From check-out to settlement: how holiday apartment management works day to day

‘Management’ sounds abstract. In concrete terms, it is a chain of tasks that is repeated at every guest changeover, and reporting that keeps the owners informed. This article shows the process as we organise it for holiday apartments and chalets in Lenk, Saanenland and Adelboden-Kandersteg.

1. Taking on the property

It starts with onboarding: the apartment is equipped according to the furnishing concept and photographed, inventory and basic linen supplies are recorded, storage places for personal belongings are defined (lockable cupboard in kitchen and bathroom, cellar compartment), the electronic access system is set up and the unit is registered in the tourist office’s registration system. Before the start, it is clarified how the owners are treated for VAT purposes, because this affects the settlement.

2. Marketing and pricing

The apartment is offered with a uniform property description and professional photos on its own booking site and on the leading platforms – Booking.com, Airbnb and others – as well as through the tourist office. A channel manager synchronises all calendars so that no double booking occurs. Prices are set by the management company: seasonal and dynamic according to demand, with minimum stays, always in line with the market. Letting is by the day or week only; long-term or monthly lets are not permitted for tourist-managed apartments.

3. Guest communication

A team looks after guests from enquiry to departure: booking confirmation, arrival information, questions during the stay, arranging additional services such as mountain railway tickets or half board at partner businesses. Telephone availability is ensured seven days a week, including an emergency number. Guests of the apartments we look after also use a guest app with arrival details, Wi-Fi, guest card, local tips and chat.

4. Check-in and check-out

Check-in from 4 pm, check-out by 10 am. Guests receive time-limited access authorisation through the electronic access system – no key safe, no handover on site needed, but possible if guests wish. The owners’ access also runs through the system so that every occupancy is recorded.

5. Cleaning, linen and inspection

Between 10 am and 4 pm, what Picobello has stood for since 2019 takes place:

• Final clean after every guest stay and every stay by the owners; for longer stays, interim cleaning with a linen change.
• Linen from our own laundry in Lenk: bed, terry and kitchen linen are delivered and used linen is taken away.
• Consumables are topped up.
• General inspection at every check-out, with photos. Anything unusual goes to the owners as a damage report; minor repairs up to the agreed authority limit are carried out directly, and minor replacements of crockery without consultation.
• Full inspection at least once a year, plus inspection rounds outside periods of occupancy – also in winter, when the apartment is empty.

6. Registrations and levies

Every guest is registered and deregistered in the registration system, tourist tax is collected and passed on on time, and the accommodation statistics are kept up to date. This data feeds into the occupancy record that is presented periodically to the building permit authority for tourist-managed apartments.

7. Settlement and reporting

A separate management account is kept for each apartment, through which income and apartment-related payments run. Settlement takes place half-yearly on 30 June and 31 December and is paid out within 60 days. It shows the overnight-stay revenue, the deductions (tourist tax, levies, VAT, cleaning, linen, marketing costs), the management company’s fee and separately charged services – with supporting documents that can be viewed. Once a year, a report on letting, occupancy and the condition of the unit is added. Owners of the properties we look after see occupancy and statements continuously in the owner app, and on request on paper as well.

There is no occupancy or yield guarantee – nobody can give one seriously. What there is, is transparency over every franc.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a guest changeover take?

Between check-out at 10 am and check-in at 4 pm. Cleaning, linen change, inspection and topping up are done in this time.

Do I have to be present at a guest changeover?

No. Access, cleaning and inspection take place without the owners.

How do I find out how my apartment is doing?

Through the half-yearly statement, the annual report and – with us – the owner app with current occupancy.

Who decides on repairs?

Minor repairs up to the agreed authority limit are decided by the management company, larger work by the owners in consultation; urgent measures to prevent damage are arranged immediately.

Can I have my own guests booked through the management company?

Yes. Paying guests always go through the management company; friends and family count as personal use.

More on management: [Simmental](/bewirtschaftung-simmental), [Saanenland](/bewirtschaftung-saanenland), [Adelboden-Kandersteg](/bewirtschaftung-adelboden-kandersteg). Only need cleaning? [Holiday apartment cleaning in Simmental](/ferienwohnungsreinigung-simmental).

*Times, deadlines and processes correspond to the management agreements of Picobello Reinigungen for properties in Lenk and may differ depending on the property.*