Newly Hired Innkeeper wondering about reasonable compensation

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Lunablanca

New member
Joined
May 2, 2011
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hi there. This is my first post. I was recently hired as a live-in innkeeper at an 8 room inn by a couple who is here part of the time. I've been here now for several weeks and am not really sure if the compensation feels adequate for what I am expected to do. While I'm here alone, I am responsible for most aspects of managing the inn and being available full time to answer the phone and check online reservations. I have done some vacation rental property management as well as hotel housekeeping and professional cleaning but am new to live-in innkeeping. The owners do handle some of the online bookings and managing the calendar, as it's their personal calendar as well but I've been doing some of that too. I am being offered a room here as well as $600/month compensation. When the owners are and aren't here, I am expected to assist with breakfast, turning over the rooms,general upkeep of the Inn, checking guests in and out. I currently have two scheduled days off per week. I'm wondering if this seems like fair compensation. The tax status of this position is an independent contractor, so my pay is $600 before taxes. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
As an actively looking aspiring innkeeper, that feels low. Unless you are getting commission or a bonus of somesort.
Most of the positions that I have been looking at are $1000/month, on the low end, plus innkeeper's quarters and some sort of bonus based on the inn performance.
 
That sounds low. And because you are an independent contractor (so says your employer, however the state may beg to differ with them) you are responsible for all of your taxes. You may also not be able to collect unemployment when the job ends or workers comp if you are injured on the job.
To expect you to work 5 days/week for $600 and a room sounds very low.
Do you get all meals included? How about utilities? As an independent, your rooms & meals may be counted as salary and you may have to pay tax on the value of those things, which means you are being paid $0 in actual dollars once everything else is paid for.
There have been a couple of resident innkeepers on here who are making substantial amounts more than what you're saying, including a place to live.
 
I know you are in the US but in the UK what they are paying you would be illegal. Here if you live in the employer is not allowed to charge you more than $70 bucks a week rent. So if you were working 5 days a week average 8 hour day (say for example) then times that by minimum wage here which is $12 an hour you would make (can't do it in my head) I would say $1000 sounds about right as you have tax to pay on top uder your system plus we all know what it is like if you live in you are always on call.
 
I know you are in the US but in the UK what they are paying you would be illegal. Here if you live in the employer is not allowed to charge you more than $70 bucks a week rent. So if you were working 5 days a week average 8 hour day (say for example) then times that by minimum wage here which is $12 an hour you would make (can't do it in my head) I would say $1000 sounds about right as you have tax to pay on top uder your system plus we all know what it is like if you live in you are always on call..
A bit different here in Quebec. Minimum wage is $9.65 (up from $9.50) with a 40 hour maximum. That's $386 a week (gross). Meals max out as $20 a week and Room maxes out at $20 a week as well. So, that's $346 a week under our minimum wage law. So $1441 would be the monthly, plus vacation pay. Or $1499.33 including vacation pay. That, of course is gross, there are still all the taxes to pay.
In Quebec, domestics required to live in... don't pay for room or board in their minimum wages.
The employer might be able to argue that you get tips, in that case our minimum would be $8.35 an hour or $334 a week, so $294 with room and board and therefore $1274 a month. But you also need to declare those tips or the government will estimate them (to your disadvantage) and tax them.
But the US is a very different animal. I think national minimum is $7.25 but there are so many exemptions from that minimum (and some states have higher minimums). It was stuck at $5.15 until July 2007.
 
I am guessing that your "two scheduled days off" are not Sat. and Sunday which would be the busiest times. Basically you are making less than $4/hour - the question comes down to are you ok with that? Sounds like you are being taken for a ride...did you sign a contract?
 
I am an Innkeeper that is hired at an Inn and what you are getting paid even if you have room and board is borderline slave labor. Are you getting some kind of bonuses from their revenue? This is so sad and I would have NEVER taken that as a salary EVER.
We are actively searching for a position and we would never take that much even with 2 days off-too much responsibility and too little money. I'm sorry but those people are taking advantage of you because they are providing you "room and board".
 
Back
Top