Vacation Rental Expenses
What to expect with vacation rental expenses
As with any investment, there will be expenses. Better to know what they are in advance, right?
This list is thorough but not necessarily exhaustive. As vacation rental owners for many years before we started Five Star Vacation Rentals, we'd be glad to answer any further questions you have about owning a vacation rental.
City and County ordinance information
Your vacation rental property will need to be registered with the city or county, depending on your location.
Fees at Big Bear Lake include:
- City of Big Bear Lake registration/annual renewal fee: $235
- City of Big Bear Lake transfer fee (if change of rental agency within 6 months of renewal/registration being paid: $50
- County application fee: $671
- County bi-annual renewal fee: $443
Before your home can be rented, it must be inspected and pass with both Bear Valley Fire and either the city or county. You can reach the city at 909-866-5831.
Ongoing fees, subject to change by vendor
- General house cleaning: $125-$450, depending on the size of your home. Owners are charged the same as what we are actually billed from the cleaner. However, if you book to your guests, the fee is the normal, higher tenant fee.
- Snow removal: $75-$275 as needed, depending on size of driveway and amount of snow.
- Laundry services will only be billed if you don't have a washer and dryer, which we highly recommend.
Recommended at least twice a year
- Deep cleaning: $150-$500, depending on size of your home.
- Abatement: As needed, required by city.
Additional expenses due to normal wear and tear
These are part of the normal cost of doing business as a vacation rental owner:
- Light bulbs and batteries need frequent replacement
- Dishes and small appliances sometimes break
- Shower curtains and liner replacements
- DVD players and remote controls sometimes stop working properly
- Lamp switches and shades can break
- Carpet cleanings two or three times per year
- Vacuum cleaners don't last forever (our cleaners use their own, but you'll want one on hand for guests, too)
- Normal wear and tear on furniture, or stains from spills
- Kitchen tables and chairs can get dents or become loose
- Weed abatement and yard clean-up required by city twice a year
- Window cleaning and screen replacement
- Propane tanks for grills (avoid this by getting a charcoal grill)
- Paint touch-ups inside and out
Maintaining your vacation rental will pay off in the long-run. It's smart business.
Questions? Contact us at:
With Five Star, you get a true luxury property every time. We offer only the best hand-selected vacation homes to our guests, and we're deliberate about the owners we partner with.
The result? Whether you stay with us in Big Bear, Southern California, Palm Springs, La Quinta, Mexico, Mammoth Mountain, or Park City, you'll get a vacation indulgence unlike anywhere else, every time.
Your vacation time is precious, right? And we know you have options. That's why we treat every one of our unique properties as if it were our own, and give you more than you'd expect.
While your luxury getaway may only last a few days, our aim is to help you create vacation memories to last a lifetime. It's one reason guests come back to us again and again, and why owners stay with us for the long-term.
The moment you book your luxury getaway with Five Star, you'll start to enjoy personalized, boutique service. We're not just the owners of Five Star, we're your hosts.
You'll get hands-on service and everything you need for a relaxed stay, including our Five Star Vacation Rentals app. It's just one more difference you'll notice when you vacation the Five Star way.
