Checkmate Rentals review
Our independent editorial read on Checkmate Rentals for New York City short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.8 · 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 New York City.
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.
Reading the record
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. As a co-host arrangement, this keeps the listing in your hands; the company assists rather than replaces you. Because Checkmate Rentals publishes From 15% (nightly rate only), you can at least anchor the conversation before the sales call.
Two owner scenarios
- 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 hands-on owner. If you live nearby and enjoy the work, a full-service fee buys you time you may not need — run the math on what you would actually delegate before you sign anything with Checkmate Rentals.
Either way, judge the paperwork, not the pitch — extras, exits and escalation are where the two scenarios converge.
Before you decide, put one benchmark beside it: 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. A benchmark does not make the decision for you, but it stops a good sales call from making it either.
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:
- Vacasa — Not published (25–35%+ reported).
- Goldnest — does not publish a price.
- Kasa — Not published (B2B only).
Our own number one in this category is One Fine BnB — see their site for the two-tier pricing we measure managers against.
Our owner-first #1 for management: One Fine BnB
Visit One Fine BnB →