FAQs

It starts with a conversation about your villa, your current situation and your goals. Next we review your listings, social presence and online footprint and share a short summary of what we find. We then confirm which services suit your villa, with clear pricing. Everything is set out in a simple written agreement covering scope, commission, deliverables and exit terms. Once that's signed we get access to what we need and begin within an agreed timeframe. From there you'll get monthly reports, regular WhatsApp updates and strategy reviews whenever you'd like one.

Each monthly owner report covers bookings, occupancy, income from each platform, guest reviews and upcoming stays.

Owners get a report every month and we're always available if you want to check in between reports.

Yes. Before your villa goes live, we agree a protocol with you for what gets flagged straight away, such as a bad review, a guest complaint or a cancellation and how you'd like to hear about it.

Yes. How we work with your caretaker or housekeeping team depends on how you run things now, so we agree it case by case.

Yes. We can start from scratch, setting up your listings, photos and a licence checklist.

A villa booking management company runs the online side of a holiday villa: the Airbnb and Booking.com listings, guest enquiries, the calendar and the pricing. Tamu House does this for villa owners in Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba. Cleaning, maintenance and check-ins stay with the owner's caretaker or staff.

Yes. Every villa marketed on Airbnb, Booking.com or another booking site in Indonesia needs a business licence registered through the government's Online Single Submission (OSS) system, with a Business Identification Number (NIB) and an accommodation code (KBLI) that matches the property. The Ministry of Tourism has named West Nusa Tenggara, the province that includes Lombok and Sumbawa, as one of five priority regions for checking listings. Platforms must give unlicensed hosts two months' notice before a listing is removed and removals have been allowed since 1 August 2026. The rules are still being phased in, so confirm the current requirements with a licensing consultant before you list.

Not directly as an individual. A foreign owner usually needs a structure that can hold a tourism business licence, most often a foreign-owned company (PT PMA) or an arrangement with an Indonesian licence holder. Many foreign owners hold their villa on a long lease rather than freehold. The right structure depends on how your land is held, so get advice from an Indonesian notary or lawyer before you take bookings.

Villa stays fall under Indonesia's regional tax on hotel services, known as PBJT, which regencies can charge at up to 10% of what the guest pays. West Lombok's regional regulation sets its general PBJT rate at 10%. The host is responsible for registering, collecting and paying it, not Airbnb. Rental income is also subject to income tax. Rates and filing rules vary between regencies, so check yours with a local tax adviser.

Accommodation providers can be asked by immigration to share details of their foreign guests. The government's foreigner reporting app, APOA, is used for this. Not providing the details when requested can lead to a fine. Keep each guest's passport details on file for the length of their stay so you can answer a request quickly.

For most villas, yes. Airbnb and Booking.com are where many guests first find a villa in Lombok or Labuan Bajo. Direct bookings through your own website and Google Business Profile can then grow alongside them and those stays carry no platform commission.

Start with a Google Business Profile, so the villa shows up when people search Google Maps for places like Senggigi or Kuta, then add a website that takes bookings. Past guests are the easiest direct bookings, so keep their contact details and get in touch before the next dry season. Reply to every enquiry quickly, because guests booking direct are often comparing several villas.

Yes. Booking management is done online, so it suits owners based in Australia, Europe or elsewhere in Asia. Tamu House replies to guests in English and Bahasa Indonesia and coordinates arrivals and housekeeping with your team on the ground.

Full villa management covers the property itself: cleaning, maintenance, staff and check-ins. Booking management covers the online side: listings, enquiries, calendars, pricing and marketing. Tamu House offers booking management and works alongside your caretaker or villa staff.

Tamu House works with villas in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia: Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba. In Lombok, we work all over the island from our bases in Batu Layar and Selong Belanak. Because the work is online, owners can be based anywhere, including Australia and Europe.

July and August are Lombok's busiest months, during the northern summer school holidays. Christmas to New Year is busy too. The dry season runs from about April or May to October and that's when most international guests come. The MotoGP at the Mandalika circuit near Kuta is held each year, usually in October, so set rates for race weekend well in advance.

Demand is growing. AirDNA's data for Central Lombok, which includes Kuta and Mandalika, shows average short-term rental occupancy of 61% and an average daily rate of US$109, with occupancy up about 56% between September 2025 and September 2026 (data updated 20 October 2026). Those figures cover every short-term rental in the regency, so a villa in Senggigi or a large luxury villa will perform differently.

Most guests fly into Lombok International Airport near Praya, usually connecting through Bali, Jakarta or Singapore. Scoot increased its direct Singapore to Lombok flights to ten a week from June 2026 and the provincial government says routes to Perth and Darwin are waiting on licensing. Fast boats also run from Bali to Lombok, though schedules change with the weather and the season.

All over Lombok. Tamu House is based in Batu Layar on the west coast and Selong Belanak on the south coast and works with villas anywhere on the island.

Sumbawa's rental market is smaller than Lombok's and mostly driven by surfers. The main surf areas are Lakey Peak at Hu'u in the south-east and the west coast around Maluk and Sekongkang, with breaks such as Supersuck and Yo-Yo's. The surf season runs from April to October, when accommodation near Lakey Peak can fill up, so write your listing for surfers: board storage, distance to the break and the drive from the airport.

Car ferries cross from Kayangan port in East Lombok to Poto Tano in West Sumbawa, which is the usual route to the west coast surf. For Lakey Peak, most guests fly into Bima instead, about 45 minutes from Lombok or 1 hour 10 minutes from Bali, then drive 2 to 3 hours. Sumbawa Besar also has a domestic airport. Ferry timetables and crossing times vary, so guests should check on the day.

June to August is Labuan Bajo's busiest period, when the weather is driest and boat trips into Komodo National Park run most reliably. The dry season runs from about late May to September, with April and October as shoulder months. From December to February rough seas suspend most multi-day liveaboard trips, so expect fewer guests.

Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo has several daily flights from Bali and Jakarta and a daily flight from Lombok. One local operator's 2026 guide lists twice-weekly international flights from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, but those schedules change, so check with the airlines. Delays and cancellations are more common in the wet season, from December to March.

Most of Sumba's high-end villas and resorts, including Nihi Sumba, are on the south-west coast of West Sumba. Guests fly into Tambolaka in West Sumba, which has daily flights from Bali, or Waingapu in East Sumba, with flights via Bali and Lombok. Neither airport has international flights and seats sell out quickly in July, August and December.

May to September, Sumba's dry season, when the savannah turns gold and the roads are easiest to drive. From November to March heavy rain can make roads difficult. The Pasola festival in West Sumba usually falls in February or March, but its dates are set only a week or two ahead, which makes it hard to plan rates around.

Ya. Tamu House adalah jasa manajemen booking dan pemasaran villa di Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores dan Sumba. Kami mengelola listing Airbnb dan Booking.com, membalas pesan tamu, menyinkronkan kalender dan mengatur harga musiman. Operasional harian seperti kebersihan dan perawatan tetap ditangani tim Anda. Kami melayani dalam Bahasa Indonesia dan Bahasa Inggris.