How we look after your property: what managing with Oban Holiday Lets involves.
"Full management" can mean very different things depending on who you ask. Some companies list your property and take a cut. Others look after everything, from the first guest message to the last smoke alarm test. We’re firmly in the second group: we support everything you and your property need, so your holiday let performs at its best.
Here's exactly what we do, how often we do it, what we need from you, and what stays your responsibility.
How we look after your property at a glance
Two services: full-service management, which most of our owners choose, or online management if you'd rather keep your own cleaning and on-the-ground arrangements
Set-up is free and takes around two weeks, then your property goes live
Your first 12 weeks follow a set plan, from onboarding to fine-tuning your first month of bookings
Pricing is updated daily by dynamic pricing tools and reviewed by hand every week
Listed on Airbnb, Booking.com, and our own direct booking site, with one synced calendar
A full 150-point inspection every quarter, with a report each time, plus monthly safety checks
Cover 365 days a year, including evenings.
You're paid within seven days of each month end, with a monthly statement and 24/7 access to the owner portal
Use your property for up to three months a year at no cost
Contracts run for 12 months.
There are two ways to work with us
Full-service management is what most of our owners choose. We handle everything: guests, pricing, housekeeping and laundry, maintenance, inspections and compliance oversight.
Online management suits owners who want to keep their own cleaning and on-the-ground arrangements but hand over the listings, pricing and guest communication.
What's included | Online management | Full-service |
Dedicated local property manager | Yes | Yes |
Free set-up, including a 150-point property review | Yes | Yes |
Professional photography and listing set-up | Yes | Yes |
Listing on Airbnb, Booking.com and our direct booking site | Yes | Yes |
Dynamic pricing and revenue strategy | Yes | Yes |
Calendar and booking management | Yes | Yes |
Guest check-in, vetting and communication | Yes | Yes |
Licence and regulatory guidance | Yes | Yes |
Property guide and local recommendations for guests | Yes | Yes |
150-point property inspections | Twice a year | Four times a year |
Housekeeping and laundry coordination | No, you arrange your own | Yes |
Restocking guest supplies | No | Yes |
Maintenance and repairs managed | No | Yes |
Note the rest of this post describes full-service management.
What happens in your first 12 weeks?
Your first 12 weeks follow the same five stages for every property. The first four make up the set-up, which takes around two weeks once you've signed and we have what we need from you. Your property then goes live, and we spend the rest of the 12 weeks fine-tuning its performance.
Onboarding. We talk through your goals, your property, where we can make the most impact and the costs to expect, and we create a go-live plan with you. This is also when we agree on your minimum profit level per stay, your cancellation policy, and discounts for longer stays and last-minute bookings.
Property review. We assess your property across 150 points, create a housekeeping plan, and note any maintenance risks or compliance considerations. We check the full inventory and amenities and verify all the required safety documentation.
Listing build and optimisation. We build your listing from scratch or improve the one you have, with professional photography, clear descriptions and accurate details. We set up your calendar across every platform to maximise bookings.
Operations set-up. We assign your property a local cleaning company and laundry company, agree on standard checks, line up local trades, and create a detailed property guide for your guests. We coordinate a final professional clean so the property is guest-ready.
Go live and your first 30 days. Once your property is live, we watch its performance closely, fine-tuning pricing, messaging and the listing itself to make the most of those early bookings.
By the end of the 12 weeks, your property is running smoothly, and you move into the ongoing rhythm of daily pricing, quarterly inspections and monthly statements described below.
What do we need from you to get started?
Before your property can take a booking, it needs a short-term let licence from Argyll and Bute Council. The licence is the owner's legal responsibility, but we'll guide you through it. The paperwork covers most of what we need from you too. Our free Licence Guide walks you through every document.
Here's what we'll ask for:
Your short-term let licence, or where you are in the application
Safety certificates, such as your electrical report (EICR), PAT testing, gas safety where applicable, and fire risk assessment
Floor and site plans, and an EPC
Holiday let insurance covering buildings, contents and public liability. Standard residential or landlord policies may not be suitable
Keys and access to the property
Your answers to our onboarding checklist, which we'll work through together
Set-up is free. You only pay for anything the property itself needs before it goes live, such as furnishings or maintenance.
Your listing and marketing
Your property is listed on Airbnb, Booking.com, and our own direct booking site, all managed from one synced calendar to protect you against double bookings.
Apart from the dates you block for your own stays, it's available to let all of the time.
We write clear, accurate descriptions that highlight what guests will love, and keep amenity details, policies and guest information up to date on every platform. We don't treat a listing as finished once it's live. We adjust it for the season, for how guests are booking and for what's happening in the market, so your property stays competitive with other holiday lets in the Oban area.
How do you price my property?
We use dynamic pricing tools, including PriceLabs, which update your nightly rates every day based on:
seasonal demand in Oban and the surrounding area
local events and peak travel periods
market conditions and comparable properties
booking patterns and length of stay
Every week, we also review pricing by hand and adjust on top of what the tools do. Local knowledge still matters. Events, ferry disruption and school holidays all move demand in ways a tool won't always catch.
Pricing always works within what we agreed with you at onboarding: your minimum profit level per stay, your cancellation policy, and your discounts for longer stays and last-minute bookings. The aim is to balance strong occupancy with sustainable revenue, without you having to watch the calendar.
How do you look after my guests?
Your property manager handles guest communication from the first enquiry to after check-out, so you're never involved day-to-day. Our median response time to guest messages is about two minutes (measured in Boom, our property management system).
Guests receive:
pre-arrival check-in instructions, house rules and important property information
a personalised property guide, with access details, appliance guides, Wi-Fi details and local emergency information
our digital guide to Oban, with 100 local recommendations, from restaurants and things to do to ferry links and tips only residents know
check-out details and reminders, and help with anything that comes up during their stay
We vet every booking, using each platform's own tools and extra checks on direct bookings where appropriate. At least one property manager is on duty 365 days a year, including evenings, so we pick up any guest queries promptly. You can meet the team in Who looks after your property at Oban Holiday Lets.
Housekeeping, laundry and supplies
Your property is assigned a local cleaning company and laundry company that know our standards. We:
schedule a clean after every guest departure, including back-to-back and last-minute bookings
manage linen collection and delivery
restock basic guest supplies, such as tea and coffee
deal directly with the cleaners to solve any issues and keep presentation consistent
Cleaning and laundry are billed to you directly by the companies we coordinate, so you can see exactly what you're paying.
Inspections and safety checks
Routine cleans keep a property tidy, but they won't catch everything. That's why we inspect properly and on a schedule.
Every quarter: a full 150-point inspection. Your property manager inspects your property at set-up and then four times a year using our 150-point checklist. Each point is a check that's ticked off and logged, and the inspection covers:
overall cleanliness and presentation
exterior condition
wear and tear to furniture, fittings and appliances
safety equipment and compliance checks
inventory levels and condition, including guest amenities
maintenance issues that aren't visible during routine cleans
You get the full report every time, with photos and any actions logged. Owners tell us it's one of the things they value most.
Every month: safety checks. Your property manager tests the smoke alarms and emergency lighting and checks that the fire blankets are in place.
Maintenance and repairs
When something needs fixing, we get it fixed quickly, using local trades we've worked with for years.
For any single job over £250, we ask you first. Below that, we act straight away, because delays usually mean an unhappy guest or a lost booking. Urgent issues that affect guests get the quickest response of all.
Larger decisions stay with you, such as replacing an appliance or changing furniture. We'll give you our advice, but it's your property and your call.
What happens if a guest causes damage?
If a guest damages your property, we gather the evidence, communicate with the guest or booking platform, and submit a claim where appropriate.
It's worth knowing that platforms handle damage differently. Airbnb bookings may be covered by its AirCover host damage protection, while Booking.com works differently and doesn't offer the same type of host cover. That's one reason we recommend owners don't rely on platform protection alone, and hold proper holiday let insurance.
Reporting, performance reviews and getting paid
You can see everything, any time. You have 24/7 access to the owner portal, where you can see your bookings, occupancy and average nightly rate as they happen.
We review your property's performance regularly. We're constantly watching your property's performance and adjusting our pricing and marketing, up to daily, to make sure you're getting the best results.
You're paid within seven days of each month end. With a monthly statement showing what your property earned and our fees.
Using your property yourself
You can use your property for up to three months in any 12-month period, at no cost. Block your dates in the owner portal and we'll take them out of booking availability straight away.
You're welcome to stay in any season. If you'd like to make the most of your income, we recommend planning your stays around the peak periods, when your property earns the most from guests. The one rule is that you can't cancel a guest booking that's already in the diary.
Compliance: who does what?
Your responsibility as the owner | What we do |
Holding your short-term let licence | Guide you through the application with our Licence Guide and top tips |
Keeping safety certificates current, such as EICR, PAT testing, gas safety and fire risk assessment | Track renewal dates, and arrange certificates through our local trades if you'd like |
Holiday let insurance covering buildings, contents and public liability, plus any mortgage, lease or building permissions | Point out where cover or permissions may need checking |
Making sure the property has reliable heating, hot water and Wi-Fi | Report any issues we find and arrange repairs |
Approving maintenance over £250 and larger replacements | Handle everything under £250 straight away, and advise on larger decisions |
Monthly safety checks: smoke alarms, emergency lighting and fire blankets | |
Quarterly 150-point inspections, with a report each time |
Fees and contract
We go through fees in full on our free intro call, and our rates are set out in the service guide we send when you first get in touch. Here's how they work:
Our fee is a percentage of the booking revenue your property earns, plus VAT. We're only paid when you are. There's no monthly retainer, so nothing is charged when the property isn't booked.
We don't add a booking fee for guests on top of the commission you pay us.
Running costs are yours. Housekeeping and laundry, basic guest supplies, maintenance, gardening and window cleaning are paid by the owner.
Set-up is free.
Contracts run for 12 months.
You can read what happens on that call in our What happens on an intro call with Oban Holiday Lets blog post.
What owners say about how we manage their property
"Oban Holiday Lets took over, and we now have properties that have been advertised professionally which as a direct consequence has massively increased residency and income and allowed us total freedom."
Steven (read Steven's story)
"Since managing my property, and despite the extra costs regarding fees, cleaning and electricity etc, OHL have increased my monthly income substantially, which I could never have achieved on my own."
Alison (read Alison's story)
"The bookings are now very steady, even in quiet months, and numbers are better than before."
Anne (read Anne's story)
"I don't have anything to worry or think about with the day to day running of the property."
Elaine (read Elaine's story)
"All the bookings, income and expenses are in an easy to use app making record keeping more streamlined."
Janette (read Janette's story)
You can read all of our owners' stories on our case studies page.
Questions owners often ask
What's the difference between online and full-service management? With online management, we handle your listings, pricing and guest communication, and you keep your own cleaning and on-the-ground arrangements. Full-service management adds housekeeping and laundry, supplies, maintenance and more frequent inspections, so you don't need to be involved day to day.
How long does set-up take? Around two weeks once you've signed and we have what we need from you. Set-up is free, and your property then goes live on Airbnb, Booking.com, and our direct booking site.
How often will my property be inspected? With full-service management, your property manager carries out a full 150-point inspection at set-up and every quarter, with a report each time, plus monthly safety checks. Online management includes two 150-point inspections a year.
How often is my pricing reviewed? Your nightly rates update daily through dynamic pricing tools, and we review pricing by hand every week. We also review your property's overall performance regularly.
When do I get paid? Within seven days of each month end, with a monthly statement showing what your property earned and our fees.
Can I use my property myself? Yes, for up to three months in any 12-month period, in any season, at no cost. Block the dates in the owner portal and we'll take them out of availability.
Who pays for repairs? Repairs are paid by the owner. We use trusted local trades and act straight away on jobs under £250. For any single job over £250, we ask you first.
Who is responsible for the short-term let licence and safety certificates? The owner holds the licence and keeps safety certificates current. We guide you through the licence application, track renewal dates, can arrange certificates through our local trades, and carry out monthly safety checks.
How long is the contract? 12 months.
Do you publish your fees? Our fee is a percentage of the booking revenue your property earns, plus VAT, so we're only paid when you are. The exact rates are in the service guide we send when you get in touch, and we go through them on your free intro call.
Thinking of letting your Oban property?
Get in touch through our contact form and we'll reply within one working day to arrange your free 45-minute intro call with Chris.
Last reviewed: October 2026
