When an owner asks me which management option is right for their apartment, my first question is not how large the property is, exactly where it is, or how much they want it to earn.
I ask:
How involved do you want to be in the management?
Do you want to manage the property yourself and have me beside you when you need support? Would you like me to handle the day-to-day work while you remain involved in part of the administration? Or would you prefer me to take care of almost everything around the property?
For me, that is where the right choice begins.
There is no single package that is best for everyone, and the most expensive option is not automatically the best one. The right service is the one that fits your available time, your confidence and how involved you genuinely want to be.
Full Management — when you do not have time for the day-to-day work
Some owners simply cannot be available all the time — answering guests’ questions, following arrivals and departures, arranging cleaning and dry cleaning, or reacting when something happens in the apartment.
That same owner may still have a few hours once a month to review documents and take care of the administrative responsibilities that remain with them.
That is where Full Management — 25% of net revenue makes sense.
Mila Stays takes care of the day-to-day management of stays and operational work around the apartment, while the owner remains involved in part of their administrative and accounting responsibilities.
Boutique Management — when you want someone to truly take care of it
With Boutique Management — 30% of net revenue, the situation is different. This is usually an owner who has almost no time to devote to the property.
They do not want to deal with the platforms, guest communication, organisation, ESTI, tourist tax and the ongoing administrative work.
But there is something else here for me.
Boutique Management is not simply a longer list of tasks for Mila Stays.
It is for an owner who wants their apartment to have its own character — not to be just another place to stay in Bansko.
I want the guest to remember where they stayed. To notice the care. To feel that someone thought about the details.
That is why I personally would not recommend this package to someone who sees no value in personal touches, small gestures and thoughtful gifts for guests.
For me, the Mila Stays standard means something very simple: when the guest walks in, I want them to feel at home.
What is the most important difference between 25% and 30%?
At 25%, Mila Stays handles the day-to-day running of the property — platforms, pricing, bookings, guest communication, preparation and oversight around each stay. The owner remains responsible for part of the ongoing administrative and accounting obligations.
The 30% option also includes more comprehensive administrative support, ESTI, tourist tax administration, the necessary accounting arrangements, enhanced quality control and the personalised Mila Stays experience.
For me, the real difference is not the percentage. It is the answer to one question: how much of the process do you want to keep in your own hands?
By Your Side — when you want to manage independently but do not yet feel fully confident
There is another kind of owner altogether. They want to manage the property themselves. They have the interest, the motivation and the desire to learn.
But at the beginning there can be a lot of uncertainty. And a lot of questions.
Which documents do I need? How do Airbnb and Booking.com work? How should I position my listing? What do I do with a guest who refuses to leave on time? How do I respond to a guest who complains constantly? What happens after a bad review?
Sometimes you do not need somebody to manage the property for you. You need somebody you can call and simply ask: ‘What do I do with this?’
That is exactly what By Your Side — €69 per month is for. The owner manages. I’m there when they need support.
But I did not create this service so that someone would depend on my help indefinitely. I want the owner to gain experience, make decisions more confidently and gradually need me less.
This is where my role naturally comes to an end — you now have the confidence to continue on your own.
For me, that is the success of this service.
Successful Start — when you are just entering short-term rentals
Successful Start — a one-off service priced at €299 is for people who are just beginning with Airbnb, Booking.com and short-term rentals.
The idea is not for me to take over the apartment and manage it for you. I want us to sit down together, go through the process, share what I have learnt, prepare the apartment, listings, pricing, communication and the essential systems. Then I leave the property in your hands.
If I received a new apartment tomorrow that had never been rented before, the first thing I would check would be the legal requirements. Then I would look carefully at the apartments around it and across the area — what is being offered, what keeps appearing, what guests are looking for and what is missing.
Short-term renting looks easier than it is
At the beginning, I thought it was all fairly straightforward too. Sort out the documents, start renting, and that is that.
Not quite.
Communication time is often underestimated. Guests do not only write when it is convenient for you. Sometimes the question comes in the evening. Sometimes something goes wrong when you already have another commitment. Sometimes someone needs to be there in person.
Pricing is also underestimated. It is very easy for an owner to look at their apartment and think, ‘I would pay this much.’ But the market does not set prices according to what we personally would pay.
Difficult guests are often underestimated too. A conflict that is handled badly can end in a negative review, and that review may affect the property’s rating and future bookings.
Occupancy, the right price or the right guests?
I don’t think it makes sense to choose only one. Occupancy, the right price and the right guests need to be in balance.
A low price may fill the calendar, but that is not always the best outcome for the property. A price that is too high may leave too many empty nights. And the wrong guests can create problems even when the booking looks excellent on paper.
What can I promise an owner?
I cannot promise 100% occupancy. I cannot promise a particular high income. I cannot promise that there will never be a problem with a guest, an appliance, a platform or anything else around the property.
That would not be an honest promise.
But I can promise something else:
I will be there, and I will work for your property the same way I work for my own.
So — which management option should you choose?
I don’t believe my job is to tell an owner, ‘You have to choose this package.’ The decision needs to be theirs.
I can explain what each service includes, answer questions and help them understand what they genuinely need.
In the end, the question is still the same:
How involved do you want to be in managing your own property?
I can be beside you. I can manage together with you. And I can take care of your property entirely.
The most expensive package is not the best package for every owner. The best one gives you exactly the level of involvement you actually want.
If you would like to talk about your property, start with how much time you have and how involved you want to remain. From there, the choice becomes much clearer.
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