Everything owners, investors, and residents ask, answered straight.

Compare four things on every manager you talk to: the real all-in fee (not just the headline percentage), whether maintenance is done in-house or marked-up through third-party vendors, how they price and fill the property, and how they report to you. Ask for their actual occupancy and a sample owner statement. A manager who does the work in-house and shows you real numbers is usually cheaper and more accountable than one who subcontracts everything and bills it back.

For long-term rentals the Memphis range is roughly 8 to 12 percent of collected rent, plus a tenant-placement fee that is commonly 75 to 100 percent of one month of rent, plus lease-renewal fees. For short-term (Airbnb) management the range is 15 to 25 percent of revenue, and most managers keep the guest cleaning fee on top of that. Longstep is 8 percent on collected rent for long-term, a 50 percent placement fee, and a $195 renewal; short-term is 10 percent all-in, with cleaning handled by our own in-house team rather than billed back to you.

Self-managing works if you live locally, have time for maintenance calls and turnovers, and know Memphis landlord law. It gets hard with distance, multiple doors, or short-term rentals, which need near-24/7 guest communication and dynamic pricing. The honest test is whether a manager nets you more after their fee than you would net alone, once you price in vacancy, mispriced rent, slow turns, and your own time. For out-of-state owners and short-term rentals the answer is usually yes.

We are vertically integrated. Maintenance, turnovers, cleaning, and laundry are handled by our own in-house teams, not subcontracted and marked up, which means faster repairs and no third-party vendor markup on your statement. We run dynamic pricing with human oversight, log in close to 24 hours a day for guest and resident questions, and disclose every fee up front. The annual inspection is free.

Our Airbnb listings run about 67.5 percent occupancy on a trailing-twelve-month basis, versus roughly 57 percent for the Memphis market. Across our full managed portfolio, long-term and short-term combined, occupancy averages about 70 percent.

Longstep carries a 4.75 star average across 7,000+ reviews. We are a local Memphis team operating out of 3638 Park Ave, we manage both long-term and short-term rentals across the metro, and we publish how we source every number we put in front of an owner. You can read owner and resident answers in our owner FAQ and resident FAQ, and reach a person at (901) 244-2911.

It depends on the home, the neighborhood, and the rules. Short-term can earn more gross in the right corridor but carries furnishing cost, more management, and Memphis permit requirements under Ordinance 5631. Long-term is steadier and launches with the home as-is. The only honest way to decide is to see both numbers for your specific address side by side, which is what our free rental analysis shows.

Yes. A large share of Memphis rental owners are out of state, and our in-house teams plus owner reporting are built for hands-off ownership. We handle maintenance, leasing, turnovers, and guest or resident communication locally, and send the numbers so you can own from anywhere.

We manage single-family homes and multi-family properties, including both long-term rentals and short-term / overnight rentals, depending on your investment strategy.

We are vertically integrated, so we handle most maintenance and turnover work with our own team. That means quicker repairs, consistent quality, and cost savings compared to third-party vendors.

Long-term management is 8% of rent actually collected, plus a one-time tenant-placement fee of 50% of one month of rent when we lease the unit (most Memphis firms charge 75 to 100 percent) and a $195 lease renewal. Short-term (Airbnb) management is 10% of revenue, one of the lowest full-service rates in Memphis, where the standard is 15 to 25 percent. Cleaning is paid by the guest and handled by our own in-house team, so you never get a separate third-party cleaning bill. Every fee is disclosed up front and the annual inspection is free.

No. Because we are vertically integrated, the large majority of maintenance and turnover is done by our own in-house team, so there is no third-party vendor markup. On the rare occasion we subcontract, we use a vetted vendor list.

Owner disbursements are sent in the middle of the month after the rental month ends. We wait until the month closes, reconcile all income and expenses, and then process payments.

Yes. For long-term leases we collect a one-time pet fee plus pet rent per month, per pet.

Yes. One of our owners is a general contractor and we have a full construction team. We can also bring in design resources for interior design and furniture selection.

Owners pay real estate taxes and property insurance. For short-term rentals you also provide wifi, pest control, utilities, and lawn care, which our team is happy to arrange on your behalf.

Our Airbnb listings specifically run about 67.5% occupancy on a trailing-twelve-month basis, versus roughly 57% for the Memphis market. Across our full managed portfolio, long-term and short-term combined, occupancy averages about 70%.

We focus where the guests are. The large majority of our bookings come directly through Airbnb, so that is where we put our pricing and optimization effort.

No, we do not co-host. Properties are re-branded under our profiles to maximize occupancy.

No technique is 100% effective. Airbnb screens guests, and we add our own layer: we interview guests for reason of travel, require agreement to house rules, and install noise and recreational-smoke monitors at every short-term property, monitored by our team so issues are caught early.

A combination of dynamic pricing and human intervention. Dynamic pricing often lags the market, so our team stays involved to adjust.

We have a large full-time cleaning team that turns over properties in under an hour to keep them guest-ready. We also own a laundry facility, so we are not washing linens at your property and straining your appliances.

A large full-time maintenance team handles the vast majority of issues in a matter of hours to minimize guest disruption. When we do need to subcontract, we keep a deep list of qualified vendors.

Yes. They help us validate occupancy and support AirCover claims. We recommend one wired Ring doorbell camera and two Ring floodlight cams. Cameras may never be placed inside the unit.

At a minimum, smart TVs and board games. A fire pit is the next addition, and if budget allows, a hot tub.

Cellular (5G) or Starlink is best. Wired internet equipment fails and can leave a home offline for days, so to minimize downtime we suggest avoiding wired connections.

Of course. Just send us a note so we can block the calendar, and text us when you check out so we can get it cleaned.

Yes. Our team is logged in close to 24 hours a day and handles guest questions quickly.

We receive lots of applications, so a unit listed online may not be available by the time you apply. Contact us before applying to confirm. Some listings are still occupied with a resident moving out soon, so check the "available" date. We can pre-lease occupied homes but do not tour them.

We can typically hold a currently-available property for 14 days with a signed lease and the deposit paid (or an equivalent deposit-insurance policy in place).

If the unit is available, visit its listing on our site to schedule a tour. Many listings also have virtual 3D tours if you cannot visit in person.

Once your application comes in, screening usually takes only a few minutes. If you are not approved right away, we will let you know what else we need. Once approved, we send a lease electronically along with a link to pay your deposit or set up a deposit-insurance policy.

Our team will gather and verify the necessary documentation to authorize your animal so it can move in without any additional fees or monthly charges.

Pay online through the resident portal, or pay with cash at participating locations such as Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS (let us know and we will send a cash voucher to take with you). Transaction fees: credit card 3.49% of the total, debit card $9.99 flat, eCheck (ACH) $2.49 flat.

On the login page, select "forgot your password?" to reset it, then try logging in again.

Upload a PDF of the full policy documentation as proof of insurance through the portal.

Get in touch and provide the existing resident moving out and their move-out date, plus the new resident’s full name, email, phone, and move-in date. Any new resident must complete an application, and all residents and co-signers sign a document agreeing to the changes.

We are a pet-friendly landlord and make it easy to add pets to your account. Reach out and our team will walk you through it.

If your home has a keypad on the front door, you can download an app to control it remotely and set your own personal access code. You should have received setup instructions by email; if not, contact us and we will enable it.

Let us know as soon as possible. Breaking the lease and moving out early may result in additional charges or fees, especially without advance notice. Reach out and we will review your account and explain what to expect.

Many residents skip a cash deposit by using deposit insurance. If you paid a cash deposit, we process move-out charges and reimbursements 30 days after move-out to allow time to inspect and make repairs. See your lease for possible move-out charges.

Utilities are through MLGW; residents open their own MLGW account for service. We do not provide internet, so contact your preferred provider to set it up (they can install a jack if needed). Please note satellites may not be attached to the building.