OWNERS
There is no single answer that applies to every property. Location, size, number of beds and bathrooms, the features of the property and the quality of the interiors all affect the result.
Before taking on a property, we analyse it and its local market to produce a realistic estimate of its potential, avoiding projections that are hard to sustain.
Milan is now a mature and highly competitive market: a good location alone is no longer enough. Guests have higher expectations, and properties that are dated, poorly maintained or simply not prepared for this market risk being penalised, even in sought-after areas.
This does not mean every apartment has to be renovated with luxury finishes. There is, however, a basic quality standard needed to compete effectively, on which to build the positioning best suited to each property.
In some cases well-designed home staging, together with the right amenities and a professional photo shoot, may be enough; in others it may be worth intervening more significantly, up to a full renovation and high-end positioning.
That is why we assess location, layout, condition and quality of the property together with the owner, also identifying any work needed before it goes on the market.
It depends on the property. Short-term rental is not necessarily the most profitable solution in every situation, and a proper assessment must start by comparing the different ways of generating income from it.
A studio flat in certain outer areas or in areas with strong student demand, such as Bovisa or Bicocca, may for example find a better balance between rent, continuity of tenancy and management costs with medium- to long-term lets.
On the other hand, we manage properties for which short-term rentals have achieved returns two or even three times higher than those obtainable with a traditional lease, thanks to the combination of location, property features, demand and the right market positioning.
That is why we analyse potential revenue, management costs, tax, expected occupancy and the features of the property before deciding which strategy really makes sense.
The goal is not to do short-term rentals at all costs, but to find the most effective way to generate income from that specific property.
StayEasy operates mainly in Milan and Rimini, markets in which we have built first-hand knowledge of demand and an operational structure on the ground.
We do, however, assess individual real estate deals and projects in other areas on a case-by-case basis, when the conditions exist to manage them properly.
The cost of management depends on the features of the property and the service required, and it is clearly defined before we start working together.
When comparing different property managers, however, the commission rate is only one of the factors to consider. Tax structure, care in management, reliability and, above all, the ability to deliver results all affect the net return left to the owner.
Guest reviews are also an important indicator: they influence reputation, visibility and the property’s ability to compete over time. On Airbnb StayEasy has built a rating of 4.87/5 from over 3,800 reviews, together with Superhost status.
Management covers the main activities needed to market and operate the property: revenue management, booking and sales channel management, customer care, coordination of on-site activities, administration and reporting.
The terms and any additional services are clearly set out in the contract. Our team handles all day-to-day operations, keeping the owner updated and in control.
The StayEasy Model is designed to keep the rent due to the owner separate from the fee for our property management services.
For private individuals who are eligible for the Italian flat-rate tax on rental income (cedolare secca), this structure means the tax is calculated only on the rent actually due to the owner, resulting in real tax savings.
Several operators offer this kind of arrangement today, but for it to work properly it is not enough to formally separate the property manager’s commission: the contract, the handling of payments, reporting and tax documentation must all be consistent with one another.
The StayEasy Model was designed precisely to ensure consistency between the contractual framework, cash flows and tax management, so that an advantage presented on paper does not then run into difficulties in practice.
This is another reason why, when comparing different management models, the commission rate alone does not necessarily determine the owner’s net result.
Earnings are reported and paid out in the month following the month they relate to, according to the deadlines set out in the contract.
The owner receives clear financial reporting, detailing the amounts due to them, while StayEasy directly manages the related cash flows and obligations.
For private individuals, in the cases provided for by Italian short-term rental legislation, StayEasy also acts as withholding agent, applying the 21% withholding tax on rental income at the time of payment and handling the related payment to the tax authorities and tax certification.
This way the owner receives regular, fully reported payments, with all required tax obligations properly handled.
Rates are not fixed. Our revenue management strategy constantly takes into account demand, occupancy, booking lead time, length of stay, events, seasonality, market trends and the performance of each individual apartment.
The aim is not always to have the highest price or maximum occupancy, but to find the balance that optimises the overall financial result.
Properties are listed on the main booking channels, including Airbnb, Booking.com and Stay-Easy.it, as well as on the channels best suited to each property and to the agreed commercial strategy.
Distribution is managed through centralised systems that keep availability, rates and bookings in sync.
Every owner has dedicated access through which they can independently check their apartment’s calendar, bookings and statistics.
There is therefore no need to wait for a report to know what is happening: the key information is always accessible and verifiable.
Our Customer Care team handles all communication with guests, from booking to stay, and manages requests and unexpected issues.
When on-site assistance is needed, Customer Care coordinates with our Field Operations team on the ground. Automation and artificial intelligence support our work, but unexpected issues are handled by people who are genuinely reachable.
Our Field Operations team ensures a physical presence at every property and works alongside Housekeeping and Maintenance.
Alongside routine operational checks, we carry out regular inspections of the apartment’s condition to identify maintenance needs or areas for improvement and to preserve its quality and value over time.
Every report is checked and documented and, where applicable, the procedures provided by the booking channel and by any available cover are activated.
Our team manages the incident and coordinates any necessary work, keeping the owner informed.
StayEasy coordinates any necessary work through its own team and the suppliers involved in management.
Responsibilities, authorisation procedures and allocation of costs are set out in the contract, so the owner knows from the outset how routine maintenance, repairs and urgent situations are handled.
Before the listing goes live, we check that the property is ready to be marketed to StayEasy standards.
When needed, we can also take care of home staging, additional amenities, preparing the rooms and professional photography, right through to setting up the listings and the systems needed for management.
It depends on the condition of the property at the outset.
An apartment that is already furnished, equipped and ready can be launched quickly; a property that needs work, home staging, new amenities or renovation will naturally take longer.
After the site visit we can define the work required and a realistic timeline for going live.
We handle the operational and administrative obligations related to management for which we are responsible, and support the owner in setting up the activity correctly.
Obligations may vary depending on the type of property, the owner and the applicable national, regional and local regulations; that is why they are checked at the start.
Our goal is to build at least medium-term relationships with owners. Effective management needs continuity to build up the property’s track record, collect reviews, refine the commercial strategy and give revenue management a sufficiently long horizon to work with.
Future calendar availability also matters: being able to sell the property well in advance increases the opportunities to capture demand and allows for a more effective revenue strategy.
That is why the duration, termination terms and notice period are clearly set out in the contract. If the partnership ends, the contract also governs the handling of bookings already confirmed, protecting both owner and guests and ensuring the management is wound up properly.
At the same time, we believe that beyond the rules set out in the contract, every relationship should be based on reasonableness and common sense. When needs change or particular situations arise, our approach is always to talk things through with the owner and find a balanced solution for both parties.
A property can generate income through very different arrangements: short-term rentals, transitional leases, student contracts or medium- to long-term residential leases, at market rent or agreed rent (canone concordato).
The choice is not only about returns. What changes is the length of the relationship, tax, flexibility, availability of the property, the risk of unpaid rent and the level of control the owner keeps over the property.
Traditional leases can offer greater continuity and fewer operational demands, but they generally involve longer contractual commitments and less availability of the property. In the event of unpaid rent or other problems, regaining full possession of the property can also take time and involve procedures that are not always predictable.
Short-term rentals work differently: stays are always paid in advance, so there is no risk of non-payment; the turnover of guests allows frequent checks on the condition of the property, and the owner keeps greater flexibility, being able to reserve periods for personal use and to regain possession of the property much more quickly.
Particular attention should be paid to transitional leases (locazioni transitorie). In some densely populated areas the rules can be stricter than many owners imagine, and the rent cannot necessarily be set freely.
Milan is a prime example: certain transitional leases are subject to local agreements (accordi territoriali), with criteria and reference values for setting the rent. In our experience, this is something many owners are not aware of when comparing transitional leases with short-term rentals.
So there is no single best formula: one property may be better suited to medium- to long-term letting, while another may achieve with short-term rentals significantly higher returns, greater flexibility and more direct control over the property.
That is why we assess the alternatives by considering net return, tax, risk, contractual commitments and the owner’s goals together, rather than assuming that any one formula is always the most advantageous.
Yes. StayEasy can support investors from defining their objectives and searching for the property to analysing the deal, purchase, design, any renovation, preparation and generating income.
This service also stems from our own first-hand experience as property owners and real estate investors.
The short-term rental market has become far more mature, competitive and technology-driven than it was just a few years ago. Managing an apartment well today does not simply mean listing it on Airbnb and replying to guest messages.
Revenue management, multi-channel distribution, property management software, automation, artificial intelligence, customer care, operational control systems and data analysis require skills, organisation and investment that an individual owner — and increasingly even those managing a small number of properties — can hardly sustain as efficiently as an organised company.
Scale matters: a well-structured property manager can access professional tools, specialist expertise and dedicated processes, spreading their cost and use across a larger portfolio. It is this critical mass that turns activities which, for an individual owner, mean time, cost and complexity into a day-to-day operational structure.
There is also an often underestimated financial aspect. When managing directly, the owner personally bears the entire operation and, under the cedolare secca flat tax regime, tax is applied to the gross taxable rent, without being able to simply deduct the costs incurred to manage the property. The StayEasy Model, by contrast, is structured contractually and fiscally to keep the rent due to the owner separate from the fee for our property management services.
In our experience we have seen real cases in which the combination of greater commercial efficiency, revenue management, cost structure and tax set-up has entirely offset the cost of professional management. In other words, the property manager’s fee can effectively pay for itself through the overall result achieved.
With one key difference: the owner is freed from the day-to-day tasks of management, while keeping visibility and control over their property.
The right comparison, then, is not between “free self-management” and “the property manager’s commission”, but between the net result, the time spent, the risks and the quality of management in the two alternatives.
We analyse its features, location and market to define together the most suitable strategy and the income opportunities offered by short-term rentals.
