Staymo — Local services in London

We used Smarthost to manage our property during a period when we were away. Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing and ultimately very stressful. While the initial onboarding was smooth and communications were polite, the actual service delivery was terrible and did not meet expectations — or contractual obligations.

A guest caused significant damage to our home. Some examples; flooded top bathroom causing damage through two floors below, smashed lamp, broken garden furniture, blood stained mattresses, animal head in the freezer, and smashed oven shelf.

Basic responsibilities such as vetting guests, cleaning, maintenance, and property oversight were not adequately fulfilled. During the stay, the Smarthost team only operate in office hours so any problems in evenings and weekends were ultimately solved by our neighbours. When we returned, the house was smelly and dirty. When the damage became apparent, despite plenty of platitudes and apology, Smarthost took no responsibility to remedy. We first had to arrange additional cleaning as Smarthost wanted to charge for an additional service, and then were left to manage much of the recovery process ourselves — including summarising and documenting damages, coordinating with Airbnb, and securing compensation to repair damages. Despite repeated efforts to resolve the situation constructively, the company resisted responsibility insisting that this was a problem between us and Airbnb to be resolved through their Aircover offering. When we did finally secure funds for repairs after 6 months, Smarthost tried to insist on carrying out works themselves, and also to take commission on the damages. Only after external pressure did the tone shift and a resolution was offered.

We’ve now closed the matter, but it has cost us considerable time, money, and stress to do so. We would not use Smarthost again and cannot recommend them to other property owners. We hope they will take this feedback seriously and make meaningful improvements in how they support their clients — especially when...

I’ve been using SmartHost services for over a year now. Previously I took care of everything myself as I always feel the need to make sure everything is done to the highest standard. However, that did take a lot of my time and energy so partnering with them simplified the process significantly. They do offer premium service so I can always be confident that my guests are getting excellent service without having to engage in all the hassle myself, no longer having to constantly check my phone and coordinate everything. Onboarding was easy and staff walked me through it and was there to help answer any questions. I’m still in control of all listings - I can monitor prices, see the status of my booking, I get notified about any activity and can monitor all the inquiries/requests and staff responses. Their staff is accessible 24/7 and I can contact them at any point with any questions or calendar changes. I’ve seen a lot of high ratings and reviews from guests, which have improved the booking rate and allow new guests to be confident when booking my property. I would highly recommend partnering with this company - they’re the best at what they do and truly care about their hosts and guests, providing high quality...

I am extremely disappointed with this agency. I gave them my property on December 10th, and as of today, December 22nd, they have failed to list it on all platforms or update the pictures, costing me weeks of potential income. They finally managed to get the correct listing on Airbnb, but at a price below my minimum for New Year’s. This has resulted in a significant financial loss, especially during the peak season when Airbnb typically performs best.

Their accounting team has also made several errors, and if I hadn’t carefully reviewed the bills, I would have lost even more money. While the company owner was responsive and reliable when they first started five years ago, their service has declined significantly over time. It seems that due to increased demand, they’ve stopped prioritizing their existing customers, charging higher fees while delivering very poor service.

Additionally, their claim of being available 24/7 is completely false. I still have no idea where their office is located—if they even have one in London—or whether they’re just working from home. I would not recommend this...