Thinking of joining?

A fully licensed & insured holiday letting company based in Nice since 2006

Pebbles has been commended by The Times, Lonely Planet, Frommer’s,

The Daily Telegraph & Time Out

Pebbles has it all covered:

Points of view

It is good news to know that the apartment is popular with guests

July 2014, Owner of Metropole, Pebbles apartment for four years

Just seen the calendar…the bookings team did

everything wonderfully!August 2014, Owner of Amelie, Pebbles apartment for one year

I’m really happy with the bookings I’ve had this year

so far, and the serviceJuly 2014, Owner of Liberte,

Pebbles apartment for five years

Bookings have been good this summer - well done!

July 2014, Owner of Normandie, Pebbles apartment for two years

We are very pleased with the rentals this summer.

August 2014, Owner of Nautique, Pebbles apartment for one year

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According to The Times we are: “The Riviera’s leading holiday rental agency with over 180 prime properties from Antibes to Cap Ferrat”.

Our 20 staff across three offices are on call 24/7 to give you and our guests the ultimate peace of mind.

In short, since 2006 we’ve been through every property rental pitfall so that you don’t have to. Our reputation for successfully marketing and managing our prestigious array of properties now precedes us.

The 180 property owners to whom we offer a complete manage-ment service are busy people. This document will detail everything you need to know about working with us in 30 minutes flat.

For extra details see our website at www.nicepebbles.com Or simply Google ‘Nice holiday rentals’. We come up top.

We look forward to working with you soon.

Who are Pebbles?

15 reasons to choose Pebbles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Pebbles welcome that owners don’t see . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The world-beating Pebbles website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Is Pebbles for you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

7 steps to partnering with Pebbles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Meet our Owners: Eric & Hans – Rialto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Profit from professional photos and staging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Styling your new apartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Pebbles Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Meet our Owner: Christine – Luciole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Legals, Regulations and the Owners’ Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Meet our Owners: Brian & Rachel – Harmonie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

If I was a guest, who would I book with? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Frequently asked questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Matt & Gayle Roberts& the Pebbles team

Contents

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We have real offices where both owners and guests can chat to us face-to-face. Our experience tells us how important this is.

Owners can track payments, manage bookings and view their rental yield at any time using a unique client log-in on our bespoke rental database.

In 2015 top US guidebook Frommer’s said of our service: “Demand is high so book well in advance”. We fill up the apartments we manage with high-paying guests like no-one else.

We are a fully registered and insured British and French company. If anything goes wrong we’re covered.

Our owners-only web section features the latest taxation news, investment tips and legal advice, and keeps you in touch with our team.

Try Googling ‘Nice holiday lettings’, ‘apartments to rent in Nice’ or any other permutation. We’ve been on top of the search engines since 2008.

We have over twenty salaried staff, not just contractors. This is important. Why? See page 25.

To double our marketing spread we operate the alternative website, Riviera Pebbles (www.rivierapebbles.com). This US-focused portal brings in bookings by the thousand.

Our service is so good that 20% of our rental guests are repeat customers, some staying for the 8th or 9th time.

Tripadvisor claims that: “The second most important factor in a holiday apartment is somewhere to leave luggage.” Each year thousands of guests happily leave their baggage with us on arrival or before departure.

It’s a pain managing maintenance, guest services, supply, logistics and marketing from abroad. That’s why 180 owners leave it to us.

Guidebooks, Newspapers and Magazines regularly feature us in articles worldwide. See the Press page on our website

We commission writers from National Geographic to produce our fabulous Pebbles Magazine. This property and lifestyle magazine – our marketing secret weapon – is given away in HSBC Premier offices, in Monoprix and other fine establishments.

We don’t do deals, or bend our ethos to fit with any particular owner or guest. Every owner and every guest is treated the same. Uniformity and transparency is how we’ve built our reputation.

Since 2006 we have welcomed 50,000 happy rental guests. We really know what we’re doing.

15 reasons why you might choose to work with Pebbles

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From high-fliers to foreign families, our Owners are as unique as the property they purchase. You’ve given your property its own style; it stands out from the crowd; with our marketing, it’s a winner.

Your property has an interior of a high standard. If interior design scares or bores you, we can put you in touch with a reliable and reputable interior designer. Ask us to help.

Our guests sleep in real beds in real bedrooms only. If you have a sofabed, then it’s a good one, for personal use only and as comfy and as stylish as a good sofa.

The property has a stylish and comfortable sofa. Removable covers are a huge bonus and buying under guarantee is highly recommended. There’s room on the sofa for every head on a bed.

The dining table has seating for the number of people the apartment is able to accommodate for sleeping; if it sleeps up to six, it needs a table that seats six.

The property has plenty of luxurious soft furnishings and final touches such as artwork, mirrors, cushions, and rugs. These make your holiday rental apartment a home. Yet, the property has applied some practicality and factored in cleaning issues.

Kitchens and Bathrooms have clean grout and no mould. Seals on shower screens, ovens and fridges are sound.

There’s a comfortable mattress. Lumpy, old or stained mattresses aren’t acceptable to us or our guests. This is one of the most common things to be criticised on apartment’s online reviews and could lose you bookings, and our reputation.

The property has, or will have, rectangular pillows, waterproof mattress and pillow protectors. Essential items for holiday lets.

The bedrooms keep out the light. Dark bedrooms are essential. Are the shutters/curtains sufficient or does the light come through? It is essential that our guests can sleep in a dark room, until 10am if they want to. They are on holiday.

There are headboards, beside tables and reading lamps besides each bed.

All Owners items are in a locked cupboard. Guests do not wish to see owners’ personal items, and owners do not want to lose personal items to guests.

The property is well stocked for guests comfort and convenience. There’s a checklist available from us and on our exclusive Owner blog.

We’ve put ourselves in our guests’ shoes at your property. It ticks all the right boxes, including several of the amenities boxes such as washing machine, air-conditioning, outside space, lift or sea view. A great exercise for any prospective owners is to pretend you’re a client. How many boxes does your apartment tick? Can it tick more?

We’ve studied the property’s direct competition and your expectations for rental income, and we’re happy that Pebbles can make us happy.

15 reasons why Pebbles will choose to work with you

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As an owner you will be interested in the rental return, and we’ll come to that. The question at the heart of a healthy annual return is “If I was a guest, where would I stay?”

The Daily Telegraph claimed that we offer: “boutique-style apartments that are alternatives to a hotel room on the Côte d’Azur”.

That just about sums up our service. Although we welcome guests with chilled rosé and L’Occitane bath products, there’s a lot of background work that our owners will be glad they won’t see.

Firstly, it took years to perfect our websites, which are now viewed in 120 different countries. They now accept seamless online bookings and multiple-currency transactions. It took several more years – and countless brain-frying technical conversations – to get us top of the search engines.

Secondly, each of the 180 boutique apartments that we manage welcomes anywhere between 1 and 14 guests. Before guests arrive we often field 20 questions for prospective guests. These range from “how many coat hangers are there?” to “where can I buy organic milk?”

Thirdly, we arrange every aspect of guests’ arrival by train, plane or automobile so you don’t have to. With a few glaring exceptions these new arrivals are usually on-time and eager to tuck into our Pebbles welcome pack.

Finally, these guests can, and frequently do, call us 24/7. Lost keys? Air-con not working? Can’t work the WiFi? We’re there in a flash. We’re also there to clean up when they’re gone, and get ready to start all over again, sometimes for over 40 weeks of the year.

And after all that? We’re a professional agency with bilingual salaried staff and a dedicated office in Nice. If the unexpected happens we’re on hand to talk to builders, insurers and syndics.

…alternatives to a hotel room on the Côte d’Azur

The Pebbles welcome that Owners don’t see

Just a quick message to let you know that the Pebbles team have done a great job looking after Bottero. After all the repair and upgrade work over the last 18 months, we were very pleased with the condition we found the apartment in when we arrived earlier this week. Thanks very much for all your efforts, we appreciate it.February 2015, Owners of Bottero, Pebbles apartment for six years

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Ķ Office to print out boarding tickets etc

Ķ Office to go to if any issues

Ķ Office to leave luggage

Ķ 24/7 Emergency line

Ķ Salaried staff

Ķ Personally managing all advertised property

Ķ Licensed and insured

Ķ Amazing properties

Ķ Sterling reputation

Ķ Pebbles Guide

Ķ Personal welcome and gifts

Pebbles USPs for Guests

Our website works!Pebbles’ website is linked from Lonely Planet, Time Out, The Daily Telegraph and The Times. One of the most popular property portals in the South of France, we’ve also maintained our position on top of the world’s search engines since 2009.

More importantly, our website works. Customers book by the thousand each month. Our dynamic site allows them to book extra luxury packages and collects local ‘city tax’ on your behalf. We also maintain the Riviera Pebbles website that feeds in an additional US-centric customer base, something that no other local holiday rental agency can offer.

It takes just minutes for our owners to familiarise themselves with the business end of our website. A unique login and password allows them to book packages, block off their own calendar dates and ‘track the cash’ by viewing recent property bookings.

Tips on boosting bookings

The more bookings we take, the more money we both earn, so rest assured we’ll do everything we can to maximize rentals. We don’t take out full-page adverts in easyJet magazine and push our rental properties in the world’s leading newspapers for the good of our health.

There are ways in which owners can boost bookings. Firstly, you’ll be surprised how word spreads of your property in the South of France. Simple word-of-mouth should point friends and colleagues to your web page, where we’ll do the rest. Notice boards, social club networks and work intranets can hugely boost bookings.

Social media matters

That’s why Pebbles maintain a 24/7 status on Twitter and Tripadvisor. Post your page on Facebook, share your apartment photos on Instagram and Tweet your Riviera rental apartment around the world. It will only help us to further market your rental property.

The more bookings we take, the more we all earn so we’ll do all we can to maximize rentals

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Is Pebbles for you?We’re delighted that you are considering choosing Pebbles to manage all aspects of your property for seasonal bookings.

Having others share your home can be great. Many owners tell us they love reading their guest books and they adore the client comments that we send them from time to time.

It’s also wonderful to earn an income from your property when you’re not using it. Many of our owners have bought a second home as part of their retirement plan. We know who to speak to for mortgage, taxation and investment provision, and can offer tips on letting your property for as many weeks as possible.

However, renting your property, even with an established and fully licensed agency like Pebbles, is not a decision to take lightly. Here we’ll give you the home truths and the precise costs involved to help you make an informed decision.

To keep costs down and standards high our experience has led us to work with our owners in a certain way.

If some of these statements rest uneasily, then Pebbles might not be the agency for you…

It’s wonderful to earn an income from your property when you’re not using it

I’m delighted to be receiving an income from my second home.

I am happy that Pebbles’ marketing agency regularly promotes our

fabulous properties and am happy for my apartment or villa to feature in a newspaper or magazine.

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I realise that Pebbles use the same stock of high quality cotton linens and

towels in order to efficiently maintain the 180 apartments that they manage.

I understand that very occasionally I could be unlucky with a guest and may

have to claim on my landlord insurance for damage, and appreciate this is part of the overall picture of renting my property.

I accept that I might have to pay more for emergency repairs if

guests are arriving shortly. My efforts will be repaid in the overall picture of a high annual rental return.

I’m OK with a few small ornaments or DVDs or books going missing over time

and accept that is part of renting to short-term holidaymakers. I accept that I’ll just have to replace these every couple of years and know that not all guests are the same.

I know I will have to equip my rental property with an eye on

what guests require rather than my own personal preferences.

I recognise that I will probably have to put about 10% of my annual rental income

back into the property for wear and tear and occasional irrecoverable damage.

I accept that I may not be able to use my property if a booking has

come in before I have blocked off my own holiday dates.

I know there will be start up costs involved when I join the system.

I understand that the success of the Pebbles brand is about uniformity, from fine photography to quality linen, and the system I buy into means my property benefits from that brand recognition.

I feel comfortable that I am working with a company that has legitimate salaried

staff that are paid French salaries. I realise that employing staff is expensive in France and there-fore Pebbles’ overall costs might be higher than some non-registered agencies.

I’m comfortable that Pebbles are taking care of all taxes and TVA

applicable on their commission. I wouldn’t want to work with a company that isn’t registered or paying taxes in France.

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7 steps to partnering with Pebbles

At Pebbles we do a lot of hard work in setting up the property before it’s ready to be booked by our thousands of yearly guests. We’ve built a reputation for high standards in every media from Tripadvisor to The Times. As you can imagine, it’s better for all our owners if we keep standards high. These start-up costs ensure your property will look its very best and will be cost-effective to manage in the long term.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS

There is a lot that goes into the pristine properties you see on the Pebbles website.

That process starts with great photos. We visit each owner’s property to ‘stage’ it with fine linen, fluffy towels, welcome packs and bottles of rosé. The professional photographer we commission takes charge of lighting, framing and emphasising your property’s best features.

Most of our owners are investors and they understand that it’s great images that first sell a rental apartment. Fine photography will actively promote an apartment whereas mediocre ones are a false economy overall.

Each staged property shoot is at least a 10 hour-long process. That equals a lot more in man-hour terms, but it’s well worth it. Our photographer gives us preferential rates on his shots and a license to use them on our website and for publicity in the worldwide press. Even at reduced rates, Pebbles contributes to the cost of the photos, so we must ask for a fixed contribution of £400. The copyright of the photos remains the property of the photographer.

If you opt out of having professional photographs taken you must provide us with your own set of high-resolution images of every room, plus outside space where applicable. Please don’t forget the all-important building shot. Bear in mind that if the photos you provide aren’t staged it’s unlikely that your apartment will compare favourably with those that have been. To maintain standards we reserve the right to refuse any low quality images.

Each property shoot is at least 10 hours long

£400FROM

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* £400 is a photo shoot based on up to 8 shots. Large properties will need more and will be more expensive.

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PROPERTY REPORT

Prior to renting the property we will carry out a thorough review of every new apartment.

This identifies any missing items or maintenance, which need to be provided or solved in order to bring the property up to the Pebbles standard. Addressing any issues now saves time in the long run. We’re sure that this attention to detail allows us to maintain an enviable repeat booking rate of 20%.

Missing items commonly include saucepans, waste bin, hair dryer, DVD player, DVDs and English books. Lack of locks on bathroom doors, bedside lights not working or bedside lights being too bright are common issues for guests. Our consultant also checks that all appliances are in good working order, that the air conditioning is working (if applicable) and the utilities are all connected and functioning. This checklist will also be provided to you. As we’ve made clear, assessing these items before we start accepting guests means fewer costly issues or callouts later.

GUEST BOOK

Great guest reviews count as much as good photos. We actively upload favourable feedback to your Pebbles website listing so that potential bookers can ascertain how much people enjoyed staying in the apartment. These have proven as invaluable as positive press reviews and social media comments. We’ll ensure there is a book in your property for the first guest.

WEBSITE UPLOAD

We get compliments from visitors to our websites all the time. The way we write and position our text also helps with our search engine ranking.

Uploading your rental property to our popular website includes writing accurate descriptions of each room in the apartment. We also highlight amenities, location, elevation and transport links. All of this information is collated and fact-checked to provide a readable, informative listing which guests genuinely appreciate. We also do GPS co-ordinates, floorplans and mapping, plus review gathering. Our professional photos add the finishing touch. This is your property’s shop window and we strive to make it as inviting, as shareable and as bookable as humanly possible.

From start to finish, it takes us approximately 30 man-hours until we and our owners are completely happy with the property listing.

Great guest reviews count as much as good photos

£200

FREE

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KEYS, COST MET BY OWNER

The guest representatives at Pebbles need at least four complete sets of keys to do their job properly.

We need to give guests staying in one or two bedroom properties two sets of keys, and need an extra set of guests keys when the property sleeps more than four guests. We then need a set of keys for the Pebbles rental office, plus a set of keys for the use of our housekeeping contractors.

Four or more sets of keys might seem a lot. But in the peak summer season it’s the minimum to ensure smooth same-day changeovers and any necessary maintenance.

If you’re not able to provide enough sets we will gladly arrange for some to be cut on your behalf. With the amount of keys Pebbles have copied over the years we receive competitive rates from the locksmiths. Costs depend on the complexity of the keys involved: some cost only a few euros, other keys can cost over €100, but we will give owners a price indication once we have seen them. It is prudent that we have a photocopies or copying permissions for cutting high security keys or electronic entry fobs.

…we maintain a 20% repeat booking rate

LAMINATED SET OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLIANCES

The laminates include photos and detailed instructions for guests on how to use the appliances, including the all-important TV and WiFi, which provide the most common cause for confusion.

These instructions help protect the lifespan of your appliances as guests will avoid pressing the wrong buttons or pulling wires unnecessarily.

The laminated instructions also inform guests about local shops, transport, location of refuse bins, recycling and what they should do on checkout in terms of security and switching everything off. They are also part of what guests expect from our holiday rental service, so we can’t list any property on our books without them. We also store a copy of your instruction manual electronically. This allows us to discuss issues with a guest by phone or email. This process often saves costs of tradesmen callouts by talking through the maintenance issue and frequently solving it with the guest remotely.

These instruction sets take between two and three hours to produce. We take photos and provide step-by-step details, then place them in a branded folder provided by Pebbles.

Owners can save this cost if they produce the instructions and photos themselves.

£505

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BEDDING, LINEN & TOWELS

Uniformly high quality linen & towels are paramount for us to maintain the same standard throughout the Pebbles portfolio.

It also allows us to keep changeover costs down, as well as ensuring same day changeovers in peak season. Owners benefit when we use the same linen and towel stock, so there are minimum replacement costs if spoilage occurs. Rental guests also adore these fine touches – and frequently book the same property again.

We purchase the linen and towels necessary for seasonal rentals, then owners reimburse Pebbles for this outlay once bookings start to come in.

Owners need to purchase three sets of linen for each bed in the apartment. Additionally two pillow protectors per pillow must be purchased, together with two mattress protectors per bed. Guests also need a set of three bathmats for each bathroom/shower room.

Pebbles also purchases a stock of linen and towels annually and absorbs the bulk of the cost of replacing old, worn or stained linens. We bill owners at the end of each year for a contribution towards these costs. This sum varies according to the number of bedrooms and the total time it was rented during that year. This is generally between £50 - £100 a year, per property.

Rental guests also adore these fine touches

LINEN & TOWELS COSTS

Super King Set (180 x 200cm)£160 (3 sets required)King Set (160 x 200cm)£140 (3 sets required)Double Set (140 x 200cm)£130 (3 sets required)

Ķ White Duvet Cover Ķ White Flat or Fitted Sheet Ķ White Pillow Cases x 4 Ķ Bath Towels x 2 Ķ Hand Towels x 2 Ķ Face cloths x 2

Single Set (90 x 200cm)£110 (3 sets required)

Ķ White Duvet Cover Ķ White Flat or Fitted Sheet Ķ White Pillow Cases x 2 Ķ Bath Towels x 1 Ķ Hand Towels x 1 Ķ Face Cloths x 1

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ADDITIONAL COSTS

Bath Mats£18 per set of 3 (1 set for each bathroom/shower room)Pillow Protectors£5 each (2 per pillow required)Mattress Protectors£35 (SK); £25 (K); £23 (D); £20 (S) – (2 per bed required)

Pillows & Duvets:We prefer that you buy these items from Pebbles as we stock high quality pillows and duvets that are hypoallergenic and the right sizes for our linen. It is also much more economical in the long term as they can be easily replaced and laundered when necessary.

Should you decide to source these items yourself, please remember that the pillows have to be rectangular (47 x 75cm), both pillows and duvets have to be hypoallergenic and duvets have to be the correct size (not IKEA sizes). They also have to be in a very good state, otherwise we cannot accept them.

Single Duvet: £50Double Duvet: £60

King Duvet: £70 Super King Duvet: £80

Pillows: £20 per pillow (two pillows per guest are required)

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Meet our owners…

About the Pebbles purchase

For Hans and Eric, an apartment in sun-kissed Nice was a no-brainer. “We bought an apartment here because it can be accessed from all around the world,” says Eric, a senior in-flight purser for Dutch airline KLM. “Life goes on in Nice all year around. Not only tourists but a vibrant mix of people live here, which gives Nice an international atmosphere”.

Hans and Eric settled on the upscale Carré d’Or, or ‘Golden Square’, neighbourhood behind the seafront Negresco Hotel. It’s an enviable location claims Eric: “One block from the beach, beautiful food stores, and quiet at night. If we talk about location it’s top of the bill!”

Nice is much-changed since the Dutchmen purchased their property in 2010. While the financial crisis hit lesser Mediterranean destinations, Nice added a new city centre park, bike paths, new electric car and bike share schemes, renovated the city market and a host of other buildings, and started work on a new tramline to the airport, which is scheduled for completion in 2017. “And what you see now are more and more new restaurants and new shops that have opened since these renovations,” says Eric.

Renting with Pebbles

A number of factors attracted Hans and Eric to Pebbles. The company was fully insured and established, and they offered a face-to-face customer service as well as a bag-drop facility for incoming guests, a key feature for a KLM

School principal Hans and KLM purser Eric purchased Rialto, an Art Deco one-bedroom apartment on Nice’s prestigious Rue de France, through Pebbles in 2010.

Eric & Hans

Pebbles’ airline-standard customer service is now second-to-none

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employee like Eric. The aviation professional even offered his advice to Pebbles’ staff during a two-day training seminar in 2013. Eric argues that Pebbles’ airline-standard customer service is now second-to-none.

Has Hans’ and Eric’s rental property been a success since 2010?

“The rental income of our Rialto apartment stays relatively high,” attests Eric. “People like our apartment and therefore we see a lot of repeat customers.”

The pair keep the apartment looking fresh, as it’s ‘good for the guests, and good for us.’“There have been no damages to report and…” says Eric, “the staff at Pebbles do everything we ask for.”

Does Nice ever become boring?

“We come to Nice more or less nine times a year, and we never get bored!” says Eric. “There is so much to do. In the last few years I have worked now and then in Nice and feel so local. That is really a great experience.”

Eric and Hans’ one bedroom apartment, Rialto, rents from £125 per night in summer

People like our apartment and therefore we see a lot of repeat customers

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Where economy is false economyCan your property afford not be presented in the best way possible.

If you were a guest which would you book? Which property would you pay more for? Interior designers and professional photos may cost initially, but they certainly pay in the long run. We can give you dozens of before and after examples, with the figures to back up when the initial costs are worth it. In spades.

Left: Carrying linen & duvets before a photoshoot

Before After

Before After

Cognac

Poppy

If you were a guest which would you book… which would you pay more for?

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Before After

Before After

Before After

Negresco Suite

Raphael

Raphael

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Styling your apartment for rental success

Stylish design and carefully chosen furniture actively sell a holiday rental apartment. Homeware outlets from Habitat to Ikea have superstores in Nice or nearby, and boast delivery services and English-speaking staff. A myriad of boutiques, from hip interior specialists to chic second-hand stores, are dotted throughout the city. Ask us for details, or page through our Owners’ Blog for more tips.

However, if you don’t wish to kit out your holiday apartment yourself there are companies in Nice who can do everything for you. Many Pebbles owners who host their properties on our website furnish their property using one of these interior design specialists. We can put you in touch with the right designer for your preferred style and budget.

The key factor is to put yourself in the shoes of a paying rental guest. If you would personally splash out on a rental apartment with a great looking kitchen and bathroom – or refuse to rent a place without WiFi or comfy sofas – then you have a great insight into your prospective client base. Put simply, the better equipped your apartment, the better the description and photos will be. And better descriptions and photos equals a more lucrative rental asset for you.

Living SpaceEssential for every rental property is a flat screen TV, DVD, fan, Wi-Fi connection and iPod docking station. You are welcome to offer more advanced entertainment facilities, but fail to provide these basics, or supply defective models, and your guests (who have paid a premium for hotel standard accommodation) will call us to replace these electronics on your behalf.

Buy a good quality sofa that has a practical covering that will look good when photographed. This will be well worth the extra expense.

The key factor is to put yourself in the shoes of a paying rental guest

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Consider corner sofas for longer thin lounges. Sofas suffer natural wear and tear so you need to budget for professional cleaning on a regular basis. Decorative cushions should have removable covers that can be regularly washed. A spare set of cushion covers should be provided. Owners need comfortable seating for as many people as the apartment can sleep, with no excuses. If your apartment sleeps four, then you need sofas to comfortably seat four, or your guests will complain and could request compensation.

Without a coffee table, guests will leave wine glasses on the floor, which could result in spillages. Choose a design which is stylish yet robust as it’s something that will be used a lot by guests.

LightingConsider what you want out of a hotel room, then expect to provide the same for your guests. Who wants to drown in bright light when reading in bed? Dim bedside lights are a must. Check that the main lights are sufficient in the evening, especially in the kitchen over food preparation areas, or purchase some lamps if necessary. Lamps commonly get damaged unintentionally by guests as they can be knocked over by accident. Choose a stylish design, but we don’t recommend spending too much as at some point they may need to be replaced.

DiningFor the kitchen or lounge, owners require a dining table with seating for at least the number of people the apartment sleeps. So if it sleeps up to six, it needs to have a table and chairs for six. Removable seat covers are recommended so that they can be easily cleaned. Remember to purchase at least one spare set.

Never underestimate the benefits of plenty of soft furnishings and decorative pieces such as artwork, mirrors, cushions and rugs. These make your holiday rental apartment a home. You don’t have to spend a fortune on these finishing touches to make the apartment look alluring. Moreover, we strongly recommend that you don’t fill the apartment with expensive antique pieces, designer artwork or limited edition prints.

Never underestimate the benefits of soft furnishings and decorative pieces

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KitchenWe will give all owners a checklist of items that Pebbles guests expect to find in a kitchen. Sometimes, what is required depends on the size of the property, the kitchen space and the number of guests you are providing for.

As a guide, large appliances include a refrigerator, oven, microwave, extractor fan, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and vacuum cleaner. Smaller items include wine glasses, tumblers, corkscrew, bottle opener, tin opener, kitchen knives, cutlery, utensils, scissors, pans, baking tray, roasting tin, frying pan, saucepans, salt and pepper set, dinner plates, side plates, bowls, egg cups, mugs, kettle, simple cafetiere, chopping board, colander, tea towels, toaster, teapot, serving jug, cheese grater, microwave, scales, sieve, storage containers, measuring jug, potato peeler, rubbish bin and clothes drying rack.

BedroomsFor an example of what Pebbles guests prefer in a rental apartment, take a look at the 180 fabulous apartments on our website. Essential items include two rectangular pillows for each person (ideally one soft, one hard), waterproof mattress and pillow protectors, duvet, bedside tables with drawers, bedroom reading lights, coat hangers, wardrobe/storage space for hanging clothes and a full length mirror.

Optional bedroom items include cushions to decorate the beds, small rug if the floor is tiled, throws to dress the beds, pictures above the bed (these add interest to the professional photographs), hooks on back of doors, waste bin and an alarm clock.

For an example of what guests prefer take a look at the 180 apartments on our website

There’s a delicate balance to be found between luxury and practicality when furnishing your property for rent. But this should never be confused with boring and sterile. All our guests are looking for a home from home and the apartments that create a unique and comfortable environment will always do well.

Emily

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Headboards are also needed. We are not catering for students. Guests are paying high rates and expect a properly dressed bed. Moreover, the all-important photos that attract bookings to our apartments look mediocre without a headboard.

Finally, check how dark the room is at night. Are the shutters/curtains sufficient or does the light come through? Guests on holiday do not want to wake at sunrise, which is often 5am during the peak summer rental season.

BathroomEssentials include a mirror, soap dish, toothbrush holder, toilet roll holder, shelf to put toiletries near the basin, plus a shelf to put toiletries inside the shower cubicle. There’s nothing worse than taking a shower and having to put your toiletries on the floor.

Guests also need a waste bin, towel rail, high-powered hairdryer, hooks on back of door, lock on door, bath mats and mirror. If you have a glass shower screen then check the seal on it. Floors can be very slippery if the seal is not perfect as the shower water may leak onto the floor.

GenerallyA washing machine is extremely desirable in a holiday rental apartment. If nothing else, guests appreciate being able to wash a beach towel in summer. A tumble dryer is also advantageous, as is a dishwasher. Also needed are an iron, ironing board, mop and bucket, vacuum cleaner, door mat, dustpan and brush. Guests also need a supply of light bulbs for the various lights throughout the apartment. These should be stored where we can get to them, not in an owners’ locked cupboard.

A washing machine is extremely desirable in a holiday rental apartment

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all at Pebbles for the very professional way the property has been marketed and looked after and we wish everyone a successful 2015.October 2014, Owner of La Chapelle, Pebbles apartment for one year

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The Pebbles TeamPebbles began managing holiday rental apartments in 2006. Founders and directors Matt and Gayle Roberts now employ 10 staff in their French rental office and 14 staff in their UK management office, plus a network of highly respected contractors from property managers, tradesmen, web consultants, designers and public relations. Here’s a few shots of some of our team at work. See the TEAM pages on our websites to find out more.

Freddie and I want you to know that you are all doing such an amazing job and we are so grateful and happy that everything is going so well. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that our little gem of a place is in such good hands.October 2014, Owner of Pomelo, Pebbles apartment for one year.

EvaEllie Steve

SteveFlora

Lenka Michelle EmilyMelie

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The reputation of Nice Pebbles is well founded and is sustained and enhanced by the priority which is afforded to visitors and owners. As an owner I would like to express my sincere gratitude for all your efforts and to indicate my full satisfaction with the service.October 2014, Owner of Tournesol, Pebbles apartment for under one year

Katie

Jonathan

Neil & Maggie

Johnte

Jan

Tina Matt & Charlie

Lianne

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The process, could not have been more straightforward and transparent

Meet our owner…

Global consultant Christine Quirk purchased Luciole – a 1930s-era Art Deco apartment located in Nice’s historic port – through Pebbles in Autumn 2013.

Christine

About the Pebbles purchase

“Nice combines both the climate and flight connections to Europe, Asia and the Gulf that make it a convenient and relaxing escape for me at any time of the year,” says Christy. “I chose the Port because it’s more vibrant than Nice’s other neighbourhoods, yet still close to its attractions and the sea.

New bars, restaurants and galleries are opening all the time, yet you can still eat lunch in old Italian places alongside generations of Niçois families.”

Christy found the purchase and subsequent rental process straightforward. “Having purchased and sold property abroad before, I approached the process with a thick defensive armour which, it turned out, I didn’t need at all.

The process, shepherded by Pebbles’ friendly, super-competent English speaking staff, could not have been more straightforward and transparent.”

Renting with Pebbles

Before joining Pebbles, Christy tried to rent Luciole independently. “But I realised quickly that the heartache and stress of managing it from afar wasn’t going to be worth it,” she recalls.

Her first question when meeting the Pebbles rental representative was: “What do I have to do?” The reply was: “Give us the keys”. This was, in Christy’s words: “Exactly what I wanted to hear”.

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I constantly tell all of my friends how great Pebbles are to work with

How does it feel for an owner like Christy to walk into her own Pebbles-managed apartment?

“I just did this last week and it was spotlessly clean with a bottle of fine wine on the island. Just the way I like it!”

After the success of Luciole, Christy has encouraged her friends to purchase holiday properties in Nice. “I am Nice’s biggest cheerleader,” she says. “I constantly tell my friends how easy it was to buy, how great Pebbles has been to work with for renting, and how pleased I’ve been with the overall rental experience my first year. I’m thinking about buying another!”

Christy’s one bedroom apartment, Luciole, rents from £115 per night in summer.

Since January 2015, this apartment has been temporarily taken from the rentals site because Christy has decided to live in it herself for a while. She is currently looking to purchase another through Pebbles then rent.

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Legals, Regulations & our Owners’ Blog

On our exclusive Owner’s Blog, accessed via a unique password, you will have access to an extended array of legal and property news 24/7. We add investment tips, details of new rental regulations and highlight anything we think our owners need to know. For now, here are the basics. More detailed descriptions are on our exclusive Owner’s Blog.

Tax ReturnsIf you own property in France you are required to file a tax return, regardless of where you are resident. There are several ways to manage any rental income but the most popular are the regime simplifé or the régime reel.

Taxe d’habitation Taxe d’habitation is an annual residence tax imposed on the occupier of the property. The tax responsibility belongs to the person who owns the property on the 6th January of each year.

Taxe fonciere Taxe fonciere is another annual property ownership tax and is levied whether you occupy the property or it is rented.

Taxe de sejour Taxe de sejour is a tiny occupancy tax that is imposed on holiday rentals and hotels. We call it “stay tax”. As the owner of a short-term holiday rental you are also subject to this tax.

We’d like to set something in stone. As mentioned, Pebbles are a fully legal, fully insured holiday rental company. We have salaried staff in the UK and France. We obey every local legal requirement from taxes to insurance, and can assist our owners with short-term letting insurance too. Unlike some English-speaking rental agencies, we are legitimately established and are here to help for the long term. Pebbles are legitimately

established and are here to help for the long term

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However, like a local hotel operator Pebbles collects the appropriate stay tax from guests on your behalf and gives this to the French government.

Loi Alur Loi Alur is the new legislation governing restrictions on rental property for both long term lets and short term holiday lets.

French WillsIf you own French property you should consider a French will. Property laws in France differs with other nations, especially where trustees and treatment of beneficiaries are concerned. .

TVAAny TVA from commission on land must be paid in France. All French rental agencies must pay this or both agency and owner may be subject to serious risk of high penalties. Pebbles has always paid this fee, and our declarations can be publically viewed at any time.

Professional LicensesAll real estate agencies in France must carry a professional license backed up by insurance. Pebbles’ license is carte professionelle 11284 and societaire 41075W. Agencies that do not carry this license put themselves and their clients at risk.

French CompaniesAny company with an activity in France and a turnover of more than 40,000€ is expected to operate with a staff force, i.e. salaried staff not self-employed agents.

A company with any operating activity in France has to pay circa 85% of an employee’s salary to the French state in social charges, therefore companies that do not employ salaried staff are at risk of severe penalties. Severe penalties often leads to bankruptcy of the company, and the state will get paid first – out of your rental monies.

Pebbles has over ten salaried staff in France (activity of managing property and guests) and over ten salaried staff in the UK (email and phone support).

Read more about all these subjects on our Owners’ Blog. You will need a user name and password to access.

Any TVA from commission on land must be paid in France

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Our initial experiences with Pebbles

In June 2011 Brian and Rachel stayed with Pebbles in the Francois and Cathedrale rental apartments. “We couldn’t have been happier with the apartments as well as the service from the Pebbles team,” says Brian. “During our stay we began to dive into the Pebbles Guide. By the end of our stay, we’d pretty much decided we wanted to buy an apartment of our very own.”

“We kept in contact with Pebbles and found the Harmonie apartment on their sales website.It seemed perfect to us especially since it was already rented on their books.”

Brian and Rachel’s sale was finalised as they returned to France in February 2012. “Before the sale completed we had management and bookings in place,” says Rachel. “A perfect scenario.”

What did Brian and Rachel learn going from owners to Pebbles employees?

“We approached our experience with Pebbles with a very open mind. Even though parameters were set for our roles, we really didn’t know what to expect, other than to be immersed in another culture as well as work in a completely new industry. What we did expect was to work with some great and talented people and we found this to be absolutely the case.”

Meet our owners…

Brian and Rachel Hoppe’s relationship with Pebbles began as guests, then as sales clients, then as owners, and finally as Pebbles employees under a work visa in 2012 - 2013. They returned to the USA in 2013, where they continue to be Pebbles’ owners.

In January 2015 Brian and Rachel brought their son, Landon, into the world. We’d like to say a huge congratulations to the new family.

Brian & Rachel

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“Experiencing how the wheels turn is the one area where, in retrospect, we as owners definitely took the work that Pebbles did for granted. We did not realise all it took to make the machine work”, Brian admits.

“Obviously as owners we were curious as to what goes on behind the scenes. We never expected to find so many moving parts that have to be in concert to make Pebbles the leader in the holiday rentals space that they are. If only every owner had a chance to see this first hand, they would have a greater appreciation for the hard work that is required every single day. No two days are ever the same”, Rachel concludes

Brian and Rachel’s one bedroom apartment, Harmonie, rents from £125 per night in summer

If only every owner had a chance to see this first hand, they would have a greater appreciation for the hard work that is required every single day. No two days are ever the same

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IF I was a guest, who would I book with?We think this is the most important question in your decision about working with us.

Here’s a handful of comments from our comment cards in September 2014. They can be viewed at any time. There are literally thousands more where they came from.

Difficult for you to improve! We especially appreciated the ‘culture of helpfulness’ that

pervades your company. We would always come back to you and recommend you.

We had such a lovely time here at Sienne. We will remember this holiday

forever, thanks to you. Special thanks to Klara who welcomed us so warmly.

Just to let you know that every-thing was perfect. The apartment

was even better than we expected. We were very pleased with our stay.

The apartment has been perfect, we will definitely book with Pebbles again.

The whole experience with Nice Pebbles and at the apartment Claret was

fantastic, couldn’t have been happier!

We had a lovely holiday in this beautiful apartment. Everything we needed and a

lovely warm welcome from Katie. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your kindness. Every-thing was perfect; we’ll come back for sure!

The apartment was perfect with every requirement taken care of. Fantastic

reception from Lianne and just loved our entire stay – Thank you!

Jon Keenan – Caprice

Mira and family – Sienne.

Oivind Aass – Tivoli

Tracey – Petit Prince

Sue – Boucherie

Sabrina – Lafayette

SJ Lasccues – Camelia

Madeline Macfarlene – Claret

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IF an agency has a sound reputation, then the properties on the portfolio are well maintained.

IF the website is good, guests will book through it.

IF the company is legal, insured etc, the guest knows their money is safe.

IF the company has decent facilities like a luggage store, office etc, guests will feel secure.

IF the agency is more than a booking web portal, false advertising or non-existent properties are unlikely.

These things matter to guests. What matters to guests should matter to owners too.

This is the third fantastic Pebbles stay in 2014; everything is awesome with Pebbles,

thanks for your help this last year, Cheers

Stayed elsewhere last year. Big mistake! Inferior version of Pebbles. We learnt our

lesson. Please just stop booking out the best ones so quickly. Enjoyed the new addition.

Thank you for being so pleasant and helpful. Thanks for lovely toiletries, location

of apartment is excellent and both bed and seating are very comfortable!

We heard of Nice Pebbles by word of mouth in the UK. I will definitely

be recommending you too. Fantastic!

Overall a great location and apartment for two people. Staff very helpful and

pleasant, could not fault. Booking online was easy. Thank you so much!

Pebbles service was excellent – Katie gave us a complete and comprehensive and very

friendly introduction to the apartment; much better than we have had in other places.

The apartment location, décor and cleanliness was excellent. We had

a wonderful stay and your services are great. Thank you!

Alex Duff – Agatha

Hilton – Le Palatin

Andy Davison – Citrine

Petit Prince

Sally – ProvidenceHeather Haynes – Rialto

Somer Brodribb

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Frequently Asked Questions

What about when I want to use my property?

Creating an Owner Blackout is fast and easy. Sign into the Pebbles owner area using your unique owner’s log-in and password. (If you forget your password just click the lost password option and it will be emailed to you.) Once you are in your Owner Area then you may then access your calendar and reserve dates for your own personal use. When you do this, the system will ask if you would like any packages such as cleaning or linen changes after you depart.

To ensure we don’t book your apartment at the same time as you are booking your flights, as soon as you know you are coming block your calendar to reserve your personal dates. Even if you haven’t decided on your holiday plans, there is no harm in blocking off the calendar first and then unblocking the dates later. If you haven’t blocked off the dates of your visit it is entirely possible that we may take a booking when you are on the plane over. Rental guests frequently come into our busy office to secure a last minute booking.

How does your cleaning system work?

Pebbles practice is to check, clean and secure properties on the day of your guests’ departure. At this point we scan for damage, remove linen and securely lock the property, but don’t do a thorough clean.

The rental property is thoroughly cleaned prior to a guests’ arrival (which is frequently the same day in summer) to ensure it fresh, clean and fully equipped.

What happens if work needs doing in my property?

When a guest, Pebbles representative or a member of our housekeeping team flags up an issue with the apartment, a Work Order is raised on our maintenance system so that appropriate action can be taken and progress monitored. Issues can range from minor matters such as a missing cafetiere or drying rack to more serious issues such as a leak and electricity issues.

Subsidised rates for dealing with maintenance…

Our Owner’s Blog has over 50 further FAQs that we’ve written for you over the years. These questions range from new investment areas to seasonal airline prices. We invite owners to ask any questions they may have.

Our Owner’s Blog is an exclusive and private area. Only our owners may take advantage of the contents.

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As an owner you enjoy heavily subsidised rates for dealing with maintenance if needed. The usual charge rate for maintenance for non-Pebbles clients is between 50€ and 80€ per hour (excluding TVA). Pebbles clients only pay a nominal charge of £10 for administration (including TVA) connected with any Work Order of a minor nature.

You will be kept fully informed as your issue is solved. When a maintenance issue is more serious and requires intervention, like an air-conditioning failure, then Pebbles owners are charged at a rate of £30 an hour (including TVA which Pebbles will pay on your behalf ).

What sort of wear and tear can I expect?

Inevitably a short term holiday rental apartment is going to experience a degree of wear and tear, especially if you are maximizing your rental return by welcoming as many guests as possible. Our advice is that owners should realistically accept that between 5–10% of their annual rental income will be spent on maintenance issues throughout the year. You could be lucky or unlucky. Over a long period it should even out.

What social media do you do to secure bookings?

We have a dedicated full time employee for social media working on the usual Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Instagram etc. Take a look at our profiles on each site, and others. There are links through on our websites.

Can we also add – please don’t be fooled by sites that claim to have tens of thousands of Facebook likes. A quick search of the phrase “buy facebook likes” will tell you all you need to know. You can buy 10,000 likes for around £200. Some 60% of our bookings derive from guests clicking through Google, which has absolutely no interest and can reduce the listing placement of websites using in this tactic. This tactic can be used not just on facebook, but on any social media site.

We have a genuine customer following and interact with our loyal clients with guest feedback, competitions, weather reports, images of Nice, new properties and much else besides.

Will you notify me every time you make a purchase for my apartment?

Sometimes this is impractical. To save time for both our owners and ourselves we take the liberty of going ahead and purchasing inexpensive items that are missing from an apartment like a dish cloth or a drying rack. This efficiently avoids potential guests complaints or calls for petty compensation. It also stops unnecessary staff callouts to your property.

Our SEO keeps our owners ahead of the competition

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By way of example, if a guest is cooking dinner having bought all the supplies to do so, and they discover there is no can opener, then we must purchase one immediately or risk compensating them for the groceries they bought and the cost of eating dinner out. This compensation would come out of an owner’s bottom line on the net income from that booking, and would be far more expensive than the can opener itself. This is a true example and is the reality of what we deal with while managing guests. It is therefore in your best interest from a cost standpoint that we attend to these minor issues, which may occur on a weekly basis.

We appreciate that it’s not nice to pay for additional teaspoons and pans, but our nine years of experience tells us this is part of seasonal lettings. Our attention to service is why our owners can charge lucrative rates for short term lettings in comparison with owners who rent their basically equipped apartment by the month or year.

Can I dictate who visits my property, & what they do once inside?

Our 15,000 guests thus far have almost all booked online after visiting our website or seeing our advertisements in the press. For the most part they have been very respectful of our owners’ properties. However, like any hotel guest, we rarely know these guests personally before they arrive (aside from the 20% of our guests who are repeat visitors).

We therefore ask you to be reasonable when it comes to placing restrictions on guests. For instance an owner might state: “I don’t want any guests to use heels or bring in bags on wheels”. In this instance we can put up a sign asking guests to be careful with the floors, but please remember they have paid a lot of money to rent the property and expect their experience to be similar to staying in a hotel.

If an owner has very specific personal rules about the property beyond what would normally be expected of a hotel, we can inform our clients but we cannot check that they comply. We want our guests to be comfortable during their stay, as well as to offer excellent feedback on your property, and we hope that you do too.

Please also bear in mind that if the property is given to us to rent as much as possible, then there needs to be a reasonable expectation of wear and tear and a little damage over time.

Owners can charge lucrative rates for short term lettings

I have had nothing but the best feelings about NicePebbles over the years, and I believe that I am one of the original clients of Matt and Gayle.October 2014, Owner of Risso, Pebbles apartment for 7 years

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What is included in the 25% commission paid to Pebbles?

It’s a long list. Firstly, our guests’ credit card and currency transaction fees, plus the TVA we pay to the government as a fully legal and registered property management company, reduce this 25% commission to a more realistic figure of around 19%. Secondly, a non-exhaustive breakdown of our ongoing costs follow:

Ķ Budget for our office premises, staff salaries, contingency costs, promotional material, website management and accounting.

Ķ Marketing your property by Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). It requires huge time and resources to consistently stay at the top of Google for phrases like “holiday rentals in nice” and “nice holiday apartments”. Pebbles has been the highest-ranking holiday letting agency since 2009. Guest feedback tells us that 60% of customers find and book us through search engines. Quite simply, our SEO keeps our owners ahead of the competition.

Ķ Advertising in worldwide print media including full-page inserts in easyJet magazine and listings in the Financial Times.

Ķ Paid online advertising to promote your property on a dozen global holiday rental sites including Holiday Lettings, Trip Advisor and HomeAway.

Ķ Social media promotion on major sites like Tripadvisor and Facebook. Includes answering every online comment and running online competitions backed by Twitter and Instagram.

Ķ Answering all enquiries from potential guests, managing a guest booking, dealing with cancellations and changes to reservations.

Ķ Operating a Nice-based rental office where owners and guests alike may chat to us. This bureau also accepts last-minute bookings from guests who arrive in person, and allows guests to leave their luggage with us before departure, something that no other rental agency can offer.

Ķ Dealing with all damage disputes, credit card disputes, complaint and requests for compensation from guests.

Ķ Acting as a caretaker and key-holder of your property for 365 days each year.

Ķ Answering owner questions concerning bookings, marketing or any property issues.

Ķ All guest management from initial enquiry to arrival home, plus following up with any feedback. This includes management of changeovers, comment cards, secret guest questionnaires, feedback issues, check outs, damage inspections and all other facets of our acclaimed property management service.

What is not included in the commission paid to Pebbles?

_ On top of the rental fee guests (not owners) pay for additional services that turn an apartment into a boutique hotel.

_ Managing any property maintenance issue that occurs. These can either be solved by Pebbles for a subsidised fee (£30 per hour depending on complexity), or they can be solved by an owners’ own tradesman, providing the work/time taken does not affect any guests’ enjoyment of the property.

_ Managing Work Orders, which are charged at a set fee of £10 including TVA, while attending to any email, post, syndic liaison and legal issues.

BUY WITH US • RENT WITH US • SELL WITH USwww.pebblesproperties.com

Pebbles HQ: 1 Norfolk Street, Glossop, Derbyshire20 & 23 rue Giofreddo or 20 rue de l’Hotel des Postes, NiceTel: +44 (0)161 471 1000 or +33 (0)4 97 20 27 36Email: info@nicepebbles.com

nice-pebbles-rentals & nicepebblessales

A big thank you for our very healthy bookings. We are really pleased with the year so far and next year is looking good

already; an off season booking – from a well known singer appearing at the Nice Opera – for February & March is very welcome. Please pass on our gratitude to everyone for a job well done.

It was back in 2008 that we met Gayle and were introduced to the Pebbles concept. We’ve enjoyed a long, happy & faultless

working relationship with Gayle, Matt and the Pebbles team, seeing their business grow, and we are proud to still be working with them today. The service they offer is second to none.

October 2014, Owners of Serenity, Pebbles apartment for one year

February 2015. Owners of Jacques, Pebbles apartment for 7 years