8 things to know about Vacasa’s local operations

At your vacation rental, anything and everything can happen. Guests can get locked out at midnight. Air conditioners can break down on a sweltering summer day. Pipes can spring a leak.

For homeowners working with Vacasa, these issues aren’t high-stress situations. That’s because they have a dedicated local support team to handle it all. Included in our full-service vacation rental management, these local teams are the key to getting glowing reviews and repeat business.

We chatted with five Vacasa local team members, from Lake Tahoe to Belize, to find out how their work benefits the guest experience and every homeowner’s bottom line. Here’s what you should know.

Meet some of our local team members

• Len Cavanaugh, Regional Director of Operations, Lake Tahoe & Truckee, California
• Rachel Landell, General Manager, Panama City Beach & Port St. Joe, Florida
• Rudy Saenz de Ugarte, General Manager, Caribbean Coast
• Sheldon Arnold, Senior General Manager, Belize
• Kaprie Dawson, Local Operations Manager, Belize

1. They act as an extension of you—caring for your guests and maintaining your investment

From housekeepers to maintenance technicians to local managers, every local support team member delivers two things:

On-the-ground vacation home care

“Homeowners entrust the local teams to take care of their assets,” Rudy explains. “It’s a truly important responsibility that we take seriously.”

Rachel agrees. “We are a homeowner’s eyes and ears on the ground.” Even better, Vacasa has systems in place to take care of issues as quickly as possible. For repairs under a certain amount, Vacasa will go ahead and fix it immediately and bill the homeowner. “Or, if a major repair comes up, we’ll alert the owner and suggest one of our preferred local vendors—or we’ll schedule a vendor on the homeowner’s behalf.”

24/7 guest service

“Our local teams are the go-to people for basically anything guests need,” Len says. The oven breaks or WiFi goes down? The local team overseeing that area knows every home, has trusted vendors on speed dial, and can quickly jump in to help. Having guest service within immediate reach not only makes guests feel safer—it’s critical for garnering a five-star review once they leave.

2. Their main work is done even before guests arrive

Prevention is the name of the game, in more ways than one. “One of our most important responsibilities is thwarting guest problems (and bad reviews) from happening in the first place”, says Sheldon. A lot of our day-to-day efforts are aimed at avoiding future problems for both our guests and homeowners.”

In fact, every time a local Vacasa team member is at your home—no matter if they’re cleaning or checking out a potential issue—they use their visit to conduct a visual inspection of the home.

Some preventative measures our local teams take:

• Thorough cleanings following every stay. Vacasa housekeepers are trained in a four-step cleaning process and adhere to our Vacasa Premium Clean standards.
• Pre-arrival inspections, which include checking appliances and amenities, plus testing WiFi speeds
• Routine maintenance checks
• Personal calls to guests at arrival (and departure) to gauge their satisfaction with the home and see if they need anything
• Providing all the pertinent information—such as door lock codes—in one place and making sure it’s sent to guests early
• Stocking homes with essential supplies, such as hand soap, laundry detergent, and garbage bags

3. They’re prepared for anything

From spotting a bear outside a mountain cabin to a child who locked themselves in the bathroom (both true stories), our local teams have seen it all. With decades of experience assisting travelers in their destination, our local operations teams are ready to tackle whatever issue comes their way. In Panama City Beach, Rachel and her team are accustomed to helping guests navigate situations typical for their region.

“We’ll call guests ahead of time letting them know if a nearby road is closed or if the beach entrance closest to the property is blocked off,” Rachel explains. “We’re always armed with alternate options for them to enjoy their stay.”

Meanwhile, across the country, Len and his Lake Tahoe staff are primed to help guests find their cabin nestled in the woods and deal with extreme snow or nearby fires.

Some situations our local Vacasa teams are prepared to handle:

• Broken appliances, air conditioners, and heaters
• Plumbing and water heating issues
• Extreme weather conditions
• Internet issues
• Guests who are lost and can’t find the vacation home
• Early check-ins and late check-outs
• Guests locked out of the property
• Spotting a wild animal onsite
• Disruptive guests or house parties

“Maintenance problems happen wherever you’re staying,” Kaprie says. “It’s our job to jump on the issue right away and come ready with solutions. The faster we fix any problems, the less impact it will have on the guests.”

“It’s all about making your guests feel safe and comfortable by simply being there for them”, Rudy says. “I want them to feel like they made the right choice when they booked with us.”

4. They move quickly to resolve issues

Swiftly jumping in with solutions is another way local teams prevent bad reviews.

In Lake Tahoe, Len and his team can be at any home to deal with guests’ issues within 15 minutes on slow days and about an hour on busy days. “Homeowners love that we respond rapidly and take immediate action to remedy guest issues,” Len says. “In most cases, our quick response can save homeowners from paying fines and having damage to their home.”

Kaprie says that speed is paramount to getting 5-star reviews. “When an issue arises, we don’t dawdle,” she explains. “Our local team is always on call to quickly fix problems so guests can enjoy the rest of their trip worry-free.”

5. Local teams are larger than you think

Most of our homeowners will only interact with one person at Vacasa—their local operations manager. What they don’t realize is there’s actually a whole army of local team members working behind the scenes to keep guests and owners happy.

Market size can dictate how large your local team is. For example, the local Vacasa team in the Panama City area in Florida consists of 21 staff members, including maintenance technicians, inspectors, property caretakers, and homeowner relations managers.

In South Lake Tahoe, about 50 local team members service 175 vacation homes.

Robust local teams are vital for successful vacation rentals—so much so that local operations teams make up the majority of the Vacasa workforce.

6. They can save you a lot of money

With so many local Vacasa team members looking out for your vacation home and guests, they can more easily spot and react to concerns before they grow into expensive emergencies.

Len recalls a time when water was gushing out from underneath a Lake Tahoe vacation home. Turns out, one of the main water lines had cracked. “We were able to prevent the water from getting inside and damaging the home,” he says. “We had the city shut off the main line, fixed the issue, and had the guest back in the house in about three hours. We also bought them a pizza for lunch.”

Rachel and her team also prevented a flood in a Vacasa vacation home, thanks to regular inspections. After a team member noticed a small leak was getting bigger and bigger, they investigated and found that the hot water heater in the condo unit above was leaking, Rachel explains. “Since that home above is not rented out, the leak would have worsened and damaged our vacation rental, too. It pays to have a steady local team looking out for you and your home.”

“We protect every owner’s vacation home like it’s our own,” Sheldon says. “We understand how much it can cost to repair damage, and we jump in immediately to minimize the impact.”

7. They have strong relationships with trusted local vendors

Local relationships matter. Vacasa’s standards are high and our teams have a network of trusted vendors they’ve thoroughly vetted. Two of the major traits we look for in every vendor:

1. They respond quickly and show up on time
2. They consistently deliver quality work to avoid more issues

“Strong relationships with our area partners are extremely important,” Kaprie says. “We need to resolve issues quickly and rely on trusted experts to help us.”

“Our connections with local professionals are one of the biggest deciding factors for new homeowners to work with us,” Rachel adds.

An example of vendors we have on speed dial in many of our destinations:

• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Pool cleaners
• Hot tub technicians
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians
• Arborists
• Pest control
• Roof repair

8. Local teams are pivotal to homeowner satisfaction

How good (or bad) your local team is can impact your success as a vacation rental owner.

Read some of our reviews from vacation home owners just like you:

• “Our local manager communicates so well with us whenever we have a question. Not only are they taking great care of our property, our bookings have increased.”
• “My team is always responsive. Without this level of communication, we would struggle to offer the required service to our guests.”
• “Although I’m miles away in another country, Kevin is always available and quick to answer any questions. The team in Playa del Coco in Costa Rica is outstanding—the maintenance team is reliable and the housekeeping team is impeccable.”
• “My local team loops me in to discuss my condo’s needs, plus are there to answer any questions on rates and reviews. I have been with Vacasa for four years and have no plans to ever leave.”

Dig in to more of our vacation homeowner stories to see how Vacasa has helped them and their guests.

Vacasa’s local teams protect guests’ vacations and your assets. Not only are they responsible for ensuring each vacation home is ready for guest-ready, but they prevent problems in the first place. The majority of the local teams work behind the scenes, but their impact on your success is unmistakable.

Want to learn what the local Vacasa team in your region can do for you? Get in touch today.