I'm David Ross. My family owns short-term rentals around Placerville and Apple Hill, and I co-host and manage rentals for other owners too. Here is the plain answer to a question I get a lot.

The short version

A co-host runs the day-to-day of your rental so you don't have to. The name comes from Airbnb, where it's a formal role you can add to your listing, but the job is the same on any platform: someone local, doing the work.

What I handle for owners

Every owner hands off a slightly different mix, but this is the core of it.

• Pricing and the listing. I set and adjust your nightly rates using specialized pricing software and keep the listing itself in shape: photos, descriptions, and the settings that decide where you show up in search.

• Listing analysis and optimization. I go through your listing, suggest changes to improve it, and make the ones you approve.

• Guest communication. Questions before booking, check-in instructions, and the 9 pm 'how do I work the hot tub' messages. Guests get fast answers, and you don't get the calls. I'm the front desk of the hotel.

• Cleaning and property care. I schedule cleaners between every stay, make sure the place is actually ready, and catch small maintenance problems before a guest finds them.

• Regular property visits. I'm at the property about twice a month, so small issues get caught in person, not by a guest.

• Consumable inventory. I track what's running low - toilet paper, shampoo, snacks - and place the orders so the property stays stocked.

• Clear owner accounting. You get a monthly statement that shows what came in, what went out, and what you made.

What a co-host doesn't do

A co-host doesn't own your property and doesn't make the big calls without you. You set the house rules, the minimum stays, and whether pets are allowed. I run the place the way you want it run.

Paying cleaners and the consumables themselves are paid from the owner side. Toilet paper, shampoo, snacks - I keep the inventory and place the orders, but the goods themselves are your purchase.

And nobody honest will promise you a specific income. Bookings depend on the property, the market, and the season.

Who it's a good fit for

Whether you're handing off a fully operational short-term rental or you just purchased a property and are starting from zero, the work on my end is the same. Most owners I work with either don't live near their rental or don't want to answer messages every day. If that sounds like you, that's usually when bringing in a co-host makes sense.

If you would like to see a list of my owned and managed listings, click here.

If you own a place in El Dorado County or the Mariposa area and want to talk it through, reach me through the contact section on this site, or shoot me a text or call at 805-324-2798.