Everything you need to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Atlanta short-term rental management, pricing, regulations, our process, and how we prepare properties for Atlanta's biggest weekends — answered.
Getting Started
What areas of Metro Atlanta do you serve?
We serve all of Metro Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs, including Midtown, Buckhead, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Grant Park, West Midtown, East Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Smyrna, and more. If you're within Metro Atlanta, contact us — we almost certainly serve your area.
How do I get started with Stellar Rentals?
Start with a free consultation — no commitment, no pressure. We'll learn about your property, your goals, and your current situation, then show you exactly what we'd do and give you a revenue projection. If it makes sense for both of us, we move forward. If not, you've lost nothing.
How long does it take to list my property on Airbnb or VRBO?
Most properties go live within 5–10 business days of completing our onboarding process. The timeline includes photography coordination, listing copywriting, platform setup, pricing configuration, and house rule setup. Properties that already have professional photos can sometimes go live faster.
Do I need to do anything to prepare my property before handing over management?
We'll walk you through a pre-listing checklist during onboarding. Typically this includes ensuring the property is guest-ready (clean, stocked with essentials, smart lock installed), completing any pending repairs, and having professional photos taken. We can coordinate photography and provide a supplies checklist.
Can I still stay at my own property?
Absolutely. You own the property — you can block dates any time you want to stay there yourself. We just ask for reasonable advance notice (typically 48–72 hours for shorter stays, longer for blocking extended periods during peak seasons) so we can manage bookings around your personal use.
Can you take over management of a property I'm already listing on Airbnb?
Yes. We can transition management of an existing Airbnb or VRBO listing, including taking over guest communications, updating listing optimization, and integrating your property into our cleaning and maintenance systems. The transition is typically seamless for guests with no interruption in bookings.
Pricing & Fees
How much does Stellar Rentals charge for STR management in Atlanta?
We charge 10–20% of gross booking revenue for short-term rental management, and 8–10% of monthly rent for long-term rental management. The exact percentage depends on property type, location, and the services required. We'll give you a specific quote during your free consultation.
Are there any setup fees or monthly retainers?
No. We don't charge setup fees, monthly retainers, or hidden fees. Our compensation is purely a percentage of the revenue we generate for you. If your property isn't booked, we don't earn anything. This aligns our incentives with yours.
How are management fees calculated?
Management fees are calculated as a percentage of the gross booking revenue — the total amount the guest pays before any platform fees. For example, if a guest pays $1,500 for a 3-night stay, our 15% fee would be $225. You receive the remainder after Airbnb's platform fee (typically 3%) and our management fee.
How do owner payouts work?
We provide monthly owner statements that itemize every booking, every fee, and your net earnings. Payouts are processed monthly, typically within the first week of the following month. You'll have full visibility into your property's performance.
What happens if my property doesn't get booked in a given month?
You pay nothing. Our fee is performance-based — we only earn when you earn. That said, our job is to price your property competitively and market it effectively to minimize gaps. An empty calendar is bad for both of us.
Can professional management actually pay for itself?
For most properties, yes — and then some. Professional management typically increases revenue 20–40% through better pricing, listing optimization, and maintained Superhost status. A property earning $2,500/month self-managed might earn $3,200/month under management. Our 15% fee on $3,200 ($480) costs less than the $700 revenue increase — and returns 8–15 hours of your time per month.
The Guest Experience
Who talks to the guests?
We do — start to finish. Inquiries, booking questions, check-in details, mid-stay issues, and the post-checkout follow-up all come to us. You never have to answer a 2 a.m. message, and guests never get bounced between two people.
How fast do guests get a reply?
About an hour during business hours, and we watch the inbox outside them for anything urgent — a lockout, a no-hot-water call, a late arrival. Response time feeds Airbnb's ranking as well as the guest's first impression, so we treat it as an operating metric, not a courtesy.
What does check-in look like for a guest?
Self check-in by smart lock. The code, parking instructions, and wi-fi details go out before arrival, along with a digital guidebook covering the house and the neighborhood. Most guests get from the car to the couch without needing to contact anyone.
What's actually in the home when a guest arrives?
Hotel-grade linens and towels, a restocked bathroom and kitchen, coffee, and the basics people forget to pack. Every turnover is photo-documented room by room before the next guest checks in, so "it didn't look like the pictures" doesn't happen.
What happens if something breaks during a stay?
We dispatch from our vetted vendor network and keep the guest updated while it's handled. You hear about it with the fix already in motion, not as a problem to solve. Anything a guest flags also goes into that property's turnover checklist so it doesn't recur.
How do you keep review scores up?
By making the stay boring in the right ways — accurate listings, easy check-in, a clean home, fast answers — and then asking for the review. Nine years of that discipline is what a 4.98 average across 300+ reviews looks like. We won't promise a specific rating on your property, but the playbook is the same one that earned ours.
What We Manage
What does full-service STR management include?
Full-service management includes: listing setup and optimization, professional photography coordination, dynamic pricing, 24/7 guest messaging and screening, booking management, turnover cleaning coordination via our PrepBnb platform, supply restocking, maintenance coordination, owner reporting, and monthly payouts. Everything, end to end.
How do you handle cleaning and turnovers?
We use PrepBnb, our proprietary cleaning operations platform, to schedule, coordinate, and verify every turnover. Cleaners receive photo-verified checklists after every checkout. Hosts (you) get real-time visibility into cleaning progress. This eliminates the most common source of guest complaints — an improperly cleaned property.
How do you screen guests?
We review guest profiles, booking history, verified ID status, and reviews from previous hosts before accepting bookings. We also apply house rules that filter out guests who are a poor fit (no parties, appropriate group size, etc.). Our goal is to protect your property while maintaining strong occupancy.
Do you handle maintenance and repairs?
Yes. We manage a vetted vendor network for repairs, appliance issues, and preventive maintenance. For non-urgent items, we notify you before authorizing work above an agreed threshold (typically $200–$500). Emergencies are handled immediately — your guests and property come first.
Do you manage properties on both Airbnb and VRBO?
Yes. We can list and manage your property on Airbnb, VRBO, or both simultaneously. Dual-platform listing typically increases occupancy by making your property visible to each platform's distinct audience. We sync calendars to prevent double bookings.
How do I track how my property is performing?
You receive monthly owner statements with full booking details, revenue, and expense breakdowns. We're also available for check-in calls if you want to discuss pricing strategy, seasonal performance, or any concerns. Transparency is non-negotiable — you always know exactly what's happening with your property.
Atlanta Short-Term Rental Regulations
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in the City of Atlanta?
Yes. The City of Atlanta requires short-term rental operators to obtain a Short-Term Rental License (also called an Occupation Tax Certificate). The application is submitted through the City's online portal and costs approximately $150 per year. Operating without a license can result in fines of $500 or more per violation.
Does my Atlanta Airbnb need to be my primary residence?
Under current City of Atlanta regulations, short-term rental properties must be the operator's primary residence. This means you must live in the property for a majority of the year. Investment properties that are not your primary residence may not be legally operated as STRs within city limits. Regulations in surrounding cities and counties (Sandy Springs, Decatur, Fulton County unincorporated) vary — some are less restrictive.
What about STR regulations in Decatur, Sandy Springs, or suburban areas?
STR regulations vary significantly by jurisdiction. Decatur and Sandy Springs are independent cities with their own ordinances, which have historically been less restrictive than the City of Atlanta's owner-occupancy requirement. Properties in unincorporated DeKalb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, and Cobb County are subject to county-level rules, not Atlanta city rules. Always verify current requirements with the specific local government before listing.
Does enforcement get stricter around big events?
Historically, yes — the City of Atlanta pays more attention to STR compliance when a major event brings scrutiny, as the 2026 World Cup did. The takeaway is evergreen: keep your property properly permitted before any peak-demand window rather than scrambling once it arrives. We can help guide you through the permit process during onboarding.
Software We Build
What is PrepBnb and how does it work?
PrepBnb is Stellar Rentals' proprietary cleaning and operations platform. It automatically schedules cleaners after each guest checkout, sends them photo-verified checklists for every room, and lets us (and you) track cleaning progress in real time. It eliminates the coordination overhead that causes most STR operational headaches. Available at prepbnb.com.
Can PrepBnb work for my property if I manage it myself?
PrepBnb was originally built to manage our own properties. We now offer it as a standalone tool for self-managing hosts at prepbnb.com. If you want to keep managing guest communications yourself but want better cleaning coordination, ask about PrepBnb access during your consultation.
What else does Stellar build for hosts and landlords?
Two back-office tools that run quietly on our own portfolio. Move Out Report (moveoutreport.com) handles tenant move-out documentation on the long-term side — a guided phone walkthrough that produces a shareable PDF for deposit decisions. PrepBnb Compliance (prepbnb.com/compliance) tracks STR permit renewals, registrations, and occupancy-tax deadlines across jurisdictions. Both are available to hosts and landlords outside Atlanta.
Does Stellar also build software outside property management?
Yes — we also build Communities (aiforhoa.com), an AI-native HOA management platform. It's a separate product line from our property management tools, but it applies the same playbook: AI that handles resident requests, triages violations, and gives volunteer boards their weekends back.
Peak Season & Big Events
Which Atlanta weekends actually move nightly rates?
Atlanta produces sold-out weekends all year: Dragon Con and Labor Day (the single busiest STR window in the city), Falcons and Atlanta United home stands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, concert runs at State Farm Arena and the Fox Theatre, convention season at the Georgia World Congress Center, college graduations in May, the Peachtree Road Race on July 4, the Peach Bowl, and the holiday-travel run through New Year's. Properties downtown, in Midtown, and in Castleberry Hill feel stadium and convention demand the hardest. One-off mega-events like the 2026 World Cup sit on top of that calendar — they're a spike, not the business.
What is the Stellar Rentals property readiness audit?
A comprehensive property walk-through built for high-demand windows. We check HVAC performance, wi-fi speed, smart lock functionality, safety equipment, listing photo quality, and supply inventory — everything that affects guest experience and review scores when demand spikes and the property is full every night. You get a written report with priority items and vendor quotes. Request yours via the property audit form on our homepage.
How far ahead should I prepare for a peak weekend?
Pricing moves 60–90 days out, because that's when the people traveling for an event start booking. Repairs, photos, and listing work need to land before that, so the listing is competing at full strength when the search traffic arrives. Scrambling the week of is how hosts end up discounting a weekend that should have been their best of the quarter.
Still have questions?
The fastest way to get answers is a free 20-minute consultation. We'll talk through your specific property, goals, and any concerns — no sales pressure.
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