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      1. Best Practices & Standard Operating Procedures
      2. Property Agents

      Complaint of Guest Disruption - Without Citation

      What happens when a neighbor or owner or anyone reports a guest disturbance, but no citations have been issued?

      The problem:  If a guest is disrupting, it is likely a citation is not far away.  Citations hurt our owners, 3 in a year and no more renting for 2 years.   It is important to address disruptive behavior promptly to avoid negative consequences for all parties involved. By following a set of best practices, we can protect our property owners and neighbors while maintaining professionalism with guests to prevent bad reviews or discomfort. Remember to always be open, honest, and kind, with a clear goal of safeguarding the property owner's permit.

      Opportunity:    When a neighbor reports disruptive guest behavior directly to us instead of involving code enforcement, it is greatly appreciated as they are doing us a HUGE favor allowing us to handle directly. We value these relationships and ask that you express gratitude to them for their consideration in allowing us to address the issue directly.  Assure them we are committed to resolving the situation promptly and will provide an update as soon as a resolution is reached.

      1.     How to handle the reporter of complaint. 

        • Open breezeway work order
        • Document what was reported, by whom, at what time , include all contact info, names, phone numbers, email if you have it, addressees.  If you only have "neighbor directly in back of the property" that is ok, use google maps to find addresses.  It's ok if neighbors do not want to be identified, we still appreciate it. 
        • Ask them if they would like a follow up call after we research and resolve. 
        • A work order is created to document the report.

      2. Direct Communication to guests/owner/owner guest:

        • Look thru the reservation information, determine if it is an owner stay, or guest of owner.  Find out where the reservation originated, Acme site, VRBO, etc.  Airbnb is the 
        • Owner stay is exempt from all of the good neighbor rules except trash.  Owner must be physically present or in town though for this to be the case. 
          • If guest of owner, even if they exist on the friends and family list, they are not exempt and must follow the same rules as a guest. 
          • If owner stay or guest of owner, treat according and follow the process below with the obvious communication changes you would use to address owner or guest of owner.  
        • The guest is contacted immediately via phone call and text message to address the reported issue.  If a message is left, or direct contact is made, the content is the same. 
          • Hello, we trust you are having a pleasant stay. We have received a report regarding [describe the issue in a transparent manner]. We appreciate that the matter was brought to our attention directly instead of involving code enforcement. Let us explain how the local ordinance relates to the reported activity. Is there anything we can assist you with in this regard?   
          • Text guest the good neighbor brochure as a pdf. 
          • Do not divulge who made the report under any circumstances
          • Do not take a position, this is your passing the information along in a helpful manner, there is no proof yet, therefore coming across with any sort of opinion is un warranted.  
        • Dispatch whoever is closest to the property to do a drive up and walk around.  Instruct them to only approach the property if a violation or potential violation is in progress. 
        • If you notice a violation or potential violation, it is important to document it with your phone, pictures, and videos. After documenting, approach the guest, introduce yourself, and explain that you are following up on a reported issue. Be transparent about what you observed and clearly communicate what actions need to be taken. For example, if there are 5 cars parked outside a 3-bedroom property, kindly ask them to disperse 2 of the cars within 5 minutes. If the guest is hesitant to comply, escalate the situation to a manager immediately for further guidance. Our goal is to act swiftly to prevent the property owner from facing unnecessary citations.
        • All activity, contacts, pictures, loom videos, are fully documented in the work order by all parties. 

      2. Involvement of Property Owner:

        • Any communication with the property owner regarding the reported issue is documented via a ticket in HubSpot.

      If all the above steps fail to establish contact with the guest, further actions are taken:


        1. Escalation to Management:

          • The manager is contacted to intervene and assist in resolving the situation.
          • Communication through the online travel agency site where the reservation was made may be attempted to reach the guest.
          • An email is sent directly to the guest, detailing the reported issue and requesting their cooperation.
          • A door tag containing information about the ordinance violation or highlighting the rental agreement terms is left at the front door.
          • Periodic visits to the property until successful communication is established

            • Alternative Communication Channels, please work thru all until success is achieved