Telluride Owner Manual
Table of Contents
Owners:
Our Philosophy - What Makes Curate Telluride Unique?
The Curate Collective
Vacation rentals can be viewed negatively at the local level, and we aim to change this through community partnerships and a programmatic way of local giving. As we root Curate Telluride locally, you will see intentional efforts to rise to our mission,
“To Lead with Relentless Generosity.”
What does this look like in our business practices?
The Curate Collective: The Collective effort of Curate Telluride, Our Homeowners and Local Non-profits
Cash Donations and Lodging Donations:
1. We have pledged 1% of our commission revenue each year for cash donations to local non-profits. In 2024, Curate Telluride is partnering with two local non-profits to focus this giving for more significant impact.
2. Our homeowner partners share our desire to create positive change and have also pledged 1% of their rental revenue, or alternatively, have donated seven nights of lodging annually to help community non-profits. How does this work for homeowners?
If you choose to donate 1% of your rental revenue, we will hold this for you in escrow. Each December, we will provide you with a list of approved 501C3 organizations in Telluride. You will direct your contributions as you see fit, to the organizations that are important and meaningful to you. Like any donation, you may choose to be recognized by name or donate anonymously as Curate Telluride – Homeowner. Either way, you will receive a receipt for tax purposes.
If you choose to donate nights in lieu of revenue we will rotate your donation each year to a different quarter (Jan 1-March 31, April 1-June 30, July 1-Sept 30, Oct 1-Dec 31). We will not donate nights during holiday periods. Non-profit partners will be able to submit to us a lodging request and we will match this request with an available property. During a recent survey, Telluride non-profits indicated a need for over 1000 nights of lodging for guest artists, visiting speakers or experts, etc.
Donating nights will lower the total taxable income for your property as no income will be received for these nights. We will ask the receiving non-profit to recognize these donations annually and again you may choose to be recognized by name or anonymously as a Curate Telluride – Homeowner. Please consult with your tax advisor for any tax-related questions.
Curate Good:
Social Media:
Each week you will see us focus on a local non-profit, service provider, or locally owned for-profit business. We want to support these organizations and businesses that are a vital part of our community.
In Property:
In each property we will have a frame acknowledging your generosity as a homeowner, the organizations you have chosen to support, and our collective mission. There will also be a QR code that a guest will be able to scan to learn more about the specific non-profits and an opportunity for guests to donate from this page to increase our impact.
Booking Process:
During the booking process, guests will be allowed the opportunity to add a donation on the check-out page and will learn about our community efforts.
Website:
At the top of our homepage, you will see a tab called Curate Good. This section explains our Purpose, Mission, and Our Goals.
In addition, we have a contact form for anyone who would like more information on this program.
On the homepage, Spotlight on Good will focus on positive things happening in the local Telluride Community. This section will be updated as we have new efforts to showcase.
Marketing Campaigns and Collateral:
All email campaigns and print materials will reference the Curate Collective and Curate Good to build awareness.
Administrative:
Annual 1099
By January 31 each year we will mail a 1099 form for your property to the mailing address we have on file. The 1099 will show the gross nightly rental revenue earned for the year. This is the number before to any expenses ie. management fees, utilities, taxes, etc.
Escrow Accounting
Curate Telluride keeps all guest rental payments in a dedicated escrow account. These funds are kept separate from company operating accounts and monies are not paid out to owners or Curate Telluride until after the guest departs.
Sales Taxes and Property Licensing
As required by law, Curate Telluride collects the required taxes from rental guests and pays the required tax to each entity on behalf of its owners. Owners are not required to pay or report these taxes.
The town of Telluride and Mountain Village require the following license: Business License
Curate Telluride will assist owners in obtaining and maintaining property licenses, but it is ultimately up to the homeowner to ensure that the annual license is obtained. Fees remain the responsibility of the owner.
Insurance Requirements
Having the proper insurance that allows for short-term rentals is critical. Renting your home can involve some risk and we want to mitigate those risks to the greatest extent. Please see Addendum 3 of the rental management agreement for the details of required insurance. Minimum coverage requirements are property damage insurance in an amount equal to a minimum of 100% of the replacement cost of the property, its improvements and furnishings, under the insurance policy’s coinsured provisions, and liability Insurance in an amount of at least $1M. We also highly recommend making sure you have “loss of rents” coverage. Curate Telluride must also be named as an additional insured on your policy. It is the owner’s responsibility to provide Curate Telluride with updated coverages on an annual basis. (Please see your management contract for additional details.)
Guest
Our Philosophy on Creating an Extraordinary Guest Experience
At Curate Telluride it is of utmost importance to create extraordinary vacation experiences for our owners and guests. Positive reviews and reputation are built on consistent stay experiences that meet or exceed expectations. Guests are discriminating and typically choose vacation rentals that are as nice or nicer than their personal residences. They look for updated, “fresh” looking properties that have a wide array of amenities. Properties are often judged against resort and hotel properties and need to meet high standards. Reinvesting in your property regularly is critical to garnering 5-star reviews. High-quality furniture, updated, crisp bedding, current electronics, and extras like hot tubs, boot dryers, gaming systems, game rooms, and theater rooms are sure to please discriminating guests.
Our team of experts is happy to recommend improvements and upgrades that may enhance performance. Please contact us for a complimentary property consultation.
All properties:
- Are well-organized, free of clutter, and sparkling clean
- Are free of personal items - please store these in your owner’s closet
- Have all items listed on the required home inventory
- Amenities must be in full working order
- Beds have mattress and pillow protection, mattresses less than 15 years old and updated, clean bedding
Guest Access
Guests will be provided with access to your home beginning at 4:00 PM on the day of arrival and ending at 10:00 AM on the day of departure. They will be given a reservation specific digital pin which will open the electronic lock at the property. If it is not possible to use an electronic lock, a key box will be installed at the property and the guests will use this box to get a key to access the home.
Guest Amenities
For each guest reservation, we provide a starter kit of basic supplies.
These include:
- Two rolls paper towels
- Four rolls of toilet paper per bathroom
- Laundry detergent pods
- Dryer sheets
- Dishwasher pods
- Dish soap
- Sponge
- Small trash liners
- Bath amenities include: Shampoo, Conditioner, Bar Soap, Lotion
Guest Cancellation Policies
When a reservation on your home is made (up to 365 days in advance), we will take a 30% rental deposit. This deposit is fully refundable providing the guest cancels their reservation 45 days or more arrival. The final payment for the balance of the stay total is due 45 days before to arrival.
Cancellations less than 45 days from arrival will forfeit the full reservation total (less fees). We offer trip insurance should a guest wish to protect their vacation investment. Please note that OTA reservations from Airbnb and VRBO may have different cancellation policies based on the options we are offered through those particular platforms. These policies may be more or less strict depending on the platform.
Guest Damage
When booking, each guest must sign a rental agreement and purchase a damage protection plan covering up to $10,000 of unintentional damage to a property. All guests must also place a credit card on file. We will inspect your home after each guest’s departure and hold guests responsible for any damage noted during the inspection. If damage is discovered that is intentional or negligent, over the $10,000 limit, or unreported by the guest, every attempt is made to charge the guest and hold them responsible. (Please refer to your rental management agreement for further details.) Great care is taken during the reservation process to match guests with the appropriate property for their group. We strictly enforce occupancy limits and do not allow parties or events.
Guest Pets
Unless a property is specifically “pet friendly” we do not allow guests to bring pets. The ADA (American Disabilities Act) prohibits us from discriminating against individuals who travel with service animals. Service animals are not considered pets by the ADA. The ADA guidelines do not recognize ESAs (emotional support animals) for this reason we do not accept ESA animals.
You may choose to make your home pet-friendly if your HOA allows non-owner pets.
Guest Reservations and Owner Notifications
When a new booking is made for your home, you will see a notification via email. The calendars displayed in the owner portal are in real-time so you can check availability and number of bookings at any time.
Guest Reviews
Upon each departure, guests can review your home on various metrics. These include rating the property manager, ease of the booking process, amenities and features, friendliness of the team, home cleanliness, and if any maintenance services were utilized.
We use these surveys to gather information about your home to share with you and to coach and recognize our team.
Guest Rules Violation
If we learn a guest is violating terms of the guest agreement, causing a disturbance, or violating rules of the HOA, we will first call the guest or stop by your home to discuss the situation and point out the infraction. We allow the guest to correct the behavior and then follow up to be sure that have complied. If the situation persists guests may be asked to leave with no refund on monies paid.
Maintenance and Home Care
Maintenance, Home Care, Cleaning and Property Improvements
Keeping your home in tip-top shape is a top priority at Curate Telluride. Our team includes maintenance personel, property managers, and property inspectors. In addition to our internal team, we have a vetted list of third-party vendors to engage if the maintenance is outside of the scope of our expertise. All vendors in our network are licensed, bonded and insured. We handle maintenance items as quickly, professionally, and cost-effectively as possible. Our network includes plumbers, electricians, hot tub techs, HVAC specialists, general contractors, roofers, appliance technicians, and snow removal contractors.
Additional Services: These expenses will be billed to your owner statement. Depending on the project’s scope and need for our team’s involvement, some expenses may have a 10% mark-up. We are always available to discuss these types of projects prior to commencement. The fee schedule is also found on Addendum 1 of the Rental Management Agreement.
Additional Services
These are expenses you would typically have even if you did not rent your home.
- Carpet Cleaning
- Deep Clean of property annually (no mark-up/offered at a discount)
- Dryer Vent Inspection (annual) cleaning if needed
- Firewood and Delivery
- Furnace or Boiler annual inspection
- Garbage Service (billed by property turn) unless dumpster service provided by your HOA
- Hot tub Care and Maintenance (if hot tub present)
- Humidification System filter change and check (if present)
- Landscaping Services
- Labor and Materials for home repairs/home maintenance
- Propane and/or Woodburning fireplace inspection (annual) and cleaning if needed
- Septic System Inspection (if system is present)
- Snow Removal (plowing and shoveling) unless provided by your HOA
- Third-Party Vendor Services (plumber, electrician, etc.)
- Utilities (all should be billed directly to owner)
- Package Delivery
- Project Management for homeowner-requested improvements
Included Services
- Weekly inspections when your home is unoccupied
- Annual Safety Inspection with industry standards in mind
- Annual Home Inspection
- Pre-Arrival Inspections
- Post Departure Inspections
- Electronic record keeping; tracking activity at your home
Hot tubs
Hot tubs are not required but are the number one guest-requested amenity. Although hot tubs increase costs, hot tubs can also increase the nightly rate for a property or even improve the likelihood of a booking. For this reason, having a reliable hot tub in good working order with a functional cover is imperative.
Curate Telluride Program Includes:
Chemicals used during a revenue-producing stay
Sanitation or balancing of water and chemicals for a revenue-producing stay
Owner Costs:
Drain and fills related to an owner stay or guest of owner stay
Cost of tub checks in shoulder season months. April, May, October, and November
Service visits to diagnose problems
Bi-annual filter replacements
Tub repairs
Cover replacements (unless damage was caused by a guest)
Hot Tub Repairs/Breakdowns
Because hot tubs are so important to owners and guests, we will notify the appropriate vendor as soon as we become aware of a problem with a hot tub. If the problem is reported between 9AM-3PM we will do our best to diagnose the issue. The guest agreement limits compensation to guests for each day a hot tub is non-functional. If the issue persists for more than one day and the guest becomes upset, we may need take further action to avoid a negative review of your property.
Emergency Maintenance Service
Curate Telluride provides owners and guests with 24/7 access to our emergency maintenance phone line. An emergency maintenance item is defined as an item affecting the safety, well-being, or use of the property. Examples include, a sewer back-up, loss of heat, the malfunction of a major appliance or a plumbing leak. The goal of emergency maintenance response is to ensure the safety of owners and guests, preserve rental income, and protect your property. If we feel a situation must be handled immediately, we will reach out to a qualified vendor, but we will not ask for permission to correct the situation. You can expect that we will reach out in a reasonable timeframe to explain the situation, action taken, and progress towards resolution. We don’t know the final cost when this type of situation occurs. Our goal is to be responsive, communicative, and as cost-conscious as possible.
Non-Emergency Maintenance Service
Non-Emergency maintenance items include faucets, clogged toilets/drains, etc. If possible, we will utilize our internal team to complete items in an effort to keep owner costs low. If we believe the expense will be less than $200, we will complete the item and place the charge on your owner statement. If we believe the repair will be greater than $200, or involve a third-party vendor, we will reach out to discuss the expense.
Low Temperature Sensors
The minimum requirements for homes is to have at least one low-temp sensor in the property or a third-party monitored home security system with this feature.
Freezing temperatures and flooding, due to burst pipes, cause the bulk of property damage in cold weather climates.
Property Cleaning After Departure
Cleaning rates are determined by estimating the total of hours it takes to clean your entire home and launder the linens. Typically, vendors are paid a set rate for
the clean based on this estimate.
Owners are NOT charged for cleans related to an guest stay.
Owners are responsible for the cost of any cleans related to a Owner, Owner Guest, or Comp Stay that was owner requested.
Additional services during a guest or owner stay can be arranged on an hourly fee basis.
Property Linens
Curate Telluride will provide one set of linens and a set of bath towels for each bedroom/bathroom in the property. These linens and towels remain the property of Curate Telluride should you depart from our program.
Owners
Owner Access to Property/Keyless entry (Beginning in Summer of 2024)
One important piece of technology we utilize is our keyless entry system. The system is required at most properties under management. (a few exceptions exist) The keyless entry system is integrated with our reservation system and allows us to assign unique access codes to guests. We are also able to see when a guest has arrived or departed your home. Guests enter and exit through this access point, which eliminates the need for keys, equating to better property security.
The system also allows us to assign each employee and third-party vendor a unique code that is good for a specific duration of time.
You will be given a permanent code to access your home. We encourage you to save this number in your cell phone contacts for easy reference. Please do not share this code with others. We will assign temporary codes for family and friends to use during their stay.
Owner Amenities
For each guest reservation we provide a starter kit of basic supplies.
These include:
Two rolls of paper towels
Four rolls of toilet paper per bathroom
Laundry detergent pods
Dryer sheets
Dishwasher pods
Dish soap
Sponge
Small trash liners
Bath amenities include: Shampoo, Conditioner, Bar Soap, Lotion
Owner Communication and Notifications
We regularly communicate with our owners on a variety of topics.
Annual Safety Inspections
Annual Maintenance Inspection
Annual Required Items Audit
Owner Newsletters
One-on-one communications related to maintenance or issues specific to the
property
Notifications of bookings
Owner Portal and Login
Each owner will receive a user-name and the opportunity to set a password in our Owner Portal. The portal is available 24 hours a day and can be used to view past statements, view calendars in real-time, make or change owner reservations and more. Simply go to www.curatetelluride.com and click on the owners tab at the bottom of the homepage in Featured Links.
If you forget your password we can provide your User ID and help you reset your password using the “forgot password” link on the login page of the Owner Portal.
Owner Reservations
It is important that you stay up to date on your owner reservations. The Owner Portal is available 24/7 for you to make or change reservations. Our philosophy for blocking dates is “when in doubt, block it out.” You can always release dates once you find you will not need them, but once a guest has signed a contract and placed a deposit on your property, it may not be possible to move the reservation. Generally, moving guests results in angry customers, disappointment, guest compensation, and poor reviews. For this reason, we will only try to relocate a guest in rare circumstances.
While owners can book reservations anytime, we only take paid reservations 365 days or less from the arrival date. This rolling 365-day calendar means a guest can book a stay up to one year in advance. This allows us to secure the highest possible rates for your property.
There are two types of Owner Stays.
1. You will be present during the stay dates
2. You will NOT be present (friends or family type stay)
For type number 1 you can book the stay in your owner portal.
For type number 2 reservations please call our team at (970-519-5908) and we will
assist you in booking an “Owner’s Guest Stay”. This will allow us to send your guest
the same communication that a paid guest would receive, including driving
directions, access codes and contact numbers, etc. We will also ask you who is
paying the cleaning fee or hot tub fees.
Owner Required Items
We have a Required Home Inventory list to provide a consistent experience for guests. Please note if we discover any of these items are missing at your property, we will purchase them for you and place the charge on your owner statement. See your rental management agreement for a copy of the list, or contact us at info@curatetelluride.com, and we will provide you with the details.
Owner Reviews
Your satisfaction is important to us. Upon departure, you will receive the opportunity to review your experience at your home and with our team. Each year, you will also receive a more comprehensive Owner Survey. These surveys are used for staff training, program improvements, and recognizing outstanding team members. This feedback is valued and essential to us, and we take this feedback to heart.
Owner Social Opportunities
Each year we offer a variety of ways for our owner partners to meet other owners, get to know our team, or even meet individually. We look forward to getting to know you and your family!
Owner Shipping
We are happy to receive packages before to your arrival. If you will be at your home when the package arrives you may ship directly to your property address. If you prefer to ship items to our office for safe-keeping, please use the following address:
Your name
C/O Kevin Jones
135 Hillside Lane
Telluride, CO 81435
Owner Statements (Including receiving and sending payments)
Each month, on or before the 20th of the month, a statement will be published in your Owner Portal. We do not mail paper copies of statements, but you are able to download and print statements as needed. Statements will detail all income and expenses for the previous month. Proceeds will be disbursed after statements are posted. Please note that rental payments are paid based on the check-out date of the reservation.
Payments due to the owner will be made via ACH payment to the bank account we have on-file. Payments due to Curate Telluride can be made via check and
mailed to:
Curate Telluride
C/O Kevin Jones
135 Hillside Lane
Telluride, CO 81435
You may also make payments via ACH bank transfer or via the credit card we have on file. A 3% processing fee will apply to credit card payments.
Revenue Management
Our Philosophy: We understand the importance of maximizing your home’s ROI. We are experts in garnering the highest price possible for the days rented, and utilize several strategies to meet the income goals for your home. We make decisions at the local level based on years of experience in the Telluride market. We do not rely on a remote corporate office for pricing decisions, but rather stay close to the process to execute data driven decisions.
Dynamic Pricing
Pricing tools allow us to change rates daily based on market statistics, competitor pricing, and supply and demand. We do not set rates seasonally and forget them. We constantly adjust and manage your rate structure based on accurate data and sophisticated software.
First Year Hurdles
When we accept a property into our exclusive portfolio, we are already confident that we can turn your property into a high-performing vacation rental. Remember that the first year in any management program can be challenging. We will be working to create demand, get positive reviews, and meet your home’s revenue goal. Reviews are an important factor to potential guests, and it takes time to secure these reviews. We will often temporarily offer a new property at slightly below market rates to attract potential guests. We also promote new properties on multiple channels, through social media, and in digital marketing efforts.
Goal Setting
Each property has a target revenue goal for the year broken down by month and week. We monitor this performance closely and use pacing reports to track progress. Price adjustments may be made based on this information.
Promotions
Unlike many companies that offer discounts on all properties regardless of performance, we target promotions and use them as sparingly as possible. Often, our promotions are limited in time, type of property, or length of stay. All promotions are carefully crafted to maximize performance.