Shortlet apartments have grown fast in cities like Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Nairobi and Cape Town, as well as in London and across Europe. Guests expect hotel-level reliability at apartment prices. The difference between a shortlet that earns repeat bookings and one that earns complaints usually comes down to four things: payments, guest verification, arrival and cleaning.
1. Take payments you can rely on
Chasing bank transfers and checking screenshots of payment confirmations wastes time and invites fraud. Use a payment gateway that confirms payment automatically:
- Paystack is widely used in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa and supports cards, bank transfer and mobile money options depending on the country.
- Stripe and PayPal suit international guests paying by card.
Ideally the payment link comes from your own booking website so the money goes straight into your account. TIOO's short let software connects to Paystack, Stripe and PayPal, and never holds your guests' money.
2. Know who is staying
Guest screening protects your property and your neighbours. Ask every guest to complete an online check-in before arrival with their full name, phone number, arrival time and a photo of their ID. Store ID images securely and only for as long as you need them, and be clear with guests about why you collect them.
3. Make late arrivals painless
Flights land late and traffic is unpredictable. If someone has to wait up to hand over keys, every late arrival is a problem. Options include a staffed reception, a key safe, or a smart lock that gives each guest a code valid only for their stay. Smart locks also let you open the door remotely when a guest is stuck outside.
4. Make power and Wi-Fi details obvious
In many cities, guests' first questions are about power backup, water and internet. Put this information — and what to do if something stops working — in a digital guide guests can open on their phone, alongside directions and house rules.
5. Run turnovers like a hotel
Back-to-back stays leave little time between checkout and the next arrival. Your cleaning team needs to know which apartments are free as soon as a guest leaves. A live list of units to clean, with same-day turnovers at the top, avoids the classic mistake of a guest arriving to an unmade bed.
6. Keep one calendar
Many shortlet operators take bookings from Airbnb, Booking.com, Instagram and WhatsApp at the same time. Every booking — including direct ones — needs to end up on one calendar that blocks the same dates on the platforms, or you will eventually double book.
7. Treat repeat guests as your best channel
Business travellers and diaspora visitors often return to the same city. Make it easy for them to book you directly next time, with a website they can bookmark and a payment method that works for them.
If you are ready to professionalise your shortlets, start with TIOO for free — two apartments free forever, with Paystack, Stripe and PayPal support.
