Question 1

What is vacation rental maintenance?

Accepted Answer

Vacation rental maintenance is the process of keeping short-term rental properties safe, functional, clean, and ready for guests.

It includes everything from routine maintenance and repairs to emergency issues, vendor coordination, cleaning, inspections, appliance problems, plumbing, HVAC, electrical work, lockouts, and other property-related requests.

For short-term rental operators, maintenance also involves communication. Someone has to respond to the guest, understand the problem, coordinate the right vendor, arrange access, follow up on the job, and keep everyone updated.

That is the part OnPass helps manage.

Question 2

What are the benefits of having dedicated vacation rental maintenance coordination?

Accepted Answer

Having a dedicated team manage maintenance coordination can reduce the amount of time property managers spend answering calls, chasing vendors, scheduling repairs, and following up on open work orders.

It can also help provide:

- Faster response times
- 24/7 coverage
- Better guest communication
- Fewer missed maintenance requests
- More consistent vendor follow-up
- Clearer work-order tracking
- Less time spent managing routine issues
- Better support as your property portfolio grows

Most importantly, it means the property manager doesn't have to personally be the middleman for every maintenance request.

Question 3

How does OnPass handle a maintenance request?

Accepted Answer

The exact process depends on how you want your operation set up.

In a typical situation, OnPass can receive the request, gather the necessary information, determine how urgent the issue is, create a work order, contact the appropriate vendor, coordinate scheduling, update the guest or tenant, and follow up until the issue is resolved.

You can also give us your own rules for emergencies, spending limits, vendor preferences, and escalations.

Question 4

Can OnPass handle maintenance calls after hours?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

OnPass can provide 24/7 guest and maintenance support, including nights, weekends, and after-hours coverage.

So if a guest calls at 2AM because the AC stops working, there's someone available to respond, gather the details, troubleshoot where possible, and follow your process for escalation or vendor dispatch.

Question 5

Can I use my own maintenance vendors?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

If you already have plumbers, HVAC technicians, electricians, handymen, locksmiths, cleaners, or other vendors you trust, you can whitelist them.

We'll follow your preferred vendor order and contact them first whenever possible.

Question 6

What if I don't already have a vendor?

Accepted Answer

You can also use OnPass's network of pre-vetted vendors where available.

Depending on the market and service, we may be able to help source vendors at discounted rates.

You can still set your preferred price range, approval limit, and service requirements.

Question 7

Do I have to use OnPass vendors?

Accepted Answer

No.

You stay in control.

You can use only your own vendors, use our vendor network, or use a combination of both.

OnPass is designed to work around your operation rather than forcing you into a specific vendor network.

Question 8

What types of vacation rental maintenance can OnPass coordinate?

Accepted Answer

OnPass can help coordinate a wide range of short-term rental maintenance and property services, including:

- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Handyman work
- Appliance repair
- Painting
- Drywall repair
- Locksmiths and lockouts
- Smart locks
- Internet and Wi-Fi issues
- Smart-home devices
- Water heaters
- Leak detection
- Drain and sewer problems
- Pest control
- Landscaping
- Pool and hot tub service
- Cleaning
- Turnover cleaning
- Furniture repair and assembly
- Pressure washing
- Junk removal
- Routine maintenance
- Emergency maintenance

And other property-related service requests.

Question 9

Can I set a maintenance approval limit?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

You can decide exactly how much authority OnPass has.

For example, you may allow us to approve repairs under $250 without contacting you, while anything above that amount requires your approval.

You can also create different rules for emergency and non-emergency situations.

Question 10

What counts as an emergency maintenance issue?

Accepted Answer

That depends on the property and your own procedures.

Common examples may include:

- Major water leaks
- No heat or AC during extreme weather
- Electrical hazards
- Guests being locked out
- Flooding
- Serious plumbing problems
- Safety or security concerns

During onboarding, you can define what your team considers an emergency and how you want those situations escalated.

Question 11

Does OnPass create and track work orders?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Our team can document maintenance requests and create work orders with details such as the issue, property information, guest or tenant information, urgency, access instructions, preferred vendor, approval limits, and communication history.

We can also follow up on open work orders and help keep the relevant people updated.

Question 12

Can OnPass coordinate cleaners and turnovers?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

We can coordinate with your existing cleaners or help source cleaning services based on your requirements and preferred price range.

This can include turnover cleaning, routine cleaning, deep cleaning, and other property-related cleaning services.

Question 13

Can OnPass help reduce unnecessary maintenance call-outs?

Accepted Answer

In some cases, yes.

Not every guest issue requires a technician.

Sometimes the guest needs help resetting a breaker, operating a thermostat, connecting to Wi-Fi, using a smart lock, or understanding something inside the property.

If you provide us with your property instructions and troubleshooting procedures, our team can try basic troubleshooting first before a vendor is sent out.

Question 14

Does OnPass provide 24/7 guest support?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Our team can act as the first point of contact for guest questions and property-related issues around the clock.

That can include maintenance requests, Wi-Fi problems, lockouts, smart-home troubleshooting, property questions, and other common guest concerns.

Question 15

What is 24/7 guest support for short-term rentals?

Accepted Answer

24/7 guest support means your guests have someone available to contact at any time, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

The support team can answer questions, troubleshoot common issues, gather information, create maintenance requests, coordinate vendors, and escalate emergencies when necessary.

For property managers, it means fewer late-night interruptions and better coverage for guests.

Question 16

Why is 24/7 guest support important for Airbnb and vacation rentals?

Accepted Answer

Guests expect quick responses, especially when something goes wrong during their stay.

A delayed response to a lockout, AC issue, plumbing problem, or Wi-Fi outage can quickly turn into a poor guest experience.

Having around-the-clock support helps ensure someone is available to respond even when the property manager is asleep, unavailable, or managing other properties.

Question 17

Does OnPass work with Airbnb and VRBO properties?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

OnPass supports short-term rental operators and property management companies managing properties on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO, as well as independently managed vacation rentals.

Question 18

Can OnPass provide only after-hours or weekend support?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

You don't necessarily need full 24/7 coverage.

OnPass can support property managers who only need nights, weekends, overflow coverage, or specific hours when their internal team isn't available.

Question 19

What does a property management virtual assistant do?

Accepted Answer

A property management virtual assistant helps with the repetitive and administrative work involved in running properties.

Depending on your needs, an OnPass VA can help with:

- Guest and tenant communication
- Leasing support
- Lead follow-up
- Maintenance coordination
- Vendor management
- Rent follow-ups
- Renter's insurance follow-ups
- QuickBooks administration
- CRM updates
- Inbox management
- Calendar management
- Reporting
- Data entry
- SOP creation
- Move-in and move-out coordination

The goal is to give your core team more time to focus on higher-value work.

Question 20

Can an OnPass Virtual Assistant work inside our current property management software?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, yes.

Our goal is to work inside your existing systems and processes rather than introduce another platform for your team to manage.

During onboarding, we'll review the tools you use and build the workflow around them.

Question 21

Is OnPass a property management company?

Accepted Answer

No.

OnPass supports property managers and short-term rental operators with the operational work behind their portfolios.

We help with guest support, maintenance coordination, vendor management, cleaning coordination, virtual assistants, and back-office operations.

Your team remains in control of the properties and the overall management relationship.

Question 22

Is OnPass a maintenance contractor?

Accepted Answer

No.

OnPass coordinates maintenance rather than physically performing every repair ourselves.

The actual repair is completed by the appropriate vendor or contractor, whether that's one of your trusted vendors or a provider sourced through OnPass.

Question 23

Who is OnPass best suited for?

Accepted Answer

OnPass is designed for short-term rental operators, vacation rental managers, and property management companies that need additional operational support.

That could mean:

- A growing operator who no longer wants to personally answer every maintenance call
- A property manager that needs overnight and weekend coverage
- A larger portfolio that needs help coordinating vendors and work orders
- A company looking for trained property management virtual assistants
- A team that needs additional support without building a larger in-house operation

Question 24

How does OnPass help property managers scale?

Accepted Answer

As portfolios grow, the number of guest messages, maintenance requests, vendors, work orders, follow-ups, and administrative tasks grows with them.

OnPass gives property managers another operational layer to handle that workload.

Instead of the owner or manager personally handling every task, our team can take ownership of defined parts of the operation while following your processes and rules.

Question 25

How quickly can I get started with OnPass?

Accepted Answer

The setup depends on the services you need and the complexity of your operation.

We'll first learn how your team currently handles guest support, maintenance, vendors, approvals, and administrative work.

From there, we'll build the workflow around your existing operation and determine the right level of coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Maintenance & vendors

24/7 guest support

Virtual assistants

About OnPass