Good Neighbor Policy

At Elite Lake Rentals, it is our sincere intention to be good neighbors to the communities we serve in Southeast Wisconsin. We strive to maintain proactive relationships with the city, local businesses, and our neighbors, as we too are residents and members of these communities. Our roots are planted deep here.

Tourism is a large part of life in the Lake Geneva area and a major part of our economy. Vacationers arrive for the myriad of activities and attractions in Lake Geneva. Whether it be to enjoy a day at Geneva Lake, a walk on the shore path, building a sandcastle at the beach or a romantic stroll along the lake, anyone who is blessed enough to live understands the lure of our beautiful lakes and Midwest charm. We are fortunate to live our lives in the shadow of such magnificent beauty and many of us wish to allow visitors the opportunity to experience a taste of what it’s like to live here.

Why Do Owners Airbnb Their Vacation Homes?

Almost too many reasons to count. The most common are:

1. As a vacation home. Here to use when they have a chance to visit and rented out to cover expenses when it would otherwise be vacant.
2. Help with the mortgage and maintenance costs.  Many owners may only stay at their property a few weeks per year and rent it out at all other times such as holidays and other special event periods to afford to keep their homes.
3. So that the home doesn’t sit empty for months on end. An occupied property is a deterrent to crime and keeps deferred maintenance in check.
4. Part of an investment/retirement strategy. Many homeowners purchase a home or plan to keep a home with retirement as the end goal and use as a vacation rental to offset expenses until then.
5. To keep the home in the family. Many of our homes are owned by the families and children that grew up there to use and enjoy when they come back to Wisconsin in the Summer. The ability to short-term Airbnb allows them to keep the home in the family when not in use.
6. A job transfer, out of town work, or absence to take care of a loved one. Vacation or short-term renting allows homeowners the opportunity to hold on to their home and keep ties in Wisconsin and use when they visit until they return permanently. 

How Do Owners Rent Their Vacation Homes?

Many destination area homeowners across the country and world choose to short-term rent their home at one point or another. Many take advantage of services such as Airbnb.com or VRBO.com where you can list your home for rent while not using it. For those not interested in DIY vacation rental management, there are professional organizations such as Elite Lake Rentals.

There are many advantages to employing a local professional. First, and most importantly, this means hands-on care for your property and taking the responsibility of ensuring the home and neighborhood are respected by guests. For out-of-town owners, nothing can beat that peace of mind. That said, there is a wide range of options with just as wide a range of levels of care and accountability, so it becomes very important for guests and homeowners to research before deciding on a management company.

Issues Surrounding Vacation Home Guests

At Elite Lake Rentals, our goal is to eliminate any issue before it happens. All guests must agree to a Guest Agreement prior to booking, and house and neighborhood rules are clearly explained prior to each rental. We are open 7 days a week and have staff on call 24/7 to address any issues if ever necessary. Below is a discussion about the most common issues with vacation renters.

Parking

The parking accommodations are clearly stated in each of our vacation home descriptions and on Airbnb and VRBO listings. When reservations are taken over the phone, each guest is reminded of their parking allotment. Most guests travel together or share rental cars so parking is rarely an issue.

Trash

Elite Lake Rentals encourages all of our owners to get an additional garbage can so there is never garbage overflowing.  We ensure trash cans are rolled to the street at the appropriate time and returned to the house after being emptied each week.

Overcrowding

This is a responsibility that we are absolutely passionate about. When guests exceed a home’s occupancy, the overcrowding has the potential to result in excessive wear and tear and damage, and the potential for noise disturbances. Our vacation rentals and Airbnb’s come with reasonable, yet strict limits for occupancy, and guests must abide by those limits or face eviction.  We follow the Wisconsin State Licensing guidelines for 2 people per bedroom plus 2 for max total occupancy per property.

Minimum Rental Periods

To correct a misconception, we do not accept anything less than 2-night rentals. We do not allow parties. The vast majority of our guests are families and friends and with an average length of stay of over 4 nights.

Interventions

Our vacation rentals are monitored regularly to determine that guests are adhering to policies and procedures. If a neighbor ever witnesses a non-compliance problem with any of our properties, they may contact us 7-days per week and 24-hours per day. We urge you to get in touch with us as soon as possible.  We background check all of our guests and we also use noise sensors in all of our properties that measure the decibel level and how many people are in the property.  This allows us to know when the volume at a home we manage is getting too loud and remind the guest of our Good Neighbor policy so they do not disturb any of the neighbors.

As practicality allows, we address any issues that arise with our guests as soon as we are aware of them.

We firmly believe that a well-run Airbnb, VRBO or Wisconsin vacation rental can coexist in neighborhoods and homeowners have the right to rent their property long-term or short-term as they see fit as long as they don’t create a nuisance to the neighborhood. We always are quick to react to any questions or concerns and we will continue to do whatever we can to ensure the peaceful co-existence of short-term rentals with long-term rentals and homeowners in our neighborhoods. We invite you to call or email us if you have any questions or to learn more!