Owner Onboarding

Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with our operations by reading through this onboarding guide (it will only take a few minutes).

  • Welcome to Oceanstays and congratulations. You’ve joined a community of owners who care about creating holidays that feel unforgettable.

    If you haven’t already, please complete our New Owner Onboarding Form. After we have this information, we’ll send through our Agency Agreement on Docusign to complete our signup process.

    You’re not just listing a property, you’re stepping into a partnership where your home is treated with care, your guests are looked after and your investment is protected.

    You’re in control of your home and your decisions, while we take care of the detail, the guests and the systems that keep everything running smoothly.

    Together, we’ll make sure guests feel the Oceanstays difference the moment they arrive.

  • The first step is creating your listing. Here’s how it works:

    • We organise a professional photo shoot (usually 1–2 weeks’ notice).

    • Our team attends the shoot to direct, style and bring props to help sell the dream.

    • Photos are edited within 3–5 days.

    • We draft your listing within another 3–5 days.

    • You’ll receive your draft ad to review and approve.

    • We list your property on VRBO (Stayz.com), Bookings.com, AirBnB and Expedia. Your guests may also book directly through our website. This might take a few days to sync.

    Alongside your ad, you’ll receive your draft pricing. We use dynamic pricing that adjusts daily according to supply and demand. You set your absolute minimum nightly rate - the lowest you’d accept for low-demand or last-minute bookings. We’ll also set a base rate, usually 30% higher, which drives seasonal pricing.

    Nothing is fixed in stone. We’ll refine your ad and your pricing over time as bookings and guest feedback roll in.

    We won’t launch until you’ve approved and are happy with your ad and pricing.

    FAQs:

    DO I NEED ANOTHER PHOTO SHOOT?: If you have existing photos that you wish to use, please double check copyright and ensure you have permission to use them. They should also make your property pop off the page and 'sell the dream' of your holiday home. If the current photos don't do this, it's definitely worth shooting again. We can do a mini shoot if budget is tight. In our experience this investment shows a return for the investment with the additional bookings it generates.

    HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?: We like to work with Chloe from Simon Hughes media who charges $620 + GST for stills, aerials and a video (plus travel time if outside of the Clarence Valley). She's very affordable and does a good job for a quick shoot on a budget. If you prefer to scale up, we can also engage Elise Hassey, or Ella from Sana Studio or another photographer of your choice.

  • Once your draft listing is ready, you’ll receive access to your Owner Portal — your property’s control centre.

    Here you can:

    • Add owner stays for yourself, friends or family (simply tick the box and enter contact details for friends or family and they will receive communications and support from us)

    • Leave cleaning notes or instructions for owner stays

    • Update check-in/ check-out times for owner stays

    • View bookings and revenue projections

    • Access monthly statements and invoices

    Simply toggle into the different pages at the top.

    If you’d like to host friends or family but still wish for them to pay, they can book through our website with our friends and family discount codes (see below in our FAQs).

    'The ‘Owner payout’ in your revenue projections is an estimate only, but is as close as we can get to estimating the net revenue you will receive for a booking. It’s calculated as ‘(Net accommodation fare + cleaning fee) - management commissions - cleaning fee)’ so we’re deducting your cleaning fee as an estimate of your actual cleaning and linen costs since we don’t know what they will be yet. The Net Accommodation fare is the amount the guest pays.

    You won’t be able to add Owner Stays until your calendar opens at launch - before then, please send your Owner Stay dates via email to the team member supporting your set-up to ensure we’ve blocked your dates before opening the calendar for bookings.

  • At the end of each month, you’ll receive your payout and a full statement within five business days. Your statement is itemised so you can see exactly where your money comes from:

    Revenue captured is logged at the top of the statements (any ‘pending’ guests haven’t checked in yet or we’re waiting for revenue from the booking channel).

    Accommodation fare and cleaning fare are captured under the ‘rentals’ column, the credit card processing fee that is paid to the credit card processor is captured under the ‘cc comm’ column, management commissions are captured in the next column and the difference is at the end. The next section shows your expenses and if you scroll down you’ll see details from your invoices noted at the top.

  • We offer a full service and very labour intensive, 24/7 service at an affordable price and the only way that we can do this is by having firm systems in place.

    Our team is hands-on in your property every week — cleaning, checking and capturing guest feedback.

    • If something urgent arises during a stay, we’ll resolve it immediately to protect the guest experience and let you know.

    • If it’s a bigger issue, we’ll call you before moving ahead.

    • All cleaning and hostie tasks are standardised, so results are consistent no matter who’s on duty.

    If you have specific styling preferences — like how you want cushions arranged — share them with us. We’ll record them so your home is presented exactly how you want it.

    Before your first booking, we stock consumables, make sure that everything on our set-up checklist is in place, prepare guest instructions and gift bowls and make sure everything is ready. Cleaning is scheduled the day before the first guest arrives to keep it fresh.

  • Momentum builds after your first three guest reviews. Once those are in, bookings usually accelerate. In the early weeks, we’ll watch your performance closely and promote your property on our social channels to help build traction.

    You’ll receive email notifications as bookings land. Do let us know if you’d like us to turn these off for you.

  • Your property is promoted through Oceanstays’ booking site, e-newsletters and social media. Please subscribe if you haven’t already so you have visibility of our promotions.

    If you’d like to go further, we recommend setting up an Instagram page for your property. Even just nine strong images makes your page look polished and allows us to tag you in promotions.

    We can also create a dedicated property webpage linked to our booking system. This gives you an easy, professional way to promote your home directly. Just let us know if you would like us to create this for you.

  • Once your listing is set-up and you are live, you’ll transition from the ‘Onboarding’ phase to ‘Business as usual’. This means that your primary contact person will shift over to your local Operations Team who will support your day to day operations.

    This person has full visibility of your listing, performance and history and has the support of our specialist team (eg. Marketing).

    Your local Operations Support Manager will reach out to you with a welcome phone call and/or meeting for a warm transition.

    Since we manage hundreds of phone calls and messages each day, email is the best way to make sure nothing gets missed and your queries are addressed in a timely manner.

    Please find your best contacts below:

    During business hours:

    If you’d prefer a phone call, please email us and request a callback and specify your availability. We’ll call you back the same day.

    Outside business hours:

    • Urgent: reply to any reservation-related message (this routes to our duty guest comms manager).

    • Non-urgent: Please email us and we’ll usually reply within a few hours

    Our goal is to reply to all Owner emails/ callback requests the same business day.

    We respectfully ask that you don’t sms our team members personally to ensure that your enquiry is in our system and actionable and that you reach someone who is on duty that day.

    This system helps us care for guests and owners around the clock while also protecting our team from burnout.

  • As an owner, you’re in control of your property and your decisions. However there are a few shared commitments we all agree to, because they protect every home in the Oceanstays collection:

    • Never cancelling a guest booking

    • Maintaining property standards consistently

    • Respecting the systems that allow us to provide full service at fair fees

    These non-negotiables protect the Oceanstays reputation and keep guests returning, which benefits every owner.

  • You’re now part of the Oceanstays crew. You’re in control of your home, supported by a team who cares and part of a community of owners who share the same high standards.

    Together, we’ll deliver holidays guests remember for all the right reasons — and you’ll see the rewards in your property’s performance and reputation.

    Welcome aboard.

Owner FAQs

  • Pricing

    How does your pricing work?
    We use dynamic pricing to optimise your returns using real-time market data. Rather than pricing based on what nearby properties are advertised for, our system analyses what similar properties are actually booking for and adjusts accordingly based on supply and demand. That means your rates are competitive and responsive to the market. You stay in full control of pricing decisions at all times.

    What pricing controls do I have?
    We work with you to set two key rates that guide the dynamic pricing model plus your cleaning fee:

    Absolute minimum rate
    This is the lowest nightly rate you’re willing to accept, including for last-minute bookings. It also becomes the advertised price in periods of very low demand so your property remains attractive against competition.

    Base rate
    This rate guides your seasonal pricing and is typically set around 30% higher than the absolute minimum. It helps shape higher pricing in peak demand seasons.

    You have the final say on both rates. If you have very specific pricing needs, we can turn off dynamic pricing, but you’ll need to provide manual rates, as our best results come from optimised, data-driven pricing and we don’t have an ongoing manual pricing support process.

    Cleaning fee

    We add a cleaning fee to every stay which is collected as part of your ‘rental return’. This fee is a fixed amount, so we try to make this amount as close to the average cost of your cleaning and laundry to ensure these expenses are covered each stay. That said, some owners like to set it lower and absorb some of the cost into the nightly rate to mitigate any psychological barriers to guests booking if they feel the cleaning fee is too high.

    How does pricing relate to occupancy and revenue?
    There’s a direct correlation between your nightly rate and how many bookings you receive. If rates are too high, occupancy tends to drop, which can reduce overall returns. Our goal is to find the sweet spot—the base price that balances nightly rate with strong occupancy to maximise your income. Increasing rates doesn’t necessarily increase revenue if it pushes pricing beyond what the market will bear.

    Can I request pricing adjustments?
    Yes. If you feel your current rates are too low or too high, or you want to adjust your absolute minimum nightly rate or cleaning fee, just let our Operations Team know and we’ll work through new parameters with you.

  • Minimum night stays

    How do minimum night stays work?
    We optimise minimum night stays throughout the year to balance strong returns with healthy occupancy.

    Outside of school holidays, most properties sit at a three night minimum. During school holidays, minimum stays typically increase to five or seven nights depending on demand. As holiday periods approach, we may reduce minimum nights where appropriate to capture late bookings and maximise occupancy.

    Does reducing minimum nights increase bookings?
    Yes. Occupancy often increases when minimum stays drop to two nights as your property will appear in more searches. However, this needs to be carefully balanced against cleaning, linen and operational costs. Some owners choose a blended approach, such as three night minimums on weekends and two night minimums midweek, to secure additional bookings while maintaining efficiency.

    Can I change my minimum night settings?
    Absolutely. You remain in control at all times. If you’d like to adjust your minimum nights, just let us know and we’ll update your settings.

  • Owner Stays/ Date Blocks

    How do I book an owner stay or block dates for maintenance?

    To block dates or book an owner stay, simply add the booking directly into your calendar via the Owners Portal.

    Please add notes if you have any specific instructions for how you wish us to manage your owner stay booking or adjust check-in/ out times if you wish to arrive earlier than 3pm or depart later than 10am.

    What happens with cleaning after an owner stay?

    A departure clean will automatically be scheduled at the end of your stay unless you note otherwise in the booking notes. This ensures the property is ready for the next guest and maintains consistent presentation standards. Please add notes in the reservation in the Owners Portal if you have special instructions like wanting to clean yourself.

  • 12 month calendar window

    How far in advance is the calendar open?
    Our booking calendar is open 12 months in advance. We recommend blocking out any intended owner stays as early as possible to ensure your preferred dates are protected.

    What happens if I forget to block dates and a guest books?
    To protect your property’s review status and our shared reputation as a trusted holiday provider, we do not cancel confirmed guest bookings. If dates are left unblocked and a guest books, the booking will stand.

    Can I block dates beyond the 12 month window?
    Owner bookings can only be placed directly in the portal up to 12 months in advance. If you’d like to block dates beyond this window, please email operations@oceanstays.com.au with your requested dates and we’ll take care of it for you.

  • Booking Channel Commissions

    The booking engines are currently charging the following mark-ups. We automatically increase the prices charged to guests on these channels by the same percentage so you receive the same net return regardless of booking channel.

    AirBnB - 16.5%

    Booking.com - 13.2%

    VRBO (Stayz) - 13.2%

    We collect these funds as part of your ‘rentals’ and then pay the commissions on your behalf.

  • STRA Zoning Map

    Zoning map for Yamba & Angourie. Properties highlighted in purple are capped at 180 days

  • Consumable Prices

    See our consumable pice list

  • Booking Terms and Conditions

    You may view our current guest terms & conditions on our booking website.

  • Cleaning

    Property cleaning is offered at a discounted rate through Coldstream House (Market average is $75-110/ hour). Oceanstays properties are charged the discounted weekday rate of $69 + GST/ hour.

    We try to set the cleaning (and laundry combined) fee charged to each guest each stay as the average price of your cleaning and laundry to ensure we recover this cost for you. Sometimes on bigger homes the guest fee will be lower than the average cost so we don’t create a psychological barrier to guests booking your property. In which case the difference will be absorbed slightly from your nightly rate.

    From time to time we may need to engage other cleaning professionals to support peak changeover dates or professional window cleaners to reach higher windows.

    The cleaning fee is captured as part of your ‘rentals’ and owner revenue and then the actual cost of the cleaning is charged to your ledger.

  • Laundry

    Laundry is offered at subsidised rates through Coldstream House.

    We collect the cleaning and laundry fee as part of your ‘rental’ and accommodation fare from the guest and then charge your owner ledger for the actual cost of associated laundry.

    This way, you are only charged for what guests actually use.

    View subsidised laundry rates.

  • Friends & Family Discounts

    How can I book for friends and family?

    You have two options.

    Option 1: Book as an owner stay in your owners portal.

    When creating an owner stay in the portal, tick the box to indicate the booking is for friends and family and enter their details. We’ll treat them exactly like regular guests from a service perspective, but no accommodation charges will be collected, nor will commissions apply. We’ll support your friends in goodwill.

    You will still see charges for linen, cleaning and gift bowls associated with owner stays in your owner ledger. If you’d prefer linen to be put away and no arrival gifts left, or if you wish to clean yourself on departure please note this in the reservation notes.

    Option 2: Book via oceanstays.com.au
    Your friends or family can book directly through oceanstays.com.au using a FRIENDSFAMILY discount codes outlined below. In this case, payment is processed as usual and standard commissions apply.

    FRIENDSFAMILY20 - 20% off + cleaning fee + $50 direct booking fee

    FRIENDSFAMILY50 - 50% off + cleaning fee + $50 direct booking fee

    FRIENDSFAMILY80 - 80% off + cleaning fee + $50 direct booking fee

    FRIENDSFAMILY100 - 100% off + cleaning fee + $50 direct booking fee

    We'll always confirm with you when a Friends/ Family booking comes through if we don't recognise the name as family.

    If you don't want them to use the codes during school holidays you'll need to let them know as the codes may be applied all year round.

    Your friends and family will be treated like guests with this method of reservation. They will receive the full guest treatment with check-in and check-out instructions, gifts etc.

    We will draw payment from the guest and distribute to you in your monthly statement.

    If you don’t wish to charge your friends or family, please load them as ‘Owner stays’ in your Owner’s portal and enter their details into the booking with any relevant comments.

  • Upsells

    We offer a range of optional upsells to guests when they book at oceanstays.com.au.

    Some are service based (such as guaranteed early check-in) while others are product based (eg. chilled wine on arrival).

    We provide all upsells as part of our hands-on service. We arrange procurement, coordinate logistics and communication with the guest regarding the service at no extra cost to you.

    The revenue from physical and service based upsells is collected directly as part of your accommodation fare.

    In the case of service based upsells, the cost of the product itself will simply be added as an expense in your ledger. The cost of physical upsells is approximately 50% mark-up.

    For example, a bottle of Chandon chilling in the fridge on arrival will cost your guest $80. You will be charged an expense of $39 for the cost of the bottle and we will collect the extra $80 from the guest as part of their accommodation fare for the upsell.

    View consumables price list.

  • Damage Rectification

    If damage may be classified as ‘normal wear and tear’, we are unable to claim compensation from guests. An example of this might be dining chairs located close to the wall leaving small marks on the wall.

    If damage is accidental and worth less than $80 and the guest has been a good guest who reports the accidental damage on a reviewable booking channel, we won’t seek compensation. The goodwill generated and repeat guest/ word of mouth referral is of much higher value than the replacement item.

    If damage is valued higher than $80 we will seek compensation for full rectification works. Appliances and furniture will be calculated according to the ATO depreciation schedule plus installation cost as follows:

    Value is calculated according to the diminishing value method:

    Base value × (days held ÷ 365) × (200% ÷ asset’s effective life)

    Effective life is calculated according to the ATO taxation ruling

    We will use all means available to us to recover damage caused by guests. In very rare instances where this is not possible, owners will need to rely on insurance and we will help with this process with photos and detailed reports.

  • Reviews

    Reviews are vital for building reputation and trust and ultimately occupancy and our goal is five stars every stay.

    We always ask guests to leave a review (unless we feel they might leave a bad one).

    We include a comment with their check-out instructions advising that we will leave them a glowing five star review and would be grateful for the same courtesy.

    We also follow-up three days after check-out if they haven’t already left a review asking them to please leave one and reminding them that we’ve left them a five star review.

    While it might be tempting to ask again, some guests are just not big communicators and in our experience, asking them a third time doesn’t deliver the best outcomes.