Who are LiveTheSeason?
Live The Season is the trading name of KandM Property Ltd, a UK company operating since 2008. We specialise in marketing properties in ski resorts for a seasonal let and finding suitable occupiers to rent these properties.
What is a Seasonal Let?
A seasonal let is a type of holiday booking from 1 month long up to a maximum of 6 months. You can decide the let period but generally a winter let is from the beginning of December through to the end of April. We also deal with summer let periods as well.
You are letting the whole property for exclusive use by the guest, although we do have some property listed where we let by the room or the bed in a shared property, but these are clearly marked. Your property will become someone’s holiday home for the season.
What type of people want seasonal lets?
All sorts of people look for seasonal lets and they range from gap year students, resort workers, professionals and families taking a sabbatical to live their dream, remote workers, weekend holidaymakers, to chalet operators looking for commercial opportunities or staff accommodation.
What type of properties do you have?
All sorts is the short answer. We have properties ranging from basic studios through to luxury chalets and everything in between.
How does it all work?
Very simply, just tell us you would like to list with us and let us have photos and details of your property details. We will also ask for proof of identity to ensure you do own the property. We then list your property on our website and will start to market it.
We respond to direct enquiries received about your property as well as actively market it to prospective guests whose search criteria fit your property.
We handle all enquiries about your property and manage the communication with prospective guests. When a guest confirms their wish to rent your property, we request confirmation from you that your property is available. We exchange a contract with the guest and take their booking deposit. Clearance of the deposit funds into our account reserves the property for the guest. At that point we ask you to sign a contract with us for the rental of your property. After receipt of that signed contract then we will pass the reservation deposit onto you.
The guest has to pay the full rental value and a damage/utility deposit before they can access your property and the full rental value will be passed to you before the guest moves in.
You are responsible for all inventories, local key holding, check-in/check-out procedures, and resolving any issues during the rental period.
At the end of the rental period, after the check-out procedure/inventory check has been completed by you or your local agent, you confirm if any damage deductions are applicable and the value of any utilities costs if not included in the season rental value. We will then process repayment of the guest’s security / utilities deposit.
Who am I contracting with?
The contract we use is a contract between you, the property ‘Owner’, and us, the advertising ‘Agent’. All contracts are subject to English Law and any disputes will be settled in a UK court of Law.
In the contract you are agreeing to:
- let us advertise and market your property for you
- us handling the holiday rental contracts and signing on your behalf
- us handling all money between the guest and you
- your responsibility for resolving any day-to-day issues with the property during the booking period We then have a separate contract with your guest in which it confirms we are acting on your behalf.
In what currency will I be paid?
We will market your property in whatever currency you want to receive and you will be paid in that currency.
When will I be paid?
A booking deposit is paid to you as soon as the guest has paid us and you have signed the contract agreeing to the specific booking. The balance of the full season rent will be paid in full before the season starts – generally this is 4 weeks before the start of the booking period, but it may be later if a late booking is taken.
How do I work out my rental value?
This is really personal to you. A seasonal let is not as lucrative as weekly letting but it requires a lot less management by you. You do not need to pay weekly cleaning charges, worry about laundry costs, or whether you will achieve your weekly occupancy figures to break even. Remember, one of the advantages of letting with us is that you receive the full seasonal rent before your guest moves in.
We ask that you be realistic about what you want to achieve from your property. We can advise of suitable market values from our experience and we will always discuss with you the local market conditions as we see them. This means we will tell you if we think you are asking too much for your property. Honesty is the best course of action as we like to develop lasting relationships with our property owners. However, that said, we will always try our hardest to achieve the rental figure you set.
What is your fee?
We earn our fee by adding our margin on top of the rental value you request and advertising this total price. We do not have a set margin and it is determined on a property-by-property basis. We negotiate with guests from within our margin and we work very hard to achieve the rental value you need.
What is included in the rent I receive?
You can decide what is and what isn’t included. For example, you decide if the utility costs are included or excluded within the rental. All that we ask is that you clearly identify what is and is not included to avoid any ambiguity with prospective guests.
Can I have a say in who rents my property?
If you have certain criteria then we can use these to qualify any potential guest before a booking. If you wish more detail then this can be arranged too. It is not in our interest for your property to be occupied by anyone who you are not 100% comfortable with.
Can I advertise somewhere else?
Yes. We do not ask for any advertising exclusivity. It is important to us that you let your property and make it work for you. All we ask is that if you do let it elsewhere after we have listed it, then you let us know as soon as possible so we can keep our website up-to-date.
Please note that if you are contracted with some French agents then you may have signed an exclusivity contract with them.
How do I advertise with you?
It is really easy and quick for us to get your property listed. We ask you to send us details and photos about your property.
- Photos – Pictures are so important to our guests since the majority will not manage a physical visit to your property before deciding which property to book. The more photos the better as we really like to provide a good feel for the property. We can handle most formats of photos and are quite happy picking up photos from Cloud locations or other
- Property details – We need a description room by room. Identify what size your property is (in sqm) and include a list of key equipment included such as an oven, hob, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, satellite TV, DVD player, Wifi / broadband access, telephone. Provide details of any facilities in the same building, such as a launderette, pool, gym, ski lockers, garage, and car parking
- Location details – It is important to help the guest understand the location of the property so please describe the distance/time to village centre and shops, distance to nearest ski lift/piste, and provide details of nearest ski bus stop.
- General details – provide any other useful information about your property? Are utilities included? Etc. We can advise you on this point if
You need to decide the rental value you would like to achieve and then we will create an electronic advert and send you a link for your approval. Once you approve that listing, we will then start to market your property for you.
What do I need to provide in my property?
Your property must be furnished as it would be for a weekly holiday let. This obviously includes beds, storage, sofas, dining table and chairs, and key kitchen equipment such as a hob, oven, microwave, and fridge. A TV, DVD player and freezers are great bonus items. Seasonal guests tend to prefer a washing machine rather than a dishwasher but then there are always local launderettes. Crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils must be provided in suitable numbers for the amount of people the property will sleep.
Storage is quite key since seasonal guests do like to unpack their suitcases so do consider chest of drawers and wardrobes.
Do I need to provide bedding and linen?
This is your choice but please do make it clear to us if you are including it. We generally advise guests that neither bedding nor linen is included and for them to see what is there when they arrive and then buy or rent locally as required.
Do I need to provide internet?
These days most guests expect internet access so we do recommend you consider providing this facility. Monthly charges can be include in the advertised price or included as part of the utility costs, so you have the flexibility.
How much contact will I have with my guests?
As much or as little as you want so if you want us to be the communication intermediary between you and your guest then we will be. We will not give your contact details to anyone without your prior consent.
What is the damages/utilities deposit?
This is a deposit the guest has to pay to guard against any damage they might cause and cover any utility bills. It is paid before the guest moves in. We will hold this on your behalf and the amount can be set by you.
At the end of the season, after the guest has checked out, you will confirm any deductions from this deposit and we will return the remainder to the guest. Deposit payments should be repaid within a month of the booking period finishing and the guest moving out.
How are utilities charged for?
This is down to your preference. Some owners will include utilities within the price of the rent and some will charge this as an extra, based on actual meter readings taken before and after the booking period.
Do I need insurance?
You must ensure your property is appropriately insured. You can also request that any guest must take out form of tenant’s liability insurance. This is a bit like buildings insurance but it covers the tenant’s negligence. It does not replace your need to take out insurance.
What about Tax de Sejour?
The Tax de Sejour rules vary by resort and you should take advice on what your obligations may or may not be and advise us whether it is included or excluded within the rental price.
What about Tax de Fonciere?
This is a tax on property owners and cannot be passed onto any guest as an extra utility cost.
What about Tax d’Habitation?
This is an occupation tax and owners must consider if they will be passing on a proportion to the guest as part of the rental value. Please note the damage / utilities deposit does not make any allowance for this sort of charge.