Best Practice Guide for Owners

1. Your Listing

Photography & Presentation

• Allow Suaka's production team to conduct the on-site shoot — verified listings with professional photos consistently outperform self-photographed listings.
• Ensure the villa is clean, staged, and well-lit on the day of the shoot.
• Update photos after any significant renovation or refurbishment.

Pricing Strategy

• Consider a multi-month discount (e.g., 5% for 2 months, 10% for 3 months) to attract longer stays and reduce turnover costs.
• All pricing must be transparent — no surprise charges. Every additional cost must be disclosed in the Listing.
• Keep your availability calendar accurate to avoid having to cancel confirmed bookings. If you use manual approval and don't respond to a booking request within 48 hours, Suaka may accept it on your behalf based on your calendar — another reason to keep it current.

Listing Description

• Write a clear, honest description: property size, layout, amenities, and nearby attractions.
• Disclose all limitations (e.g., stairs only, limited parking, nearby construction).
• Include house rules (smoking policy, pets, quiet hours, maximum occupancy).
• Wi-Fi, water, electricity, and gas are always included in Base Rent, the same way a nightly-rate platform bundles them — you cannot bill a Tenant separately for any of these.

2. Before Check-In

• Professionally clean the villa before every arrival.
• Conduct a full inventory review and photograph all items and their condition before check-in.
• Confirm all appliances, Wi-Fi, pool equipment, and air conditioning are operational.
• Prepare a Welcome Pack: villa manual, house rules, local recommendations, emergency contacts.
• Provide check-in instructions clearly (access codes, key location, parking) via the Suaka platform.

3. During the Stay

• Respect your tenant's privacy — do not enter the property without 24 hours' prior written notice given through Suaka, except in a genuine emergency.
• Respond to messages through Suaka as soon as possible — prompt replies mean better customer service and tenants appreciate it. All Owner–Tenant communication is handled through Suaka; do not contact tenants directly.
• All communication with tenants is routed through Suaka, which keeps a complete record and protects both parties.
• Address maintenance issues promptly — a broken appliance or failing A/C should be resolved within 48 hours.
• Point your tenants toward Suaka's add-on services through the app — Suaka arranges these, and they increase your income and Tenant satisfaction.

4. Check-Out & Damage Claims

CRITICAL: You must submit any damage claims with photographic evidence and itemised cost receipts through the Suaka platform within 48 hours of Tenant check-out. Approved amounts are charged to the Tenant's saved payment method, taking from any Security Deposit first. Claims submitted after 48 hours will not be accepted.

• A Suaka representative will conduct a joint checkout inventory review against Schedule A.
• Document all damages with clear, timestamped photographs and obtain repair/replacement quotes.
• Submit damage claims through 'My Bookings > Damage Claim' within 48 hours of checkout.
• The Tenant has 7 days to dispute your claim. Suaka adjudicates within 14 business days.
• Leave an honest review of your Tenant within 7 days of checkout.

Where the Tenant's check-out inspection finds no damage and nothing else outstanding, their Security Deposit is released back to them within 14 days, and no claim is available against it after that point.

5. IMPORTANT — Owner Cancellation Policy

Cancelling a confirmed booking has serious financial consequences. Never cancel a confirmed Booking unless absolutely unavoidable.

• The Tenant receives a full refund including the Tenant Fee.
• Suaka provides the Tenant with rebooking support, using your penalty to cover the difference if they rebook into a higher-priced property.
• Penalties may be waived for a documented genuine emergency — submit evidence to Suaka immediately.
• 2 or more cancellations in a 12-month period will result in listing suspension.

6. Compliance

• Ensure your property holds all required Indonesian operating permits for medium-term rental.
• Register with the local Banjar (village authority) if required.
• Declare all rental income to the Indonesian Directorate General of Taxes (DJP).
• Maintain appropriate property and liability insurance — as Owner you bear sole responsibility and all risk for the property and tenancy.

7. Payments & Payouts

• All payments must go through the Suaka platform. Never accept or solicit off-platform payments — this results in immediate permanent account suspension.
• Your payout (net of the 5% Owner Fee) is released after Tenant check-in is confirmed.
• For Monthly Billing bookings, you receive monthly payouts on the anniversary of the Tenant's check-in.
• Set your preferred payout method (bank transfer or Xendit) in Owner Dashboard > Settings > Payout Preferences.

8. Building Your Reputation

• Respond to booking enquiries quickly — response time affects search ranking, and on manual-approval listings, a 48-hour non-response lets Suaka accept on your behalf.
• Maintain high acceptance rates by only listing genuinely available dates.
• Consistently earning 4.5+ stars qualifies your listing for the 'Verified Top Owner' badge.