Getting Started
Before you book your accommodations, we recommend that you message the host on the travelmob on-site messaging system. This will ensure that all details of your accommodations and any questions you may have are clarified before you make the booking. Also, since some hosts are more responsive than others, we encourage you to send a message to several hosts.
Make your booking on the site where you will be charged in full using your credit card or PayPal account. This allows us to provide you with customer service before, during and after your trip. We will also be holding on to your payment until after you check-in. This ensures that we protect you against scams that are common in online transactions. Also, following the travelmob Terms of Use, all contact information like phone numbers or email addresses is prohibited. This is for both your privacy.
After you book, a request will be sent to your host to accept or decline. Once your booking is accepted, all contact details will be automatically exchanged so you can discuss details of your trip, including security deposits, key exchange, etc. The host will receive your payment 24 hours after you check-in.
Please contact us here and we will help you immediately. If you have any other problems during your stay, please contact your host directly.
When you complete your booking, travelmob will hold on to your payment and will only release it 24 hours after you check-in. This ensures that should you have any problems, you can contact us and we can redirect you to a different host. The only way we may not be able to help you is if you move the transaction out of the travelmob website. This is why as per the Terms of Use, all transactions must be done through the site.
travelmob has a wide range of properties that can meet your needs - beach huts, vacation cottages, entire houses, even exclusive villas.
1. On the search box, type your destination city.
2. Select your travel dates.
3. Select the number of people you are traveling with.
4. Select the type of accommodations your prefer (shared room, a private room or the entire place).
5. Click on Search.
Some of the hosts do not complete their profile nor upload a picture. If you would like to get more information about your host before you book, you can always send them a message by clicking on the “Contact me” button on the listing page. You can request your host to complete his profile and upload a picture.
travelmob has a wide range of properties that can meet your needs - beach huts, vacation cottages, entire houses, even exclusive villas.
travelmob requires that all messaging between guests and hosts be handled through the site before a reservation is confirmed. This ensures that both you and the host maintain your privacy. In adherence to the travelmob Terms of Use, we can provide you with customer service and protection should you encounter any problems with your booking.
If you have specific information or requests you want to ask, you can contact the host using the on-site messaging system. Click on the “Contact me” button on the listings page. When the host responds to your message, you will receive an email alert from travelmob with a link to the response. We strongly encourage you to keep all your communication with the host online. Any message that includes phone number or email email address will be marked as red flag and will not be sent.
All contact information (address, phone number, email address) will be shared once the booking is confirmed.`
All communication between you and the host should be done through the on-site messaging system. On the listing page, click on the “Contact me” button. You can send your host all questions regarding the place and your booking details.
Once your booking is confirmed, all contact information (address, phone number, email address) will be shared.
Usually booking and reservations can be completed without viewing the place in person. All our property listings have several pictures of the place, as well as reviews and recommendations from previous guests which can help you make your decision. If you need additional information from the host, you can message the host and request for more pictures or ask questions. In the unusual event that the host agrees to arrange a viewing, please contact us so we can facilitate this for you. We also ask that you complete the booking through the site so that we can continue to provide your with our customer services before, during and after your reservation and we can properly protect you from any payment scams.
For last-minute travel plans, you can sign up for the standby list. All available hosts in your destination can message your with their offers.
Unfortunately, scams are a common problem especially for online transactions.
To avoid these scammers, we recommend that you complete your booking through the travelmob site. As per our policy, your payment will only be released to the host 24 hours after you have checked-in.
Any requests for payment outside of the travelmob system is most likely a scam. These include (but are not limited to) requests for payment using:
Western Union
Money Gram
Cashiers Check or Money Order
Liberty Reserve
Manage your account
Completing your profile is important so you can share your information to the rest of the travelmob community - potential hosts and other guests. This can also help you save time as you don’t have to repeat basic information about yourself to every potential host you message. Some hosts also make it a requirement for guests to have a complete profile in order to confirm their booking.
1. Go to the Reset Password page.
2. Enter your email address and you will be sent a new password.
1. On your Dashboard, go to Account.
2. Then go to Settings, then Password.
3. Enter your new password.
No, we don't link anyone to your Facebook account. travelmob only uses the Facebook link to pull basic pieces of information when a reservation is being made so that a host and guest can know a little more about each other. The information that is transferred is your school, your work, any networks you're a part of, and the "About Me" section. You can control what information is provided to travelmob by setting your privacy preferences on Facebook.
Finding a Place
Both a shared and private room means that the host will also be at the location while you’re there. A shared room is a common space, like a living room or you will be sharing the room with other guests while a private is a room of your own. You can also book the entire place, meaning you will the entire place to yourself.
Check-in is the day you arrive at your destination. Check-out is the day you leave the location.
You can send a message to the host using the on-site messaging system and request the host to upload more photos of the place.
travelmob has a wide range of properties that can meet your needs - beach huts, vacation cottages, entire houses, even exclusive villas.
Only the street view of the listing, not the exact address, is displayed. This is to protect our hosts privacy. We display the street view to let potential guests get a feel of the neighborhood - the available amenities in the area, its proximity to public transportation or other areas you are interested in, etc.
You can also send a message to the host to ask more specific questions about the location and the neighborhood.
The exact address will be shared with you once your booking is confirmed.
You can check the availability of a place using the Calendar on the listing page. However, some hosts do not keep their calendars up to date, so we suggest that you send a message to the host to confirm the place’s availability.
You can check how many guests a place can accommodate on the listing page. You can also send a message to the host using the on-site messaging system to confirm with them directly how many people the place can accommodate.
You can check the Description and Details page of the listing to find more information about the place. If you still have more questions, you can ask your host for more information about the place. To do this, click on the “Contact me” button from the listing page.
Some hosts don’t allow pets. Please send a message to your host to confirm this.
You can check the Description and Details pages to get more information about the place. If you still have more questions, you can send a message to the host directly by clicking on “Contact me” on the listing page.
Some hosts do not complete their listing page and don’t upload photos. You can send them a message to request them to complete their profile and to upload photos of the place. If they do not have reviews, it means that they have not had any reservations through the travelmob site previously.
Messaging
We discourage you from completing a booking if a host has not responded to your messages. We suggest that you message others hosts in the area. Once you have heard back from the host and have all your questions answered, you can book that place and assured that your reservation will be accepted.
Sometimes some feature may not work on Internet Explorer when we doing updates and maintenance on the site. If you have any problems with the site’s functions, please try using a Firefox or Safari browsers to access the travelmob site.
Also, note that a message will be marked with a red flag if it includes a phone number or email address. Check that your message does not include any contact details so it can sent successfully.
If you are still having problems with the messaging system, please contact us.
We recommend that you send messages to several hosts in the city or area you are traveling to.
Booking
Some hosts may have variable pricing. You can check the Calendar to see if a different rate is offered for certain dates. The hosts may also mention this in the Description and Details page so you can check here to confirm. You can also send a message to the host to confirm the actual rates for your chosen dates.
When you send reservation request, your host will be sent an email about your reservation dates. Your host will have 24 hours to respond to your reservation. We will send you a status alert when your host accepts, declines or doesn’t respond to your reservation request.
1. Go to “Traveling”.
2. Click on the “Upcoming Reservations” tab to view your pending reservation request. You can also cancel the reservation request from this page.
Hosts have 24 hours to accept or decline the reservation request. We will send you an email to let you know if your request was accepted, declined or if your host hasn’t responded.
Some hosts offer special rates, depending on the availability of the place. You can message the host directly to find out if any special rates are available. If they agree to give your special offer, they can “Make a Special Offer” and you can “Book Using Special Offer”.
The host will send you a special offer message. You can click on the “Book Using Special Offer” link to book the place at a special rate.
To check your reservation confirmation, go to “Traveling” to view your itinerary. You will also receive a confirmation email.
If you can’t find the confirmation here, it means that the reservation is not complete in the system. To complete your reservation, go to the listing page and click “Book it”. Your host will have 24 hours to accept or decline your request.
The amount of the deposit should be listed on the listing page of the accommodation. Many of our hosts do have deposit requirements and travelmob can facilitate security deposits for reservations. When a security deposit is set up for your reservation, your credit card is authorized 24 hours prior to check-in, and then refunded 48 hours after check-out unless the host contacts us and request it be held. Alternatively the host may ask for a security deposit upon arrival, but this must be disclosed in advance. It is up to the discretion of the guest to decide if he/she is comfortable with the deposit. You can look at previous reservations and reviews to help make your decision. Under no circumstance should you send a security deposit in advance of arrival. In the event that there is a dispute over a host holding the deposit, we will ask the host to provide pictures/a receipt to substantiate holding the deposit. This being said, the host has the final say over the deposit. We monitor our hosts to make sure there is not an underlying pattern of withholding the security deposit.
Payment
Our payment system is set up so that guests are assured that their payment is handled in a secure and reliable way. This also protects both parties from scams, which are unfortunately common in online transactions. When the host accepts your reservation request, you will be charged the full price upfront. travelmob will hold on to your payment until 24 hours after you check-in. If you choose to cancel your reservation, you will be refunded in accordance with your host’s cancellation policy.
Please do not send payment to the host outside of travelmob’s payment system. This is against our Terms of Use and prevents us from extending protection to your payment in cases of fraud.
travelmob will charge a Guest Service fee of 12% of your total booking amount.
Currently, travelmob supports payment via PayPal. Credit cards are not yet supported. Cash, check or payment in person is not allowed.
If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can easily set up your account on the PayPal site.
All reservations through travelmob requires full payment to be made upfront as soon as the reservation is confirmed. travelmob will hold on to your payment until 24 hours after you have checked-in.
Currently, travelmob accepts payment via PayPal. Credit cards are not yet supported.
If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can easily set up your account on the PayPal site.
We support some foreign currencies, but not all. When you are proceeding with a booking, please be sure to review the details on the "Book It" page. Section 4 allows you to select your native country of residence which, in turn, may allow you to pay in your native currency.
You will be charged the full amount upfront as soon as your booking is confirmed. travelmob will hold on to your payment until 24 hours after you check-in, after which we will transfer the payment to your host.
In addition to the booking price, a deposit, tax, cleaning fee or any additional fees should be listed in the Description and Details page of the place. You can also send a message to the host to confirm if they will be charging you any additional fees. travelmob will also charge a Guest Service fee of 12% of your total booking.
When you pay by credit card, a $1 verification is charged for submitting a reservation request and the remaining amount will be charged only if the reservation request is accepted by the host. If you retract the request or the host declines it or allows it to expire, the $1 is automatically refunded to your account and no other charges are made.
No. Payment will only be charged when a reservation request is accepted.
travelmob accepts all major credit cards. Be sure that you have entered all of your information correctly and that your card is not expired. If it still does not work contact us on the contact page.
Yes, you can pay with major credit cards and PayPal.
If you have a coupon that you would like to use on a booking, you would enter the coupon code on the "Book It" page. In the yellow box indicating the total for the reservation, there is a link that asks if you have a coupon code. Click on the link and a field for the coupon code will appear. Enter the code and click on the "Apply Coupon" button.
Yes, you can view and print your receipt.
1. Go to “Traveling”
2. Print your itinerary from the “Upcoming Trips” or “Previous Trips”.
Before, During and After your stay
You can arrange with your host directly on check-in details (check-in time, etc.) after your reservation is confirmed. You don’t need to notify us that you have checked-in at your accommodation.
Before sending your host money for keys (or for any other purpose), please contact us
Please send a message to your host to find out the check-in and check-out details (check-in time, late check-in, late check-out, etc).
It is your responsibility to make travel arrangements once you reach your destination. You can check with your host for advice on the best way to travel around the city (e.g. from the airport to your accommodation). However, these arrangements should be your responsibility.
Once your booking is confirmed, you can arrange the key exchange and other details with your host directly.
If you want to confirm this information before booking a place, you can also send a message to the host using the on-site messaging system.
travelmob will hold on to your payment 24 hours until after you check-in. If the host is not there on your arrival, please contact us immediately and we will freeze the transfer of your payment. The host will not receive your payment and will be fined on our site. We will also help you to find alternative accommodations.
Contact your host directly for any changes to your reservation. Please note that your reservation rates are set on specific terms, if those have changed, new charges may apply.
1. Go to “Traveling”.
2. Click on the Upcoming Trips or Current Trips tab.
3. Then Change or Cancel.
Change your travel dates and wait for the host to accept your revised travel dates.
Once a reservation is accepted, both parties’ contact details will be shared. We suggest that you contact your host directly to discuss details of your trip (e.g. arrival time, flight information, direction from the airport, etc.) If your host doesn’t respond to your emails or phone calls, please contact us
Yes.
1. Got to “Traveling”.
2. Click on the “Upcoming Trips” tab to find your reservation. You can print your itinerary from here.
Cancellations
Each listing has one of four cancellation policies. You can find the cancellation policy of a place in the Details section of a listing. The cancellation policies range from Flexible to Super Strict. Please review the Cancellation Policies before you book.
1. Go to “Traveling”.
2. Click on the “Upcoming Trips” tab and Change or Cancel.
A refund will be issued to you based on the host’s cancellation policy. However, the service fee is non-refundable.
If your hosts officially cancels your reservation, you will receive an email from travelmob that will direct you to alternative places that are available, and also a coupon code. If you don’t receive this cancellation email but your host claims to have canceled your reservations, please contact us.
You will receive your refund immediately.
In cases of natural disasters, we will still uphold the cancellation policy set by the host. We do encourage our hosts to issue refunds in these events, however, it is still the host’s decision to issue a refund. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance to protect you against total loss of funds.
Reviews and Recommendations
References allow you to get recommendations from other registered users, or allow you to invite friends or past hosts (from reservations completed outside of travelmob) to sign and leave a testimonial stating that you are a reputable person. This is particularly useful if you are trying to book for the first time. If you're a guest, references will appear on your profile page if you're a guest
To get References, log-in to your Dashboard > Account > Get Recommendations. From this page you can send a link to your friends or invite them through the site to leave a reference. Your friend will subsequently receive an e-mail from travelmob, directing them to a References page. (FYI, they must create an account on travelmob to leave a reference!).
Reviews act as testimonials for hosts and guests to share their experiences with the rest of the travelmob community. After your stay, you will receive an email from us requesting you to leave a feedback for your host.
In the same way, your host will also receive a feedback request from us.
Once your review has been submitted, it will be displayed on your profile.
In the absence of reviews, you can request for references instead.
To get references from friends:
1. Click on “References”.
2. Enter your friends’ email addresses and click “Invite”.
Your friends’ reviews will also be displayed on your profile.
Yes, from the listing page click on the "Map" tab to see the approximate location on a Google map.
Host
Be a travelmob Host
Anyone! It's free to sign up and list your place.
1. Click on List your place and fill out the details.
2. Update your calendar for your available dates or to set special holiday rates.
3. Add photos and detailed description about your place. Get more tips on how to write your listing here. (link to Any tips...)
4. Potential guests will contact you through the travelmob site to inquire about availability or ask any questions about your place.
5. They will then submit a reservation request, which you can accept or deny.
6. If you accept, the reservation is immediately effective. travelmob will collect the full payment from the guest.
7. Contact details (full name, email, phone number and full address) is automatically sent to you and your guest after the reservation is accepted (full name, email, phone number, full address).
8. Payment for the reservation will be released to you 24 hrs after the check-in date.
Absolutely nothing! It is free to list your place on travelmob. You will only get charged for accepted reservation. A 3% processing charge will be deducted from the total cost of the reservation.
Yes, you can list your place from any location in the world as long as it can be found on Google Maps.
To add a listing, click on the List your place button from anywhere in the travelmob site. It's free to list and it only takes 5 minutes to complete your listing.
If you want to add more listings , we recommend that you create an individual listing for each space. For example, if you want to rent out several rooms in your flat individually, it’s best to create a separate listing for each room. To do this, just click on the List your place button again and repeat the same process.
travelmob uses Google Maps to locate addresses. Once in awhile, Google Maps has trouble finding an address. If you have a problem with the location of your listing, send us an email here and we will help you.
It’s all in the details
Write a detailed description of your place (e.g. air-conditioned with queen-sized bed), some useful information about your neighborhood (e.g. 1 block from a 24-hour grocery), distance to famous landmarks in your city and to transportation (e.g. 5-minute walk to the train station). Also, include some fun facts about your place and your neighborhood. (e.g. 10-minute drive to a secluded white sand beach)
Pictures say a thousand words
Good quality photos are proven to be more attractive to potential guests. Be sure to take well-lit, high resolution photos to best showcase your place. You can find more tips on how to take good photos here.
The price must be right
A great way to measure a competitive price for your place is to check out rates of other listings in and around your area. It is best to start at lower rates. You can always increase them as you get more guest reviews and as your start building your travelmob Host profile.
Photos are the first impressions of your place that potential guests will see so you have to make sure you showcase your place at its best.
Here are some quick photo tips on how to take good quality photos of your place:
1If misunderstanding occurs between the host and guest, please let travelmob know within 24 hours of check-in. We will help settle any disputes and will make the final decision.
2Add dimension to your place and give it the appearance of being a larger space by shooting into a corner.
3Show exterior photos and capture all rooms in your place. To give potential guests an idea of your surroundings, take photos of the exterior of your place and its surrounding area.
4Remember to clean up before you take photos of your place. A clean, de-cluttered space is more appealing for guests.
5Include photos of other amenities you are offering to guests (swimming pool, balcony with a beautiful sea view - include the view!)
We can also send a professional photographer to help you take photos that can best showcase your place. To request for a photographer,
contact us.
The best way to measure how much you should charge is to check out other listings in your city. This will give you an idea of the current market rate. If you are a new host, we recommend that you charge 25-50% less that the current market rate. This will allow you to be more competitive with the more established hosts. As you start to get more guest reviews and build a good host profile, your demand will go up and you can charge more. Remember that you can always change your rates at any time.
No, breakfast is not necessary. Although some of our hosts include breakfast as part of their service, you don’t have to do the same if you don’t feel comfortable. Just remember to include this detail in your profile to set the right expectations for your guest.
This is an understandable concern. We suggest that when you receive a reservation request, send a message to your potential guest to ask them your questions. If you really don’t feel comfortable towards a certain request, you can decline them. We strongly suggest not to ignore reservation requests as courtesy to the guest. Ignored reservation requests will also hurt your ranking as host.
Read more information on safety tips for hosts
here.
Anyone! It's free to sign up and list your place.
1Create a complete and detailed host profile and listing
2Post high-quality photos of your place
3Get friend recommendations
4Get great reviews by successfully hosting guests
Our editorial team regularly selects listings to be featured on our homepage. We usually pick out listings that have great photos, have received good reviews and offer guests a unique living experience.
If you would like to be considered, send us an email.
travelmob supports cross-posting to other networks so you can reach out to more people.
Craigslist
You can post your listing directly to Craigslist. Go to your Dashboard > Hosting > Post to Craigslist and click on the Share button.
Facebook
travelmob supports Facebook Connect. Click on the Facebook connect link from anywhere in the travelmob site. You will be asked to login to your Facebook account.
Twitter and other social networks
You can also promote your listing on Twitter or other social networking sites by sharing the URL of your travelmob listing.
Here are tips to increase your bookings:
1Create a complete profile - Share details about your place and your neighborhood and post good quality photos of your place.
2Check your travelmob account regularly - Respond to all inquiries and messages to engage potential guests.
3Offer good rates - Low rates is the easiest way to increase your guest inquiries.
4Get positive reviews by being a great host - Testimonials from previous guests can tell potential ones how you are as a host. To get more tips on how to be a good host, click here.
5Promote your listing - Post your listing on Craigslist and Facebook
As per the travelmob Terms of Use, all communication should be done through the messaging system on the site before a reservation is accepted. This is to maintain your privacy and so that we can provide customer service when needed.
We discourage communication or meeting in person before a reservation is accepted. This is to ensure that all transactions are secured and documented. If a potential guest requests to see your place, we recommend that you post more photos of your place.
Manage Your Account
If you have one listing:
Go to your Dashboard > Hosting > Manage Listing > Edit Listing.
If you have multiple listings:
Go to your Dashboard > Hosting > Manage Listing > click on the place you want to edit > in the drop-down menu, select Edit Property.
You can edit the following:
Listing details (property type, room type, bedrooms, bathrooms, house rules, number of guests your place can accommodate)
Address
Photos of your place
Rates & cancellation policy (min/max number of days, check-in/out time, currency)
Amenities (access to your pool and patio, etc)
Uploading photos of your place is quick and simple. Go to the Hosting link in your dashboard. Click on Edit Listing. Remember that photos are required in order for your listing to be fully activated. So remember to take good quality photos of your place and upload them quickly.
Yes. All travelmob listings require photos. Listings with photos get more inquiries and bookings that’s why we have decided to make them mandatory. (If you were the guest, you also won’t book a place you haven’t even seen before, right?)
Though photos are required, you can still create your listing. They will only be activated (meaning the listing will appear in the travelmob search results) once you upload your photos.
On the Edit Listing page, click on the photos and move them around using your mouse. You can also choose which picture appears on the main page of your listing by clicking on "Edit" and clicking on "Set to Default" of your desired picture.
Go to your calendar by clicking on “Hosting” from your dashboard. Select the time period of your availability dates. A pop-up will appear to mark those dates as available. You can also block off certain dates following the same steps. On the pop-up, mark those dates you selected as unavailable.
If you want to set promotional rates for a certain period, go to your calendar from the “Hosting” from your dashboard. Click on the first and last dates of the promotional periods. On the pop-up, change the rates for your selected dates.
1In some cases you will be able to post to Craigslist without creating an account. This is possible depending on what city you are posting to.
2 If an account is required, simply create the account (all that is required is your name/email and for you to verify your email). It is easiest if you log in to your account on Craigslist BEFORE using the "one-click" tool.
3 In some situations, you might be told that you must verify your phone number before you can continue to post. Usually this means that your IP address has been blocked. If you prefer not to verify your phone number, you can try to change your IP address. Go to www.whatismyip.com to see what your current IP address is. Then shutdown your computer and unplug your cable or DSL modem. Wait several minutes. Then turn everything back on. Go back to www.whatismyip.com and hopefully the number shown has changed. Also make sure that you have cleared all the cookies on your computer . Try posting to Craigslist again. Hopefully that will work.
4 If Craigslist says that you've already posted the ad to Craigslist, try changing the subject line of the ad and the reviews featured within the ad. You might also want to try posting to a different category.
5 If points 3 and 4 don't help you, you should also consider using a different e-mail address when posting.
6If you are using Internet Explorer, you may encounter an error saying something about cross-site scripting. In the new window that pops up, you can click on the URL in the navigation bar, press enter, and the error will go away. Alternatively if you use another web browser, such as FireFox, Chrome, or Safari, this won't happen (the problem only occurs in Internet Explorer).
If you have one listing:
From your dashboard, click on Hosting to go to your calendar. You will see an on/off button on your calendar. Turning your listing off saves it to your account but will be deactivated and will not appear on the search results.
If you have multiple listings:
From your dashboard, click on Hosting to go to your calendar. Select the listing you would like to turn off, and click on the on/off button on your calendar. To turn off multiple listings, you can select from the drop down menu to access the calendar of your other listings.
Note that turning off your listing will not reflect on the search results immediately. It will take an hour for your changes to take effect.
Some hosts have the option of enabling Instant Book for their properties. This means that a reservation for those properties will be instantly confirmed, and the host does not need to accept or decline it. This feature is only available to active hosts who have an excellent record of accepting reservations. Instant Book only applies to reservations that meet the following conditions: - Booked at least one day in advance - Occurring entirely within the next 30 days - Max 7 days long - The guest has a profile photo - The guest sends a message In other cases, reservations must be manually accepted or declined.
Reservations
You will find you reservation requests in your dashboard under Alerts.
When you receive a reservation request, you can do the following:
1If the dates for the reservation request are available and you are comfortable with the potential guest, you can accept the booking
2If the dates of the reservation request are available but you would like to know more about your potential guest, select Other and send a message.
3If you receive a reservation request and the dates are not available, please decline the request. You can state your reason for declining and you can also send a follow-up message to the guest.
We advise that you always respond to a reservation requests rather than allowing it to expire. Ignored requests will hurt your ranking as host.
Once you receive a reservation request, you will have 24 hours to accept or decline it. The sooner you reply, the better. To "officially" respond, you must either accept or decline the reservation through the request page. If you do not respond within 24 hours, the reservation request will expire (i.e., the request will be deleted and the guest will be directed to other listings).
Special Offers allow you to set a customized price for a specific guest. You can make a special offer to the guest in the Messaging section. Select Make Special Offer and send your response. Remember that the special offer should be based on the total price of the reservation, not the daily rates.
Some of the guests do not complete their profiles or upload a picture. If you don’t feel comfortable accepting a reservation from a guest with an incomplete profile, you can request them to complete their profile or you can message them with your questions.
No, this is not necessary. It it your decision if you feel comfortable giving your guests their own set of keys. We suggest that you discuss any special key arrangements with your guest before you confirm the reservation. You could also include your preferred arrangements in your listing to set expectations with your potential guests.
You should list your cleaning fee in the Description section of your listing. You can then either include the cleaning fee in your daily rates or you can handle the cleaning fee upon check-in or check-out.
We can help you handle the security deposits for your reservations. When you set up a security deposit request for your listing, the guest’s credit card is authorized 24 hours before check-in and will then be refunded 48 hours after check-out, unless you request us to hold the deposit. If you would like security deposit to be set up for your listing, send us an email and we will help you.
If you do choose to handle the security deposit yourself, you must do so only when the guest checks in. Under no circumstances should the guest pay a deposit before arrival directly to you This is to protect our guests from getting cheated by fake listings.
Your state or locality may impose a tax or taxes on the rental of rooms or the rental fees related thereto. Because travelmob is not a party to your rental agreement with the Traveler, and is not your or the Travelers’ contracting agent, nor does it do business as a hotel, motel, or as a provider or furnisher of rooms, lodging or accommodations, to the extent there is any state or local tax on the room you are renting, your rental fee and/or the services you provide to the Traveler, it is your sole responsibility to collect and/or pay such tax due and remit such tax or taxes to the appropriate taxing jurisdiction. For questions about your liability for any state or local tax, you should contact your own attorney, accountant or tax advisor. HotSpot is a third-party company that specializes in the filing of all required state and local sales and lodging tax returns on your behalf. They have provided us with an overview of the requirements as of December 31, 2010 in select states and cities. For the most accurate and detailed information, please contact them directly. If you determine that you need to collect tax for renting in your city, please clearly state this in your listing description so that travelers are aware of the tax. You can then use the special offer feature in messaging to set the correct price, or your can increase the price of your listing to accommodate the tax percentage.
We suggest that you contact your relevant tax agencies for questions about your tax liability.
No. When your guests make a reservation, they do so for a particular room or place. Please contact us if there are any problems with the availability of your place.
Getting Paid
The travelmob payment system is more secure and reliable, to ensure that both parties are protected from fraud. When you accept a reservation request, we will charge the guest the full amount. We hold on to this payment until 24 hours after your guest checks in, at which point we transfer the payment to you.
If the guest cancels the reservation, you will receive your payment in compliance to the cancellation policy you have set. To ensure that you receive payment on time, remember to set your Payment Preference through the Payment Method page from your dashboard.
To find out more about the different cancellation policies, click here.
We will charge you a processing fee of 3% of the total booking.
At the moment, you can receive your payment by Paypal.
Payment will be released 24 hours after your guest checks in. When you will receive your payment will depend on your payment method.
Payment will be released 24 hours after your guest checks in. When you will receive your payment will depend on your payment method.
Payment will be released to you 24 hours after your guest checks in. For direct deposit, payments will not be released on weekends. For example, if your guest checks in over the weekend, your payment will be released on Monday and should be reflected in your account the next day.
To change your payment method, go to the account link from your dashboard. You can change your payment preferences anytime.
The first time you provide us with your bank account information, we will verify this to make sure we have the correct bank account and your payment actually gets deposited into your account. This will take one business day and we will only do this on the first transaction. After this, it will only take one business day to deposit payment to your account.
For select locations (?), we support payments in foreign currency.
We suggest that you check the rules governing your income tax declaration with your tax agencies.
In most cases, if you rent out your place for 15 days or more, this becomes a considerable part of your net income and should be declared. However, we cannot provide you with the details on your country’s income tax declaration policies. We suggest that you check with your tax agencies for advise.
Cancellation
There are four cancellation policies you can choose per listing. We suggest that you read the cancellation policies here and select one that your prefer.
Take note that if you select the Super Strict cancellation policy, we will deduct 5% host fee instead of 3%. To help you set up the Super Strict cancellation policy, please contact us.
We will issue any refunds based on your cancellation policy. If you make changes to your cancellation policy, this will only apply to future booking
Our Customer Service team will help you issue your refund. Please contact us.
We try to avoid cancellations as much as possible because we don’t want to inconvenience our guests’ travel plans. Cancellations can also leave a negative impression on the travelmob community. However, we understand that cancellations are not completely unavoidable. If you need to cancel, please follow this process:
1Contact your guest to let them know of your cancellation.
2Send a message to the the travelmob customer service team as well.
3Search and message other hosts in your area who can accommodate your guest.
4 If you find a new host, please contact us and we will transfer the booking to the new host. If not, we will refund your guest.
To cancel the reservation, go to your Dashboard > Hosting > My Reservations > Cancel Reservation.
Guest Reviews & Friend Recommendations
Reviews are a good way to build up your host profile on the travelmob community. After your guest checks out, both you and the guest will receive an email from us requesting for feedback for one another.
Positive guest reviews will help you increase your rank within travelmob. Reviews can also help you improve your hosting skills. Take note that only those who have completed booking through travelmob can share a review.
After your guests checks out, they will receive an email a review request from us. Once the review has been submitted, it will show up on your listing as a testimonial about your place. Please note that reviews will only be available for completed bookings through travelmob.
No, you cannot remove guest reviews from your profile. Transparency is important for us for several reasons: 1. We want to protect our guests by giving them complete information about possible hosts 2. Transparency can help us continue to be a reliable rentals site for our community. Don’t stress out with the negative reviews. Our advice is to take these bad reviews as pointers on how you can improve your skills as host. You can also check these tips on how to be a better host.
If you don't have guest reviews, you can as your friends for recommendations. To do this, go to the Recommendations page from your Account and invite friends to leave recommendations for your listings.
You can invite your friends, previous guests and other registered users to leave a recommendation on your listing. This will be useful especially if you haven’t received any guest reviews. Your friend recommendations will appear on your listing page.
To get friend recommendations, go to the Recommendations from your Accounts. From here, you can invite your friends for recommendations. Your friends will receive an email from travelmob with your request. Note that they will be asked to create an account on travelmob to submit a friend recommendation.