Free Guide · Individual Hosts

The Individual Host's Guide to Confident Renting

You don't have a property manager, a legal team, or a leasing office. You have one property and one shot at picking the right renter. Here's how to stack the odds.

1. Your gut is not a screening process

Friendly on the phone tells you nothing about payment history. Before you commit, search the renter's record on MayiStay and ask for two prior host references. The renters who push back hardest on references are the reason references exist.

2. Photograph everything on day one

• Every room, every wall, the inside of appliances — timestamped.
• Share the photo set with the renter so the baseline is agreed, not argued.
• Repeat at move-out before any deposit conversation.

3. Put every agreement in writing — even with nice people

Texts count. After any verbal agreement, send a one-line summary text: "Confirming we agreed rent moves to the 5th this month only." Five seconds now, bulletproof later.

4. Leave a structured review, not a vent

MayiStay's three-axis scoring (payments, property care, neighbor relations) keeps reviews factual and fair — which is exactly what makes them useful to the next host, and defensible for you.