HOST FAQ's

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Almost anyone can become a host! ​

You ​just ​need to ​have a​t least one​ room​ to let in your house on a 7 days a week basis. This room needs to be​ equipped with a comfortable ​single or double bed and should have storage space, such as a wardrobe.

Outside of that we look for hosts who are truly willing to make your guest feel welcome in sharing your home.

All you need to do is to make sure your room is ready to receive your first guest. Each room should be equipped with a duvet, pillows and 2 sets of bed linen. 

If you have enough space, you can also make available a free shelf in your fridge and space in your kitchen cupboard, for the sole use of the guest.   

We will take care of the rest for you. We have set up House Rules and terms and conditions to help you, as well as providing you with all the documents you and your guest will need. Also, you will benefit from the support of our team if you have any questions or need any help at any stage of your host journey.

Yes, unlike most agencies, Hosting Power is 100% free for hosts and we don't take any commission on your rent.

Not at all! Our guests are self-sufficient and so they will buy their own food and cook their own meals.

And don't worry, while using the kitchen your guests will need to respect the House Rules in place (that we will provide to you), such as leaving the kitchen clean immediately after use or respecting restricted cooking hours.

It is not mandatory to have WiFi available at your property, but we still recommended it!

As a matter of fact, many of our guests do have their own unlimited Mobile Data Plans to access the internet.

We still do recommend you have WiFi available in order to receive more booking requests from guests who still need or prefer using the WiFi internet access at the property. 

No, not having public transport facilities is not an issue as long as it is clearly indicated in your listing description!

Many of our guests have their own car and are happy to book more remote locations. We will always clearly indicate in the listing description if guests must have their own means of transport to book the room.

We are experts on the Irish rental market so we will help you to choose the right rent for your room.

Please apply now to find out how much you can earn from your room.

Also, please note that Hosting Power promotes a fair rent policy for both hosts and guests, so you can't request a rent higher than the current market price.  

The rent you will earn will vary according to the county you live in and the type of accommodation you are renting out (private room in your own house or separate self-contained unit/studio). 

Please apply now to find out how much you can earn from your room.

You will receive payments directly from your guest on a weekly basis. By default, the method of payment is in cash.

If both you and your guest agree, the method of payment can be changed to bank transfer.

Additionally, we will provide you with a convenient payment schedule to facilitate easy tracking of your rental payments.

The rent you will receive will cover everything, including the room you are letting to the guest and all the utility bills. 

As a host, you can't charge additional fees to the guest but it is important to note that guests will buy for their own food, toiletries and any household items they require, such as washing powder.

Yes, House Rules are really important to ensure that both hosts and guests enjoy the hosting experience so we have created our House Rules from feedback from hundreds of hosts. This has enabled us to create the perfect House Rules covering everyday situations while you are hosting, from the use of the kitchen to the payment of the rent when your guest is away. 

Once you accept a booking, you and your guest will receive a copy of those House Rules. You can also review our terms and conditions, where they are mentioned. 
 

Yes we do! Our team is available for you from the time of the booking until your guest is leaving. If you have any questions or need any help, we are here.

Also, we will provide you with all the professional documents you need, such as House Rules, the Deposit Form or the Rent Payment Schedule.
 

We need your contact details as one of our Property Managers will contact you to give you more information and reply to any questions you may have.

Also, your address is required as we calculate the rent according to your exact location.

Please rest assured that Hosting Power will never share your contact details and will not send promotional emails or spam.

If you rent out a room (or rooms) in your home to private tenants, the rental income you earn will be exempt from income tax, provided this income does not exceed the limit of 14 000 euros in a tax year.

This scheme is called “the rent-a-room relief” scheme. The occupants must be using the room on a long-term basis. So, renting a room to a student for the academic year or for a one-month professional course is covered, which is the case of all our guests!

Please note that a self-contained unit, such as a basement flat or a converted garage attached to your home, can also qualify for this relief.

No, we won't! We take the privacy of our hosts extremely seriously, and we will never share your address publicly 

Your listing will only indicate your district (eg: Marino, Dublin 3) and show the general area the property is located in on a map via a circle of a circumference of 3km, so no one can find out your exact address.

It’s easy and free to get a listing on Hosting Power, it all starts with your online application completed in 3 short steps. 

You will find the application form at www.hostingpower.ie/hostHome

Please start by indicating your contact details.
On the next screen, you can choose rent and upload photos of your property. 
On the last screen, you can add your listing description.

You will then be contacted shortly by one of our Property Managers. It is that easy!

Please note that Hosting Power will never share your details and won’t send any promotional emails or spam.  
 

We usually contact you within one working day. The Property Manager will send you detailed information and make sure to reply to all the questions you may have.

Firstly let us say that we have proudly visited and photographed nearly 1800 rooms, and we would like to thank all the hosts who have welcomed us. 

However, due to the ever increasing number of hosts willing to enjoy our services, and the fact that we now have hosts all over the country, it's unfortunately no longer possible to offer a photography service. 

But no need to worry! In fact, it's actually even easier than ever to become a host with us as you can send us photos of your home that you have taken yourself instead.

Another big advantage of this for you is that since you'll be sending us the photos you take yourself, we'll be able to get your listing set up quicker. This means we can advertise your room much quicker than before with most of our hosts being fully set up from the same day they applied to become a host!

Yes, definitely! Please take at least 10 pictures or more of your home, we will provide you with a link so you can send them easily to us.

Your listing will be ready within a maximum of a few days after you send us pictures of your home, but usually on the same day if you send your photos during the week.

We will then begin advertising your room immediately!

Never! You don't need to worry as your privacy is very important to us!

On your listing, only your general area will appear (ie: “Marino, Dublin 3”) so no one can find out your exact address.

Your listing will indicate the area you are living in (ie: “Marino, Dublin 3”) . Also a map is available on each listing and a pin shows the area too, but not your exact address.  

Therefore, your privacy is fully protected as no one can view your exact address.

A detailed description is really important as guests need to know a little bit about you, your home and your location to feel comfortable booking your room.

You can provide us with your description as soon as you apply or after your chat with our Property Manager.

We will help you to create a great description and will provide you with an example too.

Yes, if you feel more comfortable with a specific gender you can choose to restrict your listing.

For example, we can set up your listing to ‘females only’, so only female guests will book your room.

You have full control over the availability dates of your room!

All you need to do is to log in to your account, or inform us about the period your room will be or will not be available and we will set up your listing accordingly.

We advertise single or double rooms according to the type of bed you are offering. We will also mention if the bathroom will be shared or if the guest will have private use it.

If you have a self-contained unit, which means that the unit you rent includes at least a bed, a bathroom and a kitchen within the same private unit for the guest, we will advertise it as a studio.

We always make sure that your listing is available on our website for the period you want to rent.

You can have a look directly on our website, all you need to do is to select the availability dates of your room and you will see your listing in the search results.

If you have any doubts, you can also contact us at anytime!

Had a last-minute change, meaning your room is no longer available for a period of time? No problem!

All you need to do is to log in to your account or inform us and we can temporarily deactivate your listing until your room is available again.

With Hosting Power you will host busy and self-sufficient students or professionals. These guests study in a school, college, or university; or work in a company.

Some of our guests might also have just arrived in Ireland and therefore are looking for a job at the time of the booking request. If this is the case it will be clearly indicated in the guest's description, and you can rest assured that we have done a payment check. 

Keep in mind that you will always have the possibility to accept or decline any booking request you receive. 

Yes, we do a full guest verification for you which includes an ID and payment check.

In addition to that, we request information about their studies, internship, or work.  

Our guests are usually booking for the full duration of their studies, internship or work in Ireland, which can be between 1 month minimum to 18 months maximum.

Please note that you will always know the exact duration requested by the guest before you accept a booking!

We will contact you as soon as we receive a booking request, and send you all the details.

All you need to do is confirm with us within 24 hours if you would like to accept or decline your booking request.

Not at all! You will always get the full details of the guest, such as the duration requested and the guest's profile, before you can accept or decline a booking request.

We require you to respond within 24 hours as if you cannot accept the booking the guest needs to know this as soon as possible so that they can go ahead and choose another room.

When your booking is confirmed we will send you a detailed booking confirmation email.

It will include; the booking details, your guest's contact details, and all the professional documents you will need (House Rules, Deposit Form, and Rent Payment Schedule).

The rent is paid to you directly by your guest, upfront and on a weekly basis, so you will get your first rent on the day your guest arrives.

Please note that you will also receive a deposit payment from your guest, on their day of arrival.

Yes, you will receive direct payment from your guest, upfront and on a weekly basis.

We will also provide a payment schedule to ensure easy tracking of your rental payments and to prevent any misunderstandings.

Note that your rent will be paid in cash, unless you and your guest agree to change the method of payment to bank transfer.

Your rent will be paid to you directly by your guest on a weekly basis, always on the same day.

If your guest is checking in on a Tuesday, for example, you will be paid your first rent on the Tuesday of their arrival, and then every Tuesday thereafter.

Yes! You will receive the equivalent of 1 week's rent as a deposit on the day your guest arrives, directly provided by your guest.

Please note that we will facilitate this by providing you with a Deposit Form so you can collect the deposit on your guest's arrival, and return their deposit of their departure day.

In the unlikely event of a guest's cancellation, we will re-advertise your room straight away to ensure no rent loss from your side.

The rent is still due for the full duration booked, so you will be paid the regular rent for periods when your guest decides to go away on holidays.

While this is a rare occasion, some guests may need to depart earlier than the duration they have booked.

But no worries, we've got you covered. As soon as we are informed by your guest or yourself of this early departure, we will re-advertise your room and even "boost" its visibility on our website.

This proactive approach ensures that we promptly replace your departing guest with a new one, thereby minimizing or, most of the time, even avoiding any rental loss for you.

No worries, we understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, and you might need to shorten your guest's stay.

Rest assured, there are no specific notices required for early departure, although we advise you to provide your guest with a minimum of 2 weeks' notice whenever possible.

Please also inform Hosting Power as soon as possible, so we can promptly relocate your guest to another property.

If, unfortunately, you need to cancel a booking, all you need to do is contact us to inform us.

We will then manage everything for you, which includes contacting your guest to inform them about the cancellation and finding them an alternative accommodation.

If you want to apply to become a host, you can do so via the application form . If you have any questions, you can contact us via email at support@hostingpower.ie

We are happy to inform you that we usually reply to all queries within one working day maximum.

That's no problem at all, actually most of our guests love pets!

We will mention it on your listing to make sure that guests with pet allergies don't book your room.

Yes they do! Our guests have at the very least, a basic level of English when they study in language schools, and actually most of our guests are studying at University or working so they have a really good command of English.

Not necessarily! If you have a desk available that's great as it is important for some of our guests to have one, but it is not mandatory.

If you have a desk, we will make sure that it is clearly indicated on your listing and visible in the pictures.

It's up to you! You can share your living room, or keep it private for you and your family.

This will be clearly indicated on your listing description so the guests know before booking.

Your guest will use your kitchen to cook their own meals, and are expected to leave it in a clean state immediately after use as per the House Rules which we will provide to both you and your guest.

For the comfort of everyone your guest will have cooking hour restrictions, while still giving them sufficient time to prepare and eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner.

As per the House Rules, it is not permitted for your guest to use the kitchen for any other purpose, such as study etc.

As it is their private room, the guest will be solely responsible and expected to keep their room clean and tidy at all times.

Yes, it is possible to carry out an inspection to ensure that there is no safety issue with your guest's room.

Please however keep in mind that the privacy of your guest is really important. Therefore, you can only access your guest's room for safety purposes, such as checking if no electrical appliances such as radiators were left on, if the window was properly closed, if the room is kept tidy etc.

You can​ ​request that the guest participates in the cleaning of the shared areas, as long as it is divided in a fair way between all the people living in the house.

Your guests are responsible for washing their personal clothes, towels and linen using the washing machine. To ensure that your washing machine is used the most economic way, the guest is limited to 2 loads per week and you are entitled to set up specific times and rules relating to the washing machine as long as it is reasonable.

Also, having a dryer or permitting the use of your dryer is not mandatory. All you need to do is to allocate a space and clothes horse so your student can dry their clothes.

It is strictly forbidden for your guest to consume or store any alcohol at your home at any time during their stay.

Also, as all our properties are non-smoking, your guest won't be allowed to smoke inside your home, including in their private room.

For health and safety reasons, it is imperative that our hosts maintain a non-smoking environment throughout their home.

Guests are not allowed to smoke inside the property, including their private rooms, and this strict rule must be respected at all times.

All hosts also must strictly adhere to our non-smoking policy. If you are a smoker, please review our Terms and Conditions for full information on smoking regulations and guidelines.

No, unfortunately this is not possible as the guests are usually booking your room before they are physically in Ireland.

But don’t worry, this is why we do a full check on each booking request, including an ID check and a credit card or payment check.

Yes, we are available to help you if any issues or questions arise regarding your guest.

If necessary​ we can always remind the guest of the house rules. We will also provide you with professional material such as House Rules, Deposit Form, and Guest Payment Schedule documents.​

No. For the peace of mind and comfort of everyone, your guest won't be allowed to bring anyone to the house at any time during their stay at your home.

Please note that this policy is part of the House Rules we have created from feedback from hundreds of hosts which covers everyday situations while you are hosting.
You and your guest will receive a copy of these House Rules for each booking. 

Yes. As part of the low noise policy at night, as for any inhabitant of the house your guest will be also expected to be really careful to not make noise from 10 pm to 7 am. ​​​

No worries, we understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, and you might need to shorten your guest's stay.

Rest assured, there are no specific notices required for early departure, although we advise you to provide your guest with a minimum of 2 weeks' notice whenever possible.

Please also inform Hosting Power as soon as possible, so we can promptly relocate your guest to another property.

Yes, that's no problem as some of our guests are willing to share a twin room or a double room with their friend or partner.

Please note that we will automatically increase your rental price in the case of 2 guests sharing. 

No, your room needs to be available on a 7 days a week basis.

Of course, everybody needs holidays! As our guests are self sufficient, they can stay at your home even when you are away.

You just need to be reachable by phone in case they have a question related to the house.​

In most cases, the deposit is returned to the guest by the host on the day of departure.

However, the deposit is intended to offer protection in specific situations. You may retain it under certain circumstances, such as if the guest has caused damage to the property or missed any rental payments.

Additionally, if your guest leaves earlier than their scheduled check-out date without providing at least one week's notice, you may be entitled to keep the deposit. Please refer to the deposit Terms and Conditions for full details.

You can if you want to, it is always appreciated! But if it is not possible for you to do so, this is not a problem as our guests are self sufficient and able to make their own way to your home. ​

No you won't need to! We will provide your guest with any documents they may need for their stay in Ireland, so you don't need to worry about any of that.

Yes definitely. Your guest may go away from Ireland from time to time but the rent is due for the entire duration of the time booked, including holidays such as Christmas.

No, the great news is that the income you will make through the rent will be free of tax, provided this income does not exceed the limit of 14 000 euros in a tax year.

This tax relief is called the ‘rent-a-room relief scheme’ and works for rooms and self-contained units, such as a basement flat or a converted garage attached to your home.

To be valid, the occupants must book the room for at least one month, which is the case of all of our guests!

The Rent a Room Relief Scheme allows you to out a room (or rooms) in your home to private tenants tax free, provided this income does not exceed the limit of 14 000 euros in a tax year.

A self-contained unit, such as a basement flat or a converted garage attached to your home, can qualify for this relief.

The relief applies only to residential tenancies, not to short-term guest arrangements. The occupants must be booking the room for at least one month.

So, renting a room to a student for the academic year or for a one-month professional course is covered, which is the case of all our guests!

No. The rent you will receive from your guest will cover the rent of the room and all the utility bills.

It is important to note that you won't need to cover anything else for the guest, as they will buy their own food and all their own supplies, such as toiletries or washing powder, for example.