Question 1

What's your commission rate?

Accepted Answer

We charge 18% of net rental revenue for full-service partnerships, with no setup fee on portfolios of three villas or more. Below three villas, a one-time onboarding fee of Rp 12M covers professional photography, listing setup, and the first quarter of distribution work. Net revenue means the booking total after platform fees (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo) and merchant card costs are deducted, so the percentage is calculated on money that actually arrived in the trust account.

Question 2

Is there a setup or onboarding fee?

Accepted Answer

Single-villa onboarding is Rp 12M one-time, billed at signing. Portfolios of three or more villas waive the setup fee entirely. The fee covers a half-day photo shoot with a property-specialist photographer, professional listing copy in English and Indonesian, channel setup across five booking platforms, and a written operations playbook for the property. Nothing else is billed during onboarding.

Question 3

What's the minimum contract length?

Accepted Answer

Twelve months from go-live, which is the date the first booking confirms, not the date you sign. We chose twelve months because it's the shortest period that lets pricing, photography, and channel ranking pay back; below that we'd be subsidising owners who use us as a stop-gap. After month twelve the contract is rolling month-to-month with a 60-day exit clause.

Question 4

Are there hidden fees beyond the commission?

Accepted Answer

No hidden fees, but there are two pass-throughs we always disclose at signing. (1) Government PB1 hospitality tax of 10%, collected from the guest and remitted to Badung regency on your behalf. (2) Maintenance and supplies (toilet paper, gas refills, broken-glass replacements) billed at vendor cost with no markup, capped monthly at Rp 1.5M without your written approval. Anything above that cap waits for your sign-off.

Question 5

How often do I get paid?

Accepted Answer

Monthly, on the 10th business day of the following month, by SWIFT or Wise to any country we can legally remit to. The statement arrives 48 hours before the transfer so you can question any line before the money moves. We hold a one-week reservoir of guest deposits to cover refunds and disputes; if your villa earns Rp 80M in a month, you receive Rp 80M minus the 18% fee minus disclosed pass-throughs, and you can see every line.

Question 6

What's included in full-service management?

Accepted Answer

Marketing across Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, Agoda, and our direct site; pricing optimisation reviewed weekly; guest communication 24/7 in English and Indonesian; check-in and check-out by trained staff; daily housekeeping during stays and full turnover between guests; pool and garden maintenance scheduled weekly; routine maintenance up to Rp 1.5M monthly; monthly owner statements with photos of the villa; and a named account manager you can WhatsApp directly.

Question 7

What's not included?

Accepted Answer

Construction, renovation, or capital projects above Rp 5M (we manage the vendor selection and oversight at cost, but the work itself is contracted to you). Long-term lease preparation if you decide to switch from short-term rentals. Tax filing for your personal Indonesian income tax: we provide the rental data and a referral to one of two tax consultants we trust. And we don't sell or broker villas; if you want to sell, we'll introduce you to two agents we've worked with for years.

Question 8

Which booking platforms do you list on?

Accepted Answer

Five channels by default: Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Agoda, and Saka direct. We add Hotels.com and Expedia for villas that benefit from corporate-traveller demand, typically four-bedroom-plus properties. Direct bookings, about 22% of revenue across our portfolio, pay no platform fee, which is why we put serious work into the direct site, repeat-guest emails, and remarketing. Channel mix is reviewed quarterly and adjusted per property.

Question 9

How do you screen guests?

Accepted Answer

Every booking is reviewed before the keys move. We require a verified ID, a credit-card pre-authorisation of Rp 5M (Rp 10M for events-eligible villas), and a written purpose of stay. Bookings flagged for events, parties of more than two times the bed count, or stays under two nights are escalated to a senior team member. We accept most guests, decline 3–5% on average, and have a written incident-handling protocol for the rare moments when something goes wrong.

Question 10

What kinds of villas do you take on?

Accepted Answer

Two-to-six bedroom villas in the Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Ubud, and Sanur belts, valued at roughly USD 350K and up. The villa needs a private pool, a working kitchen, air-conditioning in every bedroom, and a clean title we can verify. We don't manage hotels, hostels, single rooms, or apartments, not because they're bad, but because our pricing and team structure are built for whole-villa hospitality.

Question 11

How quickly do you respond to guests and to me?

Accepted Answer

Guest enquiries: median 4 minutes during business hours, under 30 minutes overnight, measured monthly across the inbox. Owner messages: same business day, usually within two hours. There's a real human on the WhatsApp number, not an AI bouncer, and your account manager knows your villa, your house rules, and your preferences. The number you're given at onboarding is the number that answers.

Question 12

Who handles maintenance and which vendors do you use?

Accepted Answer

We keep a tested vendor list of around twenty-five trades (plumbers, electricians, AC technicians, pool engineers, pest control), most of whom we've worked with for five-plus years. They invoice us, we cross-check, and the cost passes through to you at vendor price with zero markup. For routine items below Rp 1.5M monthly we move without asking; anything larger needs your written approval before we proceed, which usually takes a 2-line WhatsApp.

Question 13

Who pays for linens, toiletries, and consumables?

Accepted Answer

You do. These are operating costs of your villa, not our service fee. We re-stock at wholesale prices from two trusted suppliers, and the monthly bill typically runs Rp 1.2–2.5M for a three-bedroom villa with average occupancy. We provide a starter pack at onboarding (sheets, towels, toiletries, kitchen consumables) for one quarter of inventory, billed at cost. Quarterly inventory audits keep losses transparent.

Question 14

What occupancy can I realistically expect?

Accepted Answer

Across our managed portfolio, twelve-month rolling occupancy averages 71%, well above the Bali whole-island average of around 55%. New properties typically reach steady-state occupancy by month four. We project a conservative number for your specific villa during the audit, based on bedroom count, area, photography quality, and pricing strategy. You'll get the projection in writing before you sign.

Question 15

What happens if a guest causes damage or breaks the rules?

Accepted Answer

Damage: documented with photos within 24 hours, claimed against the guest's pre-authorisation and the platform's host guarantee, and replaced or repaired before the next check-in. House-rule breaches (excess noise, undeclared events, smoking indoors): one written warning, then we ask the guest to leave with a partial refund handled per the booking platform's terms. We send you the photos and the resolution within 48 hours of incident close.

Question 16

How long does onboarding take?

Accepted Answer

Three to four weeks from contract signing to first paid booking. Week 1: site visit, photography, property audit, vendor introductions. Week 2: listing copy, channel setup, pricing model. Week 3: soft launch with held inventory, internal QA stay. Week 4: live across all channels and accepting bookings. We can compress to two weeks for an empty villa with photos already in hand, or stretch to six weeks if you have a renovation finishing during onboarding.

Question 17

What do I need to provide at onboarding?

Accepted Answer

A signed management agreement, proof of legal title or notarised lease (for foreign-owned structures), the villa's pondok wisata permit if applicable, copies of utility accounts so we can take over billing, a list of your existing reservations and any deposits already paid, and any house rules that matter to you. We'll send a one-page checklist at signing. Most owners complete it within five business days.

Question 18

Is photography included or do I need to hire someone?

Accepted Answer

Included. A property-specialist photographer spends a half day at the villa, typically shooting 30–40 final images plus a 60-second walk-through video. Photography is the single biggest lever on click-through rate across booking platforms (a poorly-photographed villa loses 30–50% of available demand), so we treat it as core, not a paid add-on. You own the final files and can use them for any purpose forever.

Question 19

How do you transition us from our existing manager?

Accepted Answer

Carefully and politely. We need 30 days notice from your current manager so confirmed reservations are honoured at your villa, transferred to ours, or refunded cleanly. We coordinate the handover of platform listings, owner accounts, and vendor relationships, and we honour all existing guest commitments at the rates they booked. Most transitions complete inside 45 days; we have a written runbook from doing it forty-plus times.

Question 20

What if I want to exit the contract?

Accepted Answer

After the initial twelve months, you can exit on 60 days' written notice for any reason. We'll honour confirmed guest bookings during the notice window, hand over your platform accounts and direct-booking guest list, and provide a final reconciled statement within 14 days of the last guest leaving. There's no exit fee. The only money that doesn't move with you is the photography licence cost we already absorbed, but you keep the photo files.

Question 21

What Indonesian taxes apply to my villa rental income?

Accepted Answer

Two main ones. PB1 (Pajak Pembangunan 1) is a 10% hospitality tax collected from the guest and paid to Badung regency monthly; we handle this end-to-end. Personal income tax on rental profit applies to the owner: 10% final tax on gross rental for individuals, or corporate rates if the villa is held in a PT PMA. We provide a full annual data pack and refer you to one of two tax consultants who specialise in foreign owners.

Question 22

Do I need a pondok wisata permit and can you help me get one?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Short-term rental of a residential villa requires a pondok wisata permit issued by Badung regency, and operating without one risks fines and forced delisting from booking platforms. If your villa doesn't have one, we'll introduce you to a licensed permit consultant; the process takes 8–12 weeks and costs Rp 18–25M depending on the property. We won't list a villa for short-term bookings without the permit in hand.

Question 23

I'm a foreign owner. What ownership structure do I need?

Accepted Answer

Foreign individuals can't hold freehold land in Indonesia, but you can legally rent out a villa held under a long-term Hak Pakai or Hak Sewa lease, or via a PT PMA company you own. We don't set these up (that's a notary and legal-firm job) but we work with two firms who do, and we manage rental of villas held under all three structures. We need to see the title or lease before we list.

Question 24

How do I get the rental income out of Indonesia?

Accepted Answer

We pay rental proceeds in IDR into the bank account you nominate, which can be domestic or foreign. For foreign accounts we use SWIFT or Wise; SWIFT settles in 1–3 days at typical bank rates, Wise often beats it on cost for amounts under USD 30K. Bank Indonesia rules require source-of-funds documentation for transfers above USD 25K monthly; we provide the rental statement that satisfies that requirement automatically.

Question 25

Do I need insurance and what does Saka cover?

Accepted Answer

You should carry building and contents insurance (most owners do) and we can refer you to two underwriters who write Bali villa policies for foreign owners. Saka carries a public liability policy that covers our team and contracted vendors while working at your property. Booking platforms (Airbnb's AirCover, Booking's host guarantee) cover most guest-caused damage up to platform-specific limits. We document every incident so any claim has a clean evidence trail.

Twenty-five questions, answered upfront.

Pricing

What's included

How operations work

Onboarding

Legal & tax

Two-minute audit. One-day reply.