, even though TIDY doesn’t provide the services themselves, TIDY can help in some ways.

First, we are sorry you are having issues with a vendor! We are here to help, and we have several tools to do so:

1. You can leave them a negative review. This lets us know generally you are unhappy with them. This helps optimize future pairings, as we learn what is important to you.
2. You can block this vendor, so you won’t get them again. This is good if you don’t think they are ever going to be a fit.
3. You can dispute the job with the pro. After you leave a negative review, if you feel you need to open a dispute with the pro, you can do that. We have a dispute resolution process that can help solve issues, but it is optional to use.

In addition, after each job is complete, particularly early jobs, we can help you adjust your digital checklist to better reflect your needs. We have found the following to be helpful:

• Marking checklist items as most important
• Adding photo notes describing what you want done
• Adding in-person inspections do your workflows. For the best quality, in-person inspections are the best but they are expensive, so they don’t work for all usecases. We can automatically schedule these after jobs are complete, if you like.
• Adding remote inspections, which are not as good honestly but much less expensive than in-person inspections. You can review the photos or videos from these inspections, or have our team review them for you (note these count as Concierge Actions on an eligible plan).

We are very good at helping you automate and improve your cleaning and maintenance operations, but please remember we are not the on-site vendors so can only help with remote managing of your cleaning and maintenance processes. We have this and more details in our Best Practices guide Best Practices.

I have a flat rate set with my vendor to do a job, how do I set this up in TIDY?

TIDY doesn’t want to interfere with your existing business relationship with a vendor, and can support this. Here is typically how you want to do it:

• You can schedule jobs of the pro’s service type specifically if they have it set up that way.
• You can send job requests using one of the standard service types. You can tell the pro to ignore it if the name is incorrect. We have a future planned feature to allow you and the pro to rename the standard service names to something unique. For example, name the 2.5 hour service the "Standard Cleaning" for you and the pro can call it whatever they want, like "Bob’s Deluxe Cleaning"
• Pros can invoice whatever they want, and we can set it up to match your default rate.
• You can set autopay limits, to only pay pros automatically if it matches your agreed price. If over, it requires manual approval.

Can I use only US citizens?

Each person can add his own custom compliance requirements. This only works with your own pros. Eg. you can set insurance requirements, but we only can confirm them against pros you add to make sure they are compliant, not find you new pros.

Do you have availability or pros in my area?

If you are looking for help finding a pro, we should be able to help you with any well crafted request in all 50 US states (US Only) because our unique model is a powerful combination of software, AI, and humans. See the Pro Search Agent documentation for more details. We give you feedback on requests using AI, to help you craft good requests, or identify times when your requests may be less than optimal. See Acceptance Probability for more details.

My cleaners find checking "done" on checklist items tedious. What are my options?

We understand that checking off each checklist item can feel time-consuming for some pros. Here are two workflow options to consider:

Option 1: Skip the checklist and just complete the job

If you trust your pros and don’t need detailed item-by-item confirmation, they can simply skip checking individual checklist items and just mark the entire job as complete when they’re done. This is the fastest option but provides less detailed tracking.

Option 2: Use messaging with photos for completion

Your pros can view the checklist to see what needs to be done, but instead of checking off each item in the app, they can message you (via SMS to your Smart Number) with photos when the job is complete, saying "job completed" along with any photos taken during the job.

How this works with Concierge support:

• Is this supported? Yes, our Concierge team can mark job checklist items as completed and add photos to the job on your behalf based on the messages received from your pros.
• Photo display: Yes, the photos will display in the completed job summary and job history, just as if they were uploaded directly through the app.
• Plan requirements: This is available on the Autopilot plan. This is NOT considered duct tape - it’s a standard Concierge Action.
• Smart Numbers: Using Smart Numbers is highly recommended for this workflow because it gives your pros one consistent number to message for all properties and jobs. While not technically required, the convenience and centralized communication tracking make it worth the cost for most property managers.

If you choose Option 2, contact our Concierge team to set up this workflow for your account.

Can I drag jobs around in the schedule section to reschedule them?

While drag-and-drop rescheduling would be convenient, we’ve intentionally designed the system to require clicking to cancel and recreate jobs. This is because moving a job typically has significant effects - it triggers notifications to pros, may affect their availability, and can create scheduling conflicts.

Requiring the multi-step process helps prevent accidental changes that could cause problems for your pros and your operations. We can consider adding this feature in the future with proper safeguards, but for now, the manual process ensures you’re making intentional changes to scheduled work.

How long does it take to reply to guest messages?

We always reply within Airbnb’s guidance of 24 hours or less, and aim for 1 hour or less on urgent issues. In practice it’s usually much faster, and it keeps getting faster over time for common questions. Early on we route more replies through a human double-check; as our confidence grows, that happens less and less.

What if tapping the message field redirects me away from the conversation?

If tapping the message input (or when the keyboard appears) takes you away from the conversation to the app’s main page, try these steps:

1. Fully close and reopen the app, then navigate back to the message thread.
2. Use the web version at app.tidy.com as an alternative — messaging works the same way on web.
3. Make sure you have the latest version of the TIDY app installed.

If the issue persists, please contact TIDY Concierge Support and let us know your device type and OS version so our team can investigate.

How do I handle properties that need multiple cleaners at the same time?

For large properties that require 2, 3, or 4 cleaners working simultaneously, we have a few approaches depending on your needs:

Approach 1: Single job with team notes

If your cleaning team knows to bring multiple people (e.g., "always send 3 cleaners to this property"), you can schedule it as one job. Add notes to the job or property indicating how many team members should come. This works well when:

• The team always arrives and leaves together
• You don’t need to track individual cleaner attendance
• You have a consistent team that works together

Approach 2: Separate jobs for each pro/team

We recommend creating separate jobs for each pro or "team" when you need to track who is coming and going individually. This is important because:

• You can track if one person arrives but another doesn’t
• Each pro can check in/out independently
• You have clear records of who completed what work
• You can manage issues if one team member cancels
• Individual accountability is maintained

For example, for a property needing 3 cleaners, you would create 3 separate jobs assigned to 3 different pros (or teams), all scheduled for the same time at the same property.

Setting up automatic booking for multiple cleaners

This works with Automatic Booking today! You can configure a specific property to automatically request 2 or more cleaners for each turnover. For example, you can set up automatic booking to create 2 separate cleaning jobs whenever a guest checks out of a large property. See our Automatic Booking documentation for details on setting this up.

How Concierge can help

If you need help setting up multi-cleaner scheduling, our Concierge team can create the multiple jobs for you. You can also set up automatic workflows to handle this automatically. Contact Concierge to configure this for your specific properties.

Can TIDY help manage properties that also host events (weddings, birthdays, etc.)?

TIDY’s core strength is automating the cleaning and maintenance workflows around any type of booking, including event-based stays. You can set up checklists, schedule turnover cleans, and automate pro coordination for event properties just as you would for a standard rental.

TIDY does not manage the event logistics themselves (catering, décor, permitting, etc.), but for a property that hosts both short-term rentals and private events, you can:

• Manually add event reservations so turnover jobs are created automatically afterward
• Create a separate checklist specifically for post-event deep cleans
• Use the Restock Agent to ensure supplies are replenished between events

If your event use case has unique requirements, reach out to our Concierge team — they can help configure a workflow that fits.

Can TIDY notify me when a guest checks out early so cleaners can start sooner?

Yes. If a guest lets us know they’re leaving early — for example, by messaging your Smart Number — we can notify your pro and move the turnover up so cleaning starts sooner. Turnovers are otherwise scheduled around the reservation’s listed checkout time, so the earlier we hear about a change, the sooner we can adjust.

What booking platform fees should I expect (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, direct)?

Fees change over time, so we recommend checking each platform’s site for the current numbers. For planning, the simplest way to think about it is the all-in cost — what the guest pays vs. what you receive — rather than splitting out separate guest and host fees. As a rough guide, here are the typical all-in ranges:

• Airbnb — ~15.5% total
• VRBO — 14–23% (varies by stay length, location, and booking value)
• Booking.com — 10–25% (varies similarly)
• Direct bookings — Budget ~5% for payment processing, chargebacks, and refund fees. Most hosts discount direct bookings by ~5% to attract off-platform guests, meaning you typically net about 5% more per booking than on Airbnb.

A typical distribution for established STR hosts is roughly 70% Airbnb, 20% VRBO, 5% Booking.com, and 5% direct. Direct traffic starts near 0% and grows over time; paid marketing (Google/Meta ads) can accelerate it but requires upfront cost.

TIDY recommends listing on all three major platforms plus enabling direct bookings to maximize revenue while reducing dependence on any single channel.

How far in advance should I start listing my rental?

As a rule, list as soon as you’re ready — every day your listing is live is another chance to book, and not everyone books right away. Beyond that, the ideal lead time depends on the type of rental.

Short-term: Many guests book last-minute, so a short lead time is fine. More time on the market still helps, but you don’t need months of runway.

Long-term: Renters usually only start looking once they’re ready to move, so they book close to their move-in date. A short lead time works well here too.

Midterm: This is the one that needs the most runway. Midterm guests — a traveling nurse on a multi-week assignment, someone relocating for work, or a family staying somewhere for the summer — tend to plan further ahead than short- or long-term renters. That puts midterm in an awkward middle with longer timelines, so getting your listing up early pays off. 30 to 90 days out is the ideal lead time. You can list up to a year in advance, but going much further than that adds risk: if your plans change and you can’t honor the listing, that’s a worse outcome than starting a little later.

How early should I start with TIDY before my property goes live?

You can start with TIDY as early as you’d like — there’s no downside to being set up ahead of time, and getting your account going is quick. That said, our recommended lead time is 30 to 60 days before you go live (at least 30 days whenever possible). That’s the window where most of the pre-launch work actually happens.

If you’re further out than that — say three or four months before go-live — there simply isn’t much for us to do yet, and that’s okay. Plenty of owners still like to sign up early so everything is in place and off their plate. Since the minimum is just $19/month, starting early costs very little. If you’re setting up well ahead of your launch, talk to our team about your timeline — we’re happy to work with you on your start date so you can lock things in now.

Here’s roughly how the runway fills in as you get closer to go-live:

• ~60 days out: the real prep begins — furnishing the property, getting it stocked and supplied, and lining up your pros for turnovers.
• As soon as you have enough photos: we can build your listing and, in many cases, publish it early so it’s on the market sooner. Exactly how early depends on your rental type — see How far in advance should I start listing my rental?

Bottom line: 30 to 60 days is a solid target, earlier is welcome and inexpensive, and our team will help you make the most of whatever runway you have.

Why was a job billed at a different rate than my pro’s current rate?

If you notice a job was billed at a rate that does not match your pro’s current listed rate, the most common cause is that the job was booked (or the pricing agreement was set) at a time when the pro’s rate was different. Rate changes only apply to new job agreements going forward — they do not retroactively change the price on jobs that were already scheduled or agreed upon.

This can come up in a few situations:

• Newly assigned pro, older rate: If a pro was recently added to a job but their rate had been set (or last changed) months earlier, the job may use that original rate rather than the rate you see on their profile today.
• Rate change mid-relationship: A pro may have updated their rate since the original agreement with a client. The new rate applies to new bookings; existing scheduled jobs typically stay at the agreed-upon price.

If you believe there is an error — for example, a brand new client who was never party to an older rate agreement — contact our concierge team and we can investigate the specific job to identify what rate was applied and why.

Can you manage a main house and an ADU on one APN as separate listings? What about San Diego?

Yes — we have extensive experience helping owners with multi-unit properties in a lot of different configurations (a main house plus an ADU on a single APN being one of the most common). When it’s set up correctly, it can be a highly lucrative arrangement, and TIDY’s tools work the same whether you run them as one listing or two.

The San Diego consideration

In San Diego specifically, operating a main house and an ADU as two simultaneous short-term stays under a single license may be a problem under the City of San Diego’s Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) regulations. Those rules generally provide that a host may not operate more than one dwelling unit for STRO at a time within the City of San Diego. The city may also treat ADUs built or permitted after February 1, 2017 differently, so the age and permitting of your ADU matters. Check your specific situation against current STRO rules before you list.

How owners successfully manage and maximize properties like this

Even with a one-unit-at-a-time short-term restriction, there are several common ways to get strong returns from a main house + ADU. We don’t offer legal advice, but here’s what tends to work:

1. Run one unit short-term and the other mid-term. If you hold one short-term license, you can keep only one unit in short-term use at a time and operate the other as a mid-term stay. Mid-term rentals generally fall outside the STRO short-term restriction, so this is often the cleanest way to keep both units earning. TIDY can help you run the mid-term side.
2. Keep a newer or non-separable ADU on mid- or long-term rentals. If the ADU is recent and you don’t think it can be rented separately on a short-term basis, keeping it as a mid- or long-term rental is a reliable path — and something we can help you manage.
3. Consider listing it as one property with more bedrooms.Many owners do well with a single listing that includes the ADU as additional rooms rather than a separate short-term listing. Listings with more bedrooms tend to perform well: a standalone ADU competes with hotels and other small units, but bumping a 4-bedroom to a 5-bedroom makes the listing more unique and harder to find elsewhere. You may lose less than you expect by treating the ADU as "another room."

For what it’s worth, plenty of operators in San Diego run multiple units — we know owners with as many as 100 units — and there are various ownership and permitting structures people use to do it. Those approaches are exactly the kind of thing to work through with the city and a local attorney, since we don’t provide legal advice.

If you do rent the units separately

Assuming the setup is allowed and you choose to list the main house and ADU separately, the main thing to get right operationally is access. We’d want to make sure there’s a clear, well-documented path for a guest to enter the ADU on its own — separate entry, access instructions, and access control — so the two stays don’t interfere with each other. TIDY’s access instructions and smart-lock tools make it easy to keep each unit’s entry and turnover clean and independent.

Why does my processing fee show as 1.5% on some charges and 3.9% on others?

It depends on how that specific charge was funded, not on your account as a whole. Charges paid using your TIDY account credit are processed at 1.5%, while charges run on a credit card are processed at TIDY’s standard 3.9% card-processing rate. Since the funding source can differ from charge to charge, it’s normal to see both percentages on the same account’s billing history.

If TIDY only handles guest communication and listing optimization (no vendor scheduling), do I still pay the Vendor Markup and Vendor Payment Processing fees?

No. The Vendor Markup (3.9%) and Vendor Payment Processing (0.5%) fees are scoped to the vendor-coordination work itself — scheduling jobs and working with your ops team to manage your pros. If TIDY isn’t doing that vendor-facing scheduling and payment work for an engagement, those two fees come out to $0.

Can I rent bedrooms in the same house as separate nightly Airbnb listings?

Yes. This is a variation of what we call room splitting — each bedroom gets its own listing and calendar, and TIDY keeps the shared common areas (kitchen, living room, etc.) covered by turnover cleaning between guests. See the nightly room-by-room section of that guide for details.

My city requires a longer minimum stay than what I currently list — what should I do?

Some cities set a minimum-night requirement for short-term rentals (for example, a 6-night minimum) that’s stricter than what a listing currently shows. We help owners stay compliant rather than work around local rules, and we can update your listing’s minimum-stay settings across every connected channel to match what your city requires. Operating below a legally required minimum stay creates real risk for the owner (fines, license issues, or losing the ability to operate short-term at all), so if you’re not sure what your city requires, that’s worth confirming before we make any changes.

Why can’t I just add TIDY to my existing Vrbo account and keep my listing where it is?

Vrbo doesn’t have a co-host model the way Airbnb does. When you add someone to a Vrbo account, they aren’t a separate party with their own permissions — they’re treated more like an employee of that account. Everyone shares one account, so a change made by one side applies to the other side’s account too, with no separation between them. That’s why professional managers don’t operate on shared Vrbo accounts, and it’s why we can’t simply be added to yours.

What we do instead is transition the listing. The simplest path is usually to update your Vrbo account’s contact email and phone number to ones your account manager provides, so we can correspond with Vrbo directly on both sides of the transition and confirm each step as it clears. If that isn’t workable, we create a new listing under our account and ask Vrbo to move your review history over on the basis that the owner hasn’t changed and management has. Vrbo usually approves that request, but it isn’t guaranteed. Booking.com is different — it has a formal change-of-management process, so there we submit the request and Booking.com approves it.

Either way we handle the transfer work; the difference is only whether you complete a few steps yourself or hand us the account details so we can do them for you. Full instructions are in Vrbo & Booking.com: Transitioning a Listing.