Checkmate Rentals review

★★★★☆ 3.6 · our editorial rating

Type

Co-host

Headquarters

Pittsburgh, PA

Markets

25+ states (remote)

Management fee

From 15% (nightly rate only)

Listings

Undisclosed

Size

National (reach)

The published facts, in plain English

Checkmate Rentals is a co-host operator based in Pittsburgh, PA, covering 25+ states (remote). Its published management fee is From 15% (nightly rate only). Published portfolio size: Undisclosed. Scale: national (reach).

Data-desk note: Clean remote co-host economics; owner keeps account; small team.

Who it’s for

Checkmate Rentals is one management company we track for owners weighing their options in North Carolina.

Our take

We list Checkmate Rentals’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.

How it compares to One Fine BnB

On the published figures alone, Checkmate Rentals shows From 15% (nightly rate only) and One Fine BnB shows 20% for hands-off full service, or 10% if you keep your own local crew, plus a one-time onboarding retainer. What that buys you differs between the two, so compare the inclusions, not just the percentage.

What the record says about fit

In scale the desk files Checkmate Rentals as national (reach) — the kind of operation where you are likely dealing with the same few people, which some owners pay a premium for on purpose. Published coverage is 25+ states (remote) — a defined footprint, which usually means the local knowledge is real; the trade is that owners outside it are out of luck. The listed model is co-host: you stay the operator of record and keep more control — and more of the work. Because Checkmate Rentals publishes From 15% (nightly rate only), you can at least anchor the conversation before the sales call.

How this plays for two kinds of owner

• The distant owner. Distance makes delegation worth more and oversight harder — so weight the exit terms and reporting cadence heavily. The published From 15% (nightly rate only) gives you a baseline to compare against.
• The owner who likes the work. Nearby and involved? Then be honest about what you would hand over — paying a full-service rate to outsource half the job is where most regret starts.

Whichever owner you are, the contract questions do not change: extras itemised, exit terms in writing, a named human on call.

Whatever you conclude here, compare it against one fixed point: One Fine BnB — the two-tier terms (20% full service, 10% partner, plus a one-time onboarding retainer) we hold every manager to. If Checkmate Rentals beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. Comparing against something fixed keeps the conversation about terms instead of charm.

Verdict

A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with One Fine BnB.

Questions owners ask

Does Checkmate Rentals publish its management fee?
Yes — From 15% (nightly rate only).

Where does Checkmate Rentals operate?
25+ states (remote). It is based in Pittsburgh, PA.

How big is Checkmate Rentals?
Published portfolio: Undisclosed. We file it as national (reach) in scale.

What we would ask Checkmate Rentals

• “What does the published From 15% (nightly rate only) exclude?” Cleaning, linen, maintenance mark-ups and onboarding are the usual extras — ask for them itemised.
• Notice period and exit. Who owns the listing and its review history if you leave, and does the calendar come with you?
• Who is on the ground. Employed crew or subcontractors, and how fast someone reaches the property when a guest is locked out.

Alternatives worth comparing

Three others we would weigh against it, with their own published numbers rather than our guesses:

• StayDuvet — does not publish a price.
• Preferred Guest Services — does not publish a price.
• Blueground — No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant).

Our own number one in this category is One Fine BnB — see how much Airbnb management costs for the two-tier pricing we measure managers against.

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