By Toi Creel
In 2012 Brad Greiner, an independent filmmaker found himself in a financial pinch where he could no longer afford his home’s mortgage. He looked for a quick way to use his house to make some cash. Looking to platforms like Airbnb, Greiner realized there weren’t many full home options available for rent, so he decided to take the lead.
“Luckily I was one of the first homeowners in LA to offer an entire high-end home for rent so my booking calendar filled up quite quickly,” Greiner said. “I realized then that there was a demand for this type of travel, and I began to plan out the growth of my business.”
Building off the financial success of his first few home rentals, Greiner founded Open Air Homes. The company facilitates homeowners’ ability to monetize their homes as short term or long-term rentals. Until 2020, the expansion of Open Air Homes existed solely through word of mouth. It didn’t even have a recognizable name brand until Diane Patrone, a valued repeat guest and friend, offered the idea of “Open Air Homes” to Brad over margaritas. Greiner recalls Diane’s excitement about the new opportunities Open Air Homes would provide the vacation home marketspace – full-service management of beautiful homes recognized for their stylish indoor and outdoor living spaces.
“We decided on Open Air Homes because the homes that I developed and built early on with the company had this feeling of consistent airiness,” Greiner comments.
Since its inception, the company has tailored itself to meet the needs of Southern California homeowners and guests. At Open Air Homes, homeowners are more than just clients, they are partners. With that comes immense responsibility and care that the Open Air Homes team continuously caters to. Guests, many of whom are CEOs traveling for work or responsible families seeking vacation time, are valued just as highly as homeowners and receive the same level of attention and customer service.
“Our homes are fully realized properties, meaning they have fully functioning kitchens with all the amenities one would normally expect in a home. We take the on boarding process very seriously and only offer homes that pass our strict standards,” Greiner said.
So what makes Open Air Homes different from platforms like Airbnb or VRBO? For starters, the company markets towards families while emphasizing a quality experience for both the guests and homeowner partners. This means making sure guests are aware of the community standards that prompt them to be respectful neighbors throughout their stay.
Greiner said before renting, guests must sign a pledge promising to be a good member of the community they are staying in. And a 24 hour a day communication team is just a call or text away, ready to help troubleshoot any issues that might arise.
The company isn’t opposed to working with platforms like Airbnb and VRBO however. In fact, most of their homes are listed on these sites. Open Air Homes differs via their extra steps to ensure that everyone involved in the rental experience, from guests to homeowners to neighbors, is satisfied from beginning to end.
“We see these booking platforms as an essential component to filling our homes, therefore making them our booking partners,” Greiner said.
It’s no mystery that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the rental market. Going above and beyond the new sanitation requirements, Open Air Homes has upped their cleaning measures to put guests’ minds at ease. This includes a “no germ left behind policy” where light sockets, safety keypads, crockery handles, counter surfaces and practically anything you can think of gets sanitized and wiped down by an experienced crew.
“The majority of our cleaners have been with us for 4-5 years,” Greiner said. “We currently provide our cleaners with gloves and masks, which are worn at all times during a clean and transporting.”
The entrance of all homes are also now equipped with Public Goods cleaning cloths and disinfectant. Open Air Homes recently partnered with Public Goods as a way to merge the need for higher sanitation standards with a company that values environmental awareness.
Public Goods provides clean products that mitigate ecological impacts while promoting a healthier lifestyle. Such products include biodegradable and eco-friendly surface cleaners developed with plant-based formulas that are safe for both the cleaning crew and guests checking in.
“We are also partnering with Public Goods for our shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. With bottles made from sugarcane and a refillable product solution, we are moving away from the single use plastics so commonly used in the hotel industry.”
With this move towards sustainability and eco-friendliness, Open Air Homes says they’re focusing on the wellness of the planet, but also the wellness of guests. Finding ways to combine these two goals guides the future direction of the company, a direction that embodies what SoCal living is all about – being happy and healthy at the same time.
“From meditation corners to yoga mats to healthy food suggestions, we are taking a 360-degree approach to how our homes can lead to positive changes for our guests.”
For more information, visit https://www.openairhomes.com/ or on Facebook and Instagram @openairhomes.
