Welcome Guide: Collaborate Plan

We are excited to welcome you to Cosmo. This quick guide will help you get started and answer some of the most common questions we receive from property owners about our Collaborate Plan.

Get ready to start earning short-term rental income with Cosmo's Collaborate Plan.

The Collaborate Plan is all about teamwork. We handle the tech side of things – creating your listing, optimising pricing, communicating with guests, and more. You take care of the hands-on aspects, like maintaining your property and managing housekeeping and maintenance. The Cosmo App makes this partnership seamless, allowing housekeepers to access booking information and you to manage Owner Bookings, Maintenance Blocks, and track your listing's performance.

First, you'll need to complete our Management Application and agree to our standard Terms of Service (you'll do this within the application). Your property should be ready to host guests, requiring only initial housekeeping before opening to bookings.

We aim to publish your listing on booking platforms within fourteen business days of approving your Management Application.

Our Onboarding Process

We have worked hard to make the onboarding process as simple and straightforward as possible.

2) Initial Housekeeping

To prepare your property for stunning photos and welcoming guests, you'll need to arrange initial housekeeping and inform us of timing. We will also record your housekeeper's fixed rate (we can handle markups for public holidays, but cannot support variable rates).

4) High-Quality Listing Creation

Our team will craft compelling listing descriptions highlighting your property's unique features and amenities. We will also begin the listing process across multiple platforms, handling all the details, including integration, communication with booking platform representatives, and setting up payment flows.

5) Optimised Pricing Strategy

Our expert team uses advanced technology to maximise your booking potential and revenue. We'll analyse market data, seasonal trends, and local events to ensure your property is competitively priced. You will be able to track the performance of your listing within the Cosmo App.

6) Listing Activation

Once the listing details are finalised, you will receive an email notification to review and approve them. Once you’re satisfied, we notify all booking platforms to open your listing’s calendar and start targeting a high rate of early bookings to establish reviews and ranking for your listing.

These timelines are targets. While we strive to meet them, unforeseen circumstances, such as the property not being ready for guests, can cause slight delays. Our team is committed to ensuring your listing is accepting bookings as soon as possible.

With the Owner Booking form, you can easily book your property for personal use, keeping in mind that minimum stay requirements or advance notice periods may sometimes apply. Please fill out all the required details in your Owner Booking form, including whether linen or a pre-arrival deep clean is needed and your preference for receiving check-in instructions. If you have issues submitting a booking through the app, our team will gladly assist you.

The Maintenance Block form allows you to block off dates when your property is unavailable for guest bookings, such as renovations, repairs, or personal use when you don't require housekeeping. To avoid conflicts with guest bookings, please create your Owner Bookings and Maintenance Blocks well in advance, especially during peak seasons.

Remember that cancelling confirmed guest bookings with late notice often results in charges from booking platforms. You will be responsible for covering any cancellation fees if you cancel a guest booking to accommodate an Owner Booking or Maintenance Block.

Housekeeping & Maintenance Facilitation

To ensure your listing is always guest-ready, you will need to manage the housekeeping and maintenance, including tasks like regular cleaning, linen and towel service, and restocking essential amenities. If your preferred housekeeping provider becomes unavailable, we're happy to help you find a suitable replacement.

It's important to keep us updated on your housekeeper's fees, as we typically cannot adjust fees retroactively for confirmed bookings. While we can always ask the guest to accept a price change, this often leads to cancellations, which can disrupt your booking schedule and affect your revenue.

We will provide your chosen housekeeper with access to the Cosmo App, which includes booking and turnover information to help them manage their schedule efficiently. However, you will be responsible for coordinating the schedule and ensuring the cleaning is completed to your standards.

While you're in charge of the day-to-day upkeep of your property, we are here to support you. We'll notify you of any damage or maintenance issues reported by guests. All associated costs for housekeeping and maintenance are your responsibility.

Fees and Payments

With the Collaborate Plan, you enjoy a simple and transparent fee structure. Our Management Fee is 10% plus GST on the Accommodation Fee line item reflected on your bookings in the Cosmo App (unless we've advised you otherwise). It's important to note that we do not charge a Management Fee on the Housekeeping Fee.

We only charge our Management Fee on bookings that have been checked out and paid in full. If a booking hasn't been paid yet, the fee will be carried over to the next month's invoice. However, you'll receive your payments directly from the booking platform as they come through, so you won't experience any delays in accessing your earnings.

To streamline your payments, we'll securely store your payment information and charge it on the 1st of each month for the previous month's activity. You'll receive an invoice when it's ready, and the payment will be processed automatically on the same day through our billing system. If the initial payment method fails, we'll attempt to charge your secondary payment method on file.

Important Note: This process applies to most Collaborate Plan owners. However, some owners who joined before 2024 may continue using a legacy disbursement process until they're migrated to our new billing system. All new sign-ups will use the process described above.

Insurance Options

Protecting your investment is essential. As a property owner, having the right insurance coverage to safeguard yourself from financial hardship due to unexpected events like property damage or guest-related issues is crucial. While Cosmo doesn't provide insurance, we strongly encourage you to research, speak with an insurance advisor, and ensure your property and investment are adequately protected.

Here's a breakdown of insurance options typically available to property owners like you:

Short-Term Rental Insurance: Several providers offer specialised plans tailored to the unique needs of short-term rentals. These policies often include coverage for damage caused by guests, liability for guest injuries, and loss of income due to unforeseen circumstances. For a helpful list of Australian insurance providers offering short-term rental insurance, check out this resource.
Landlord Insurance: Traditional landlord insurance is designed for longer-term rentals and may not provide adequate coverage for short-term stays. Reviewing the policy details carefully is essential to understand what is and isn't covered. Some landlord insurance policies may offer limited coverage for short-term rentals.
Airbnb's AirCover for Hosts: This program is included with every Airbnb listing and offers a combination of host protections, including Host damage protection and Host liability insurance. Host damage protection can reimburse you for certain damages caused by guests to your property or belongings. At the same time, Host liability insurance provides coverage if a guest is injured or their property is damaged during their stay. It's important to understand that AirCover for Hosts has limitations and may not cover all situations. Please review this guide from Airbnb for more information.

It's crucial to carefully consider your insurance needs and choose the options that best suit your circumstances. Consulting with an insurance professional can help you navigate the complexities and ensure you have the right level of protection.

Guest Screening & Security

At Cosmo, we prioritise the safety and security of your property and guests. We understand that welcoming strangers into your home requires trust, and we take several steps to build that trust and protect your investment.

We begin with a thorough guest verification process. We utilise an industry-leading risk algorithm to assess potential risk factors, analyse guest information, and verify identities. This helps us identify red flags and ensure that only reliable guests book your property.

To further safeguard your property, we require a pre-authorisation hold (unless otherwise specified) for a security deposit on bookings made outside of Airbnb. This deposit is a financial safeguard and can cover damages or breaches of our Rental Policy. For bookings made through Airbnb, AirCover for Hosts provides similar protection.

It's important to note that Cosmo holds these security deposits, and they are not paid out in disbursements. This process complements your insurance policy and may prevent a claim needing to be made for minor damage and wear and tear. Rest assured that whether your booking comes from Airbnb or another platform, we conduct the same thorough identity verification and screening.

Cosmo App

We are excited to announce the launch of Version Two of our Cosmo App! Designed with your needs in mind, V2 is packed with improvements, making it even more user-friendly and secure.

You'll notice a simplified login process—just use the six-digit code sent to your email address. If your registered email matches your Google account, we recommend using "Sign In with Google" for the quickest access. To further streamline your login, link your mobile number to your Profile page. Once connected, you can sign in using a six-digit code sent to your mobile number.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're always happy to help! You can access the Cosmo App at https://app.cosmogroup.io.

Got questions? We have answers!

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to contact us . This is true at any stage of your journey with Cosmo. We are here to help you succeed.