First and foremost, we’d like to sincerely apologise for the recent delays in sending out statements. We completely understand how frustrating this has been, and we want to be open about what’s been happening behind the scenes—and more importantly—what we’ve done to put things right.
What happened?
As you know, we recently moved away from manual reporting to SuperControl in order to speed up payments and provide clearer visibility. While this is a big step forward, the changeover has been more complex than we anticipated.
Here’s a breakdown of what we uncovered during our investigations:
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Incorrect payment settings – Some properties were mistakenly set to “pay owner after 20 days of departure,” which caused bookings completed after the 21st of the month to roll into the following month’s statement.
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Delayed expense recording – Items such as housekeeping were sometimes logged a few days after departure, so figures didn’t always line up correctly.
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Sykes bookings work differently – Unlike direct, Airbnb, or Booking.com reservations, Sykes bookings integrate in a more limited way, meaning cleaning and hot-tub expenses had to be added manually.
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Booking.com and Sykes discrepancies – The values imported into SuperControl did not match the amounts we actually received. Their systems sent over “gross figures” (before commission and fees), which meant our reporting showed inflated sales. For example, if a guest paid £1,000, this full figure appeared in SuperControl—even though the true payout after commission might only be £800.
To put it plainly, this has been the equivalent of us not charging any commission on Booking.com and Sykes bookings since the start of the year, which has had a significant financial impact on the business.
When should payments happen?
Our intention with SuperControl is that payments are made the next working day after we receive funds from the booking agents.
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Sykes Cottages pay us on the 26th of each month, or nearest working day after, should the 16th fall on a weekend.
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Booking.com and Airbnb release funds 14 days after guest departure.
At the same time, we continue to pay our housekeepers and maintenance teams every Friday to keep everything running smoothly. This sometimes means paying suppliers before the booking agents have released funds, which adds complexity—but it ensures our service to guests (and therefore your property) is never disrupted.
Writing off historic shortfalls
To draw a line under the past, we’ve made the decision to write off all lost income from Booking.com and Sykes bookings up to 31st May 2025. This amounts to nearly £48,000.
However for financial stability, we will need to make adjustments Sykes bookings that took place on or after 1st June 2025 Adjustments will appear in statements to reflect the true net values of these bookings. Any owner who would like to see the raw booking data from the Sykes is welcome to request this—we are more than happy to share full evidence of sales figures and payouts.
Where are we now?
The good news is that SuperControl has worked with us, and Sykes, to correct the key issues. While there are still some refinements needed—particularly with how Sykes expenses display—these no longer prevent us from issuing accurate statements.
From this month forward:
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Statements will be clearer.
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Payments will be quicker.
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The process that once took us 4–5 days of manual work now takes just a few hours, with a simple final check before BACs transfers are made.
What you’ll see on your statement
Each booking will usually show three or four line items:
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Owner’s income
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Cleaning fee
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Hot-tub cleaning fee
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Starter/Welcome pack (where applicable)
You’ll also see:
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A monthly entry for hot-tub chemical checks (£115.21)
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A monthly entry for proactive pest control (£20)
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Adjustments for Sykes and Booking.com bookings (from 1st June 2025 onwards)
Greater visibility for you
All owners now have access to the Owners Portal, where you can view both statements and payment schedules in real time. This means you can check everything in once place:
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Future bookings
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Income
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Expenses
While the portal isn’t the most visually appealing yet, it provides complete transparency, and we continue to push SuperControl’s developers for ongoing improvements.
Moving forward
We know the past few months have been bumpy, and once again we are truly sorry for the disruption. Jason and the team have spent countless hours working with Booking.com, Airbnb, Sykes, and SuperControl to fix these issues, both week days and weekends.
We’re confident that the improvements now in place will make everything simpler and more reliable for you going forward. (And yes—we’re touching wood as we say that!)
✨ Thank you for your patience, trust, and continued support.