Your hosting guide
.Sign Up
Click this link to take you through to the sign-up page. Complete the sign-up information to create an account.
Complete The Listing Details
Under the Listing title, give you space a name (eg "Matt's Garage").
Then, under Listing description, include a small description of your space (eg "Medium sized garage accessible 24/7. In a residential area. Secured with padlock.")
Use the drop down list under Space Type to select the sort of space you are listing, and then use the next drop down list to show the size of your space.
Similarly, select the tick box that shows how your space is secured, and use the last drop down box to show whether the Storer is able to access your space by themselves or if they'll need to coordinate with you first.
If your space doesn't quite match with any of these options, don't worry! Just email us at info@urbansquirrel.com and we can add an option on for you.
Set The Location of Your Space
Type in the street where your free space is. You don't have to reveal the exact location if you don't want to. You can share that with a Storer when the booking is confirmed. However, we recommend at least including the street so the potential Storers can pick their most convenient option.
Pricing
This can be tricky, especially if you are a new host. Ultimately, the daily fee that you charge your space out is up for you. However, as a guide, for spaces that you need to coordinate with the Storer to give them access to, we recommend charging between £5 and £10 a day. For spaces that Storers are able to access themselves, we recommend charging between £10 and £15 a day.
If you find that you are always fully booked, you can probably increase the price. Likewise, if you find you aren't getting any bookings, we recommend lowering your daily fee as it's likely you've priced too high!
Availability
The first step here is to click on the days of the week that your space is usually available. So if your space is available 7 days a week, just click on Monday through to Sunday. However if, for example, you need access to your space as the weekends and the space is just bookable during the week, just click Monday to Friday.
Once your space is been listed, you can change what days it is available by clicking the "Manage Availability" button next to the space in your profile. You can then set the dates for which you've taken a booking, and these will show to Storers as unavailable when they are reviewing your space listing.
Photos
We recommend 2 or 3 photos showing the space from different angles. The better the photos, the more likely it is your space will be booked!
Connect bank & verifying account
The final but important step - connecting your account. Follow the instructions on Stripe to connect your bank account. This will be the account that you get paid into once you take bookings. As part of this process, you'll need to verify your identity. This is an important safety and security measure and only takes a few minutes. Make sure you have some ID (driver's licence is fine!) nearby, as well as your mobile phone. Also check that you have allowed access from your browser to your phone's camera. On an iPhone you can change this in "Settings", then go to "Safari", then scroll down to "Camera".
Once this is done you can publish your listing!
Review Booking Requests
Once your listing is live, you will start to receive booking requests. Be sure to respond to these requests promptly.
Bookings won't be made until you confirm that you are happy with the requested dates!
Co-ordinate with Storer
Once the booking is confirmed, coordinate using the messaging tool on the Urban Squirrel platform directly with the Storer. Make sure, if necessary, to arrange a time to allow them access to the space for drop off and pick up of their stuff. The more responsive you are the better your reviews will be!