Domistay vs Pass the Keys: Choosing Your Local Airbnb Management Team
Domistay vs Pass the Keys Fees: Where the Two Quotes Can Differ
Domistay charges 12% to 18% plus VAT, while Pass the Keys advertises from 18% plus VAT. Domistay’s commission is calculated after platform charges, with cleaning fees excluded. Pass the Keys also deducts platform commission, but its public definition does not explicitly explain whether cleaning is removed from the amount used to calculate its fee. For clarity, gross revenue is the booking amount before deductions. Net revenue is what remains after the deductions specified by the provider. The word “net” on its own does not guarantee identical calculations.A Booking Example, with the Full Domistay Range
For a £2,000 reservation plus £100 cleaning, how much would different management rates leave you? The table uses a 15.5% platform charge on £2,100, a £100 cleaning bill and 20% VAT on commission. To compare the percentages on the same basis, cleaning is excluded from all three commission calculations. For Pass the Keys, that exclusion is an illustrative assumption which needs confirming in its quote.| Fee Breakdown | Domistay at 12% | Domistay at 18% | Pass the Keys at 18%* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reservation amount | £2,000.00 | £2,000.00 | £2,000.00 |
| Cleaning fee paid by guest | £100.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 |
| Total revenue | £2,100.00 | £2,100.00 | £2,100.00 |
| Platform fees at 15.5% | £325.50 | £325.50 | £325.50 |
| Cleaning cost deducted | £100.00 | £100.00 | £100.00 |
| Amount used to calculate commission | £1,674.50 | £1,674.50 | £1,674.50 |
| Management fee before VAT | £200.94 | £301.41 | £301.41 |
| VAT on management fee | £40.19 | £60.28 | £60.28 |
| Management fee including VAT | £241.13 | £361.69 | £361.69 |
| Your take home before other costs | £1,433.37 | £1,312.81 | £1,312.81 |
Local Support: An Independent Team or a Franchise?
Pass the Keys’ franchise model combines local operators with central systems and support. That can offer the familiarity of a local business alongside the resources of a wider brand, particularly useful for owners with homes in different areas. Domistay has a different structure. We manage your home directly, and the people involved in bringing you on board remain your main contacts once you are hosting. There is no separate franchise operator taking over the relationship. For you, that means you can discuss performance, care of your home and your own plans with the team responsible for managing them. The conversations you have at the beginning help shape the ongoing relationship. Perhaps you prefer to discuss improvements before spending money, or you need to coordinate access while living overseas. Details like these are easier to work through when your contacts know your priorities. Our reporting supports those conversations by giving you visibility over bookings and earnings. Both models can provide personal support. The distinction is the business relationship behind it, and whether you feel comfortable with the people who will be looking after your home.Agree What Success Looks Like Before You Start
An attractive income estimate is a starting point. It becomes useful when it reflects the way you actually want to host. If you need your home during popular holiday dates, for example, those nights should be accounted for in the forecast. If getting ready requires new furniture or other spending, the likely return needs to justify that investment for you. At Domistay, our Airbnb feasibility assessment explores those trade offs before onboarding. Our work in selected London and Kent locations, including Greenwich, Deptford, Dartford and Tunbridge Wells, is grounded in assessing each home and the owner’s plans together. We are selective about what we take on. If your expectations and the likely outcome do not line up, we will say so, whether the concern is income, availability or suitability for our service. Pass the Keys also describes selective onboarding, so an assessment of suitability is something both providers offer. What matters is how clearly the assessment explains the opportunities, costs and limitations for your home. Permissions and practical restrictions are part of that preparation. Our guide to short term let planning permission covers questions to consider as you explore your options.The Work Between One Guest and the Next
Once bookings begin, hosting becomes a series of practical tasks. Bedding needs laundering, supplies need replacing and the home needs preparing for another arrival. Owners should understand who takes care of that work and how it is charged. At Domistay, our linen service supplies professionally laundered, hotel quality bedding and towels. We also help with supply ordering and product sourcing, considering guest comfort, cost and environmental impact when choosing suitable options. That gives you support with decisions such as which essentials to provide and how to keep them available, as well as the preparation of your home. Pass the Keys coordinates cleaning and linen and lists photographs after cleaning and presentation checks within its service. It charges separately for cleaning, linen and consumables; the guest cleaning charge helps offset the cleaning and linen bill. Care also starts before arrival. Domistay’s guest management covers vetting, communication and suitable access arrangements. Pass the Keys also offers guest verification and support. These are practical ways to manage risk, although neither service can guarantee an incident free stay.Understanding Pass the Keys’ Quality Guarantee
Pass the Keys offers a conditional management fee waiver for qualifying poorly reviewed stays. It is available to eligible new hosts in selected pilot territories, for stays under seven nights and agreements charging at least 20% plus VAT. Exclusions apply, and operational costs remain payable. That may be relevant to your decision, but it is separate from the advertised 18% starting rate used in our example. Any proposal including the guarantee needs comparing at its own price and terms.Make Sure the Agreement Fits Your Plans
The initial rate is only one part of the commitment. Your agreement also determines how you can use your home, authorise expenses and bring the arrangement to an end. Domistay’s published full time management plan requires at least 12 months availability. Pass the Keys’ current FAQ states an initial six month term, followed by a rolling monthly arrangement with one month’s notice, subject to local variations. Those are useful starting points for discussing the actual commitment required from you. There are three other areas to understand:- Getting started: Pass the Keys lists a typical £149 onboarding fee, varying by location, plus a separately charged initial clean. Compare these with the setup costs in your Domistay proposal.
- Changes to bookings: Domistay adjusts commission when a cancellation or amendment reduces the booking revenue you receive. The equivalent treatment should be clear in any competing proposal.
- Control over costs and dates: Personal stays, payment timing, expense approvals, any stored card arrangements, notice periods and early exit charges should all be agreed before signing.
Talk Through Your Home with the Team Who Would Manage It
If you are considering a Pass the Keys alternative for Airbnb management in London or the Kent areas we cover, we can help you work through the decision. Bring your availability, your questions and what you hope to achieve. We will explain the Domistay service, discuss likely income and costs, and tell you whether we believe the arrangement makes sense for you. Arrange a free consultation with Domistay to get a proposal based on your home and a chance to get to know the team.FAQs
Is Domistay Cheaper than Pass the keys?
At the same commission rate and VAT treatment, Domistay’s net revenue calculation produces a lower management fee in the example above. Your overall cost depends on the quote for your home and any additional services. A lower fee alone does not establish which provider will deliver the higher overall return.
Does Domistay Charge Commission on Cleaning or Platform Fees?
No. We deduct platform fees and exclude the cleaning fee before calculating management commission. Our rates range from 12% to 18% plus VAT on that net booking revenue.
Does Net Booking Revenue Mean Profit?
No. It is the amount used to calculate our commission after the specified deductions. Your final return also depends on management fees and other costs, such as utilities, maintenance and supplies.
Will I Deal Directly with Domistay?
Yes. The team who help you get started remain your main points of contact. Domistay does not operate as a franchisor or pass management of your home to a separate hosting partner.
Can I Still Stay in My Home?
We discuss personal stays and availability before you join, so these form part of the agreed arrangement. Let us know which dates matter to you when we put your proposal together.
Is Domistay a Pass the Keys Alternative in London?
Yes, for homes within the London areas we cover that suit our service. We also manage homes in selected Kent locations. If you are considering moving from Pass the Keys, we can discuss your goals and a possible handover around your existing notice period, listing access and upcoming bookings.
What If I am Already in a Contract With Pass the Keys?
Start with its minimum term, notice requirements and any bookings already accepted. If your home is suitable for Domistay, we can discuss the practicalities of switching, including listing access and a handover that accounts for those commitments.
