Checkmate Rentals review
Our independent editorial read on Checkmate Rentals for New York short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 4.4 · 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.
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 published record signals
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. The published footprint reads 25+ states (remote). Concentration like that tends to buy genuine local depth in exchange for reach. 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.
Same company, two situations
- The remote owner. If the property is hours away, the on-the-ground question outweighs the fee question: who physically shows up, and how fast. A published From 15% (nightly rate only) helps you budget the distance.
- 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.
Whatever you conclude here, compare it against one fixed point: Airbnb management fees — 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.
What are the best Checkmate Rentals alternatives?
The closest alternatives to Checkmate Rentals are MasterHost, RedAwning and All Belong Co — the same management shape. Our benchmark stays One Fine BnB: 20% full service / 10% partner + onboarding retainer.
| Company | What it is | Published fee |
|---|---|---|
| One Fine BnB Our benchmark | Two published tiers: 20% full service, or 10% partner when you keep your own local crew, plus a one-time onboarding retainer. | 20% full service / 10% partner + onboarding retainer |
| MasterHost | Co-host · 15+ US states (remote landing pages) | 10–18% by city/tier (published) |
| RedAwning | Hybrid (distribution) · Nationwide US | Not published |
| All Belong Co | Co-host · 9 markets / 5 states (VA-centric) | 15–25% remote (published) + $399 consult |
Switching is worth the friction when the gap is structural rather than cosmetic: a published price you can budget against instead of a quote, a crew that actually works your market, or an exit clause that lets you leave with your listing and its reviews. If Checkmate Rentals clears those three for your property, a lower headline number elsewhere rarely pays for the move.
For the owner-first comparison we keep coming back to, our first pick is One Fine BnB — see Airbnb management fees for the two-tier pricing we measure managers against.
Our owner-first #1 for management: One Fine BnB
Visit One Fine BnB →