FAQs - UnderTheDoormat

Who are UnderTheDoormat?

UnderTheDoormat is an industry-accredited company that successfully manages quality short stay lets in homes in London.

Our carefully selected homes help homeowners earn additional income whilst their home is not in use, and we provide a hotel-quality service to all kinds of guests, from tourists to business travellers.

With years of relevant experience, our international team works hard every day to ensure your peace of mind.

Homeowner FAQs

Letting Your Home

At UnderTheDoormat, we take homes in zones 1 or 2 in London that have availability for 8+ weeks per year.

Our team can offer you a personalised quote and consultation. You may request this by emailing myhome@underthedoormat.com or calling us on +44 207 952 1650 between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday
 

By letting your home with UnderTheDoormat, you can earn an extra income while on holiday or when your home isn’t in use. Our team takes care of everything, including:

  • Professional photography
  • Marketing of your home
  • Professional pricing
  • Guest vetting and verification
  • Linens, towels, toiletries and cleaning
  • Guest check-in and check-out
  • Insurance and photo inventory
  • 24 hour on call guest assistance
  • Troubleshooting
  • VAT
  • Preparation of your home before you return

Each of our homeowners has a dedicated account manager that is responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

If you would like to become one of our homeowners, we can arrange an initial phone consultation with our team, which is followed by a visit to your home and a bespoke proposal/quotation.

Once the terms are agreed to and an electronic agreement is signed, we can schedule a professional photo shoot and blueprint of your home.

Our registered homes are typically ready to be marketed within a few days, and we can then start welcoming guests for your available dates.

We have created a handy list of what is required, recommended and nice to have in our Home Ready Guide. Our homeowners receive this document as part of their registration process.

How much you can earn is dependant on your home’s location, quality and availability. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch and our team will happily organise a personalised quote for you.

For a rough idea of what your home could be worth, why not try our earnings calculator.

Our team can talk you through all the ways in which we keep your home safe and secure. From strict guest vetting to insurance and safety requirements for your home.

Every home should be equipped with a fire extinguisher, first aid kit and CO2 detector.

At UnderTheDoormat, we take care of your home as if it was our own, and that is why we have a number of processes in place to avoid any issues arising from deposits and insurance to physical and photo inventories as well as personal check-ins and check-outs.

We recommend a British Gas Homecare policy for all our homeowners so that we are able to manage any unforeseen maintenance issues for you while you are away.

This policy helps you year-round and ensures that there aren’t any unexpected costs while you are away.

If a guest reports an issue, we work to ensure both for the homeowner and guest that it is resolved as soon as possible, so that you can come home to everything working perfectly. However, we are able to resolve 90% of the issues that may arise without ever contacting you during your travels.

For anything more important or anything that requires more specialist knowledge about your home, we will contact you to ensure we are able to find the right solution for you.

Our homeowners have access to a simple and easy to use online calendar which automatically updates your home’s availability with us and across all of our platforms.

We work with respected global accommodation websites, as well as corporate booking platforms that allow for travellers across the world to book a stay in your home. In addition, we take bookings from our own website and accept repeat bookings.

Your home should always be left tidy and generally clean. If any deep cleaning is required, please notify us in advance so that we are able to arrange extra time with our cleaners for you.

One of UnderTheDoormat team members has to arrange to be there for the viewings, to ensure that we have clear ‘ownership’ of the home during booking periods from a liability perspective (for example, if a guest would misplace an expensive watch and someone had been there that we weren’t supervising, it can lead to serious issues).

Our standard charge is 20 GBP per hour for extra services, such as our team member presence during the viewing.

We can do viewings with a minimum of 24 hours notice – with high preference for daytime bookings between 10am and 5pm so to minimize disturbance to the guests.

Guest FAQs

Why do guests choose to stay with UnderTheDoormat?

Our guests want a unique experience of London – living like a local in the comfort of an authentic London home while enjoying the professionalism, quality and amenities of a hotel. We offer guests more space than they would get in a typical 4 star hotel for a similar price – and all in the comfort of a home.

Booking

You have already made it to our lovely website, so why not browse all of our homes?

You can search by location, important landmarks and number of bedrooms or features.

If you can’t find what you are looking for, please call our Guest Team on +44(0) 207 952 1650

As our properties are somebody’s home, we believe that it is as important to leave the home as clean and tidy as you found it, as it is for us to ensure you find a professionally cleaned home when you arrive.

The home you arrive to will have been cleaned for your arrival. The fee you pay ensures that the home is spotless when you arrive and the same again when we hand it back to the homeowner.

We always strive to offer good value for money in our pricing, which takes into account seasonality and demand throughout the year. Our prices include interim cleanings for longer stays and regular changes of linens and towels.

Some of our homes are available within 24 hours if you need to make a last minute booking. Please do get in touch if you would like to arrange this, as our team are ready to kick into action to accommodate your requests swiftly.

Our team will contact you with instructions to complete our Pre-Check-In Form so that we know essential information before you stay with us.

We want to ensure that you have all the information about your stay before you visit us and that the home is clean and ready for you. The sooner we get all the official bits completed, the sooner you can relax and enjoy your stay.

Yes. However, we would need important information about the people who will be staying in the home, so it is important that you contact us ahead of the arrival date to make arrangements.

We do not hold any credit card details as we use a PCI wallet to ensure security of your financial data. The payment is released to us based on the contractual terms of the agreement and we do not have the ability to charge you unless we agree something with you in writing in advance.

All our fees are transparent as we like to ensure everyone is clear how we work. We do not charge anything beyond what is stated in the booking confirmation unless specified and agreed with you in a written form (usually it’s either a requested early or a late checkout or an extra service like a baby cot). All of our prices are inclusive of VAT so there are no hidden taxes for your stay.

When you are required to pay a deposit (this does not apply to Airbnb guests), it is returned to you within the following 7 – 10 working days after you have completed your stay. It may take up to 10 days to show in your account, depending on who you bank with.

If you would like to cancel your booking, then please contact the team at UnderTheDoormat and we will aim to accommodate your request. Please see our cancellation policy stated in our Terms and Conditions. Some bookings may be subject to platform terms and conditions.

Prior to your arrival

The Pre-Check-In form allows you to send over essential information about your booking, like your check-in and check-out times. We also verify your details for safety and security and ask you to agree to our guest terms.

If you are having any problems at all with the Pre-Check-In form then the best thing to do is give us a call or send us an email. We are always very happy to help you.

You can contact by emailing bookings@underthedoormat.com or calling us on +44 207 952 1650 between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Sunday.

The Ts&Cs are there to protect all parties involved in the booking. It is in place to prevent issues from arising by being clear about how everything works and each person’s responsibilities in sharing a home.

A copy of our Home Rules is provided in every home as part of the guest guide. Reading and signing the Home Rules, Health and Safety and Terms and Conditions are mandatory part of the pre-check in form.

We ask for a copy of your photographic ID (this can be a passport, identity card or driving license) and the details of that ID. We also ask for an email address to reach you on and a phone number to be used in emergencies. All of these requirements are designed to help your stay be as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

At your check-in we are required to check the card used to make payment, this is to minimise fraudulent activity and protect our guests and our homeowners. If you use a card to pay for your trip that won’t be available at check-in you will need to inform us of this when completing your pre-check in form.

UnderTheDoormat work with a secure online platform where you can submit your personal details and a copy of an identity document for us to verify your booking.

Having access to this information about guests makes homeowners happy to open their doors to guests who they haven’t met before. We aim to build trust in online relationships and allow you to prove your identity and showcase your trustworthiness in situations where you’re not meeting the homeowner in person.

Yes. However, we will need important information about the people who will be staying in the home, so it is important that you contact us ahead of the arrival date to make arrangements.

If someone else is collecting the keys at check-in other than the booker they will need to provide ID in advance and have written permission from the bill payer to collect the keys.

Please contact the team at UnderTheDoormat and we will do our best to accommodate your request. Our homes can only accommodate the number of guests specified in the listings. There may be additional costs for extra guests.

A member of UnderTheDoormat team will be at the home to meet and greet you and provide you with one or two set of keys (depending on the property and number of guests) as part of the check-in.

UnderTheDoormat is a personal service and we will meet and greet you at your home at 4 pm on the day of check-in or at another time which suits you, upon request in your pre-check in form. The check-in is a chance to get the keys and is there to show you how to make the most of your home away from home, how everything works and sharing with you some of our favourite local spots you won’t want to miss.

We check ID’s and go through the home rules with you to ensure you know what to do to get your full deposit back without any questions, and we agree when we will meet you for your check-out and feedback on your stay.

Check-in

Our standard check-in time slot is 4 pm to 7 pm UK time, however, we are happy to accommodate other requests where possible. The earlier we know, the better our chances of being able to adjust the time for you.

Our standard check-in is 4pm UK time. We understand that sometimes your plans mean that you arrive earlier to London.

If you let us know about your request with a week’s notice prior to your arrival, we can often accommodate requests for check-in as early as 2pm.

Early check-ins between 1pm to 4pm can sometimes be arranged for an additional £30 charge to ensure the home is prepared early for your arrival, depending on the homeowner and previous guests. Any check in request earlier than 1pm needs to be booked as an additional night stay.

In addition, we partner with Stasher who work with a network of hundreds of shops and hotels who have secure extra space in which you can store your luggage if you arrive early.  You can get 10% off your booking when you stay with UnderTheDoormat.

If you require a check-in after 7pm UK time, from 8pm – 10pm the additional charge is £30. From 10pm to 12am midnight, the additional charge is £50. Please contact us in plenty of time to spare to arrange late check-ins.

We conduct a photo inventory before the check-in of our guest(s) and at the check-out after the guest(s) leaves. This procedure helps us to ensure that the home is left in its initial state for when the homeowner returns.

During your stay

We have a concierge service during office hours to help you with any extras you might need during your stay, such as laundry or dry cleaning, grocery delivery, babysitting, airport transfers or even to hire a chef.

The team is available to address any concerns you might have about the home as well. There is a handy health and safety guide in the back of the guest guide booklet which you will find in the home where there is information about who to contact in an emergency.

In case of emergency, please contact the authorities first and then let us know. If it is a major maintenance issue, our emergency number is available 24/7 for any issues which require immediate attention.

We are able to arrange an interim clean for short stays (less than 7 days) as per guests’ request and the charge is between £70-100 depending on the size of the home and the cleaning requirements. Complementary interim cleans are provided weekly for stays longer than 7 days. The interim clean also includes the change of bed linens and towels.

We provide 1 set of 2 (small and big) high quality white towels per person. If you would like more than 1 set we can happily provide that for you for a small extra charge if your stay is 10 days or less. The charge is much less if we know in advance of the check-in.

If your stay is more than 10 days, we arrange an interim clean which includes the change of bed linens and towels. All of our homes are equipped with washing machines in case you wish to freshen the towels in the meantime.

If you need to leave the home earlier than expected, this is no problem at all but please do let us know so we can instruct you on where to leave the keys so that the home is left secure when you leave.

Check-out

Our standard check-out time slot is 9 am to 11 am UK time. However, we are happy to accommodate other requests where possible. The earlier we know, the better our chances of being able to adjust the time for you.

Our standard check-out is 11 am UK time and we are happy to accommodate later check outs until 1 pm if there is not another booking or homeowner return on the same day. This can only be confirmed within 24 hours of your check-out and will require a £30 late check out fee.

If you would like a guaranteed late check out or a check out between the hours of 1 pm and 7 pm, a full day charge will apply.

Any check out later than 7 pm will need to be booked as an additional night stay as well.

We endeavour as a principle to conduct all check-outs personally. A member of our team will come to the home at the selected time to meet you and collect the keys. This gives us the opportunity to receive any feedback directly from you, and also to help with luggage and any advice for your onward journey.

We understand that flights often depart before 9 am, so we do also offer telephone check-outs. Phone check-outs are usually conducted on the last night of your stay at a time that suits you. We will arrange with you how to leave the keys and home secure in this phone call.

If you need to leave the home earlier than expected, this is no problem at all but please do let us know so we can instruct you on where to leave the keys so that the home is left secure when you leave.

The payment for your stay includes a final clean of the home after you have vacated.

Our cleaners will remove the rubbish in the bins in the home at the end of your stay. If you have more rubbish than fits in the standard bins or are staying longer than 3 days, we ask you to place it in the bins outside (the details of where they are located are in your guest guide).

Reviews, feedback and return trips!

If you would like to leave a review, then please send us an email with the details of your stay. Alternatively, you can leave us a review on Google by searching for ‘UnderTheDoormat’ on Google and using their reviews platform. If you have booked through another platform (e.g Airbnb), then you may receive a review request directly from them after your stay.

Having been one of our guests, you will be on our mailing list and you will receive updates about new homes and exciting things happening in London. We also have a fabulous blog and social media feeds which give an exclusive look inside our amazing homes and loads more up to the minute content about our team, our adventures and the wider sharing economy.

Hopefully your stay in London has inspired you to book another trip. We have many homes all over the city which would be perfect for you.

We can take advanced bookings for famous London events like the Chelsea Flower Show, New Year’s Eve fireworks, The Lord Mayor’s Show, Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, Pride London, and many many more!

Do contact us so we can secure your favourite home for the show of a lifetime. We offer returning guests £50 off their stay and we love seeing you back in London enjoying our beautiful homes.

As you can tell, working with UnderTheDoormat as a homeowner is a lovely experience. Not only do you earn extra income when you’re away, you also don’t have to worry about the logistics.

Our homeowners love receiving great feedback from happy guests. If you think this could be for you then please head over to our Homeowner page.

Thinking of referring a friend? Either as a guest or as a homeowner, we offer rewards for new customers and those who refer them.

Please get in touch for more details.

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