Owner FAQ
Everything owners ask,
answered plainly.
The questions homeowners in Park City and the Wasatch Back actually put to us before handing over the keys — about what co-hosting covers, what it costs, who talks to guests, and what stays your responsibility. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
What does Narrative Stays actually do for my home?
Everything between one guest and the next. We build and run the listings on Airbnb, VRBO and direct booking, set and adjust nightly pricing through the seasons, answer guests around the clock, arrange housekeeping, linens and turnovers, look after maintenance, repairs and seasonal inspections, restock supplies, and send you one clear statement every month.
What does it cost?
One simple rate: an 18 percent co-hosting commission on the booking revenue we manage for your home. There are no setup fees and no surprise line items. Full-service management in Park City is typically quoted somewhere between 20 and 35 percent, so we sit at the lower end of that range on purpose.
Is anything charged on top of the 18 percent?
The 18 percent is our only commission. Real costs your home incurs are still real costs: cleaning is collected from the guest and paid to the turnover team, and anything we buy or fix for you appears as an itemised line on the month it happened. You see what guests paid, what was spent, and what is yours.
Do you charge a setup or onboarding fee?
No. There are no setup fees. Getting your home listed, photographed and priced is part of taking it on, not a separate invoice.
Where do you work?
Park City and the Wasatch Back in Utah, including Deer Valley, Old Town Park City, Canyons Village, Kimball Junction and Heber City. We stay in one region deliberately so that a guest issue is a short drive away rather than a phone call to another state.
Where will my home be listed?
On Airbnb, on VRBO, and on our own direct booking site at narrativestays.com. Listing in all three places means a guest who never opens Airbnb can still find your home, and a direct booking is a booking neither of us pays a marketplace to send us.
Who talks to my guests?
We do, and it is the same small team every time rather than a ticket queue. Guest messaging runs 24 hours a day, before the booking, during the stay and after checkout. You are welcome to be as involved or as hands-off as you like.
What happens between guests?
A full turnover: housekeeping, fresh linens, restocked consumables and the small touches guests notice. We walk through the home after every stay, so a chipped tile or a failing appliance is something we tell you about rather than something you discover months later.
How do you decide what to charge per night?
Rates are managed actively rather than set once and forgotten. Pricing is tuned to the season, to how the calendar is filling and to what is happening in town that week. The aim is a calendar that earns well across a whole year, not a high headline rate that sits empty.
How and when do I hear about the money?
You get one owner statement each month showing what guests paid, the cleaning collected and paid out, our 18 percent, anything we spent on your behalf, and the net figure that is yours. There is a fully worked illustrative example on our sample owner statement page.
Can I still use my own home?
Of course. Block the dates you want and they are yours. There is no booking revenue on a night you are in the house yourself, so there is no commission on it either. Tell us when you are coming and we will make sure the home is turned over and ready for you.
What about short-term rental rules, permits and my HOA?
Rules differ street by street in the Wasatch Back, and an HOA can be stricter than the city. Before you list, confirm what applies to your specific address with Park City Municipal or Summit County and read your HOA or condo documents. We are happy to work through the checklist with you, but the permissions belong to you as the owner and we cannot give legal advice.
How do we start?
Send a few lines about the home through the contact form, or call or text 385 315 3415. We reply within one business day, walk through the home with you, and give you an honest answer about whether we are the right fit. If we are not, we will say so.
Nothing here is legal, tax or accounting advice. Short-term rental rules, permits and HOA restrictions attach to your specific address, so confirm them with Park City Municipal, Summit County or your association before you list.
Still deciding
What a first conversation
actually looks like.
There is no pitch deck. You send a few lines about the home — where it is, how it is set up, and what you are hoping for — and we reply within one business day.
From there we walk through the home, talk about how it would be listed and priced across the seasons, and go line by line through what a month would look like on paper. You will leave that conversation knowing what the 18% covers, what stays yours, and what we think the home is realistically suited to.
If co-hosting is not the right shape for what you want, or if we are not the right studio for the home, we would rather say so than take it on. A small portfolio only works if every home in it is one we can genuinely look after.
Say hello
Got a question that is not on the list?
Call, text or email — or send a few lines through the contact form and we will come back to you within one business day.