FAQ
Frequent questions from guests and owners
Short, concrete answers before you send a stay inquiry or open a conversation about cooperation.
Guest questions
- How do I send an apartment inquiry?
- The easiest way is through the contact form or the form on an apartment page. It helps to include your dates, the number of adults and children, the area you're drawn to, and one line about how you travel: family, friends, work, first time in Tivat. That way the reply is a recommendation that can explain itself, not a generic link.
- Can one inquiry cover several apartments?
- Yes. Send your dates, group size and a few preferences. We check which of the available options fits your trip and come back with a suggestion. You don't need to send the same message under every listing.
- Is the price on the site final?
- If a price is shown, it's the starting figure. Final pricing, availability and conditions are confirmed before booking and may depend on the season, length of stay, number of people and the specific apartment. You'll get all of that clearly in the reply, before anything is paid.
- Is a deposit required?
- Yes. The standard advance payment for a direct booking is 10%. The exact amount and payment method are confirmed before booking, together with price and availability.
- What are the cancellation terms?
- The basic cancellation term is 7 days before arrival. If a specific apartment or special agreement has a different rule, it is clearly confirmed before booking.
- What does arrival look like?
- Check-in time, key handover and who meets you are arranged before you travel. If you're landing late in the evening or at night, say so in the inquiry, we'll adapt.
- Is there parking?
- Parking depends on the apartment. Some have a private space, some are street parking, some use a nearby public garage. The basic info appears on the apartment card and detail page; exact details (free/paid, number of spaces, distance) are confirmed in the inquiry.
- Are pets allowed?
- It depends on each apartment's rules. If you're travelling with a dog or cat, mention it in the inquiry. We'll pick an apartment where both you and the pet are genuinely welcome, with no awkward surprises on arrival.
- Who handles tourist registration?
- In Montenegro, the stay is registered within 24 hours of arrival. Stay registration is usually handled by the host, while the residence tax is charged separately and confirmed in the reply before booking.
- Can you recommend an area in Tivat?
- Yes, and we do it regularly. In the inquiry, briefly describe what matters: everything on foot from the centre, a quieter area, a beach for children, proximity to Porto Montenegro or an easy ride from the airport. We come back with the area that fits. The Tivat guide page also gives a broader picture of each part of town.
Owner questions
- Do you only work in Tivat?
- We provide full management in the municipality of Tivat and nearby areas. For apartments in other municipalities, we can provide online management while the owner arranges cleaning, preparation, guest access and physical care of the property.
- What is the difference between full and online management?
- Full management covers both the online and the on-site work: listings, rates, calendar and guests, but also cleaning, linen, arrivals and apartment checks. Online management covers the work that can be done remotely, while the owner arranges cleaning, guest access and physical care of the property. The model follows the location — where ORTUS has a team on the ground, we take on the whole workflow.
- Can you manage my Booking and Airbnb listings?
- We can. If a listing already exists, we go through it together and agree access and roles within each platform's rules. If there is no listing, we build one from scratch — which is the case for most owners who contact us. We do not ask for links or passwords in the first conversation; those come once both sides know the cooperation makes sense.
- Do you arrange cleaning?
- In the full-service area, in Tivat and the immediate surroundings, ORTUS organizes cleaning, linen and apartment preparation after every checkout. With online management this stays with the owner, because without our own team on the ground we could not stand behind a standard we have not seen.
- Do you communicate with guests on the owner's behalf?
- Yes, and it is usually the first thing owners hand over: replies to inquiries, confirmations, pre-arrival instructions and messages during the stay. Guests get one contact who knows their apartment, and the owner steps in only when the decision genuinely belongs to them.
- Who registers guests and handles the tourist tax?
- ORTUS coordinates guest registration as part of the operational scope agreed before work begins. Statutory owner obligations remain the owner's — we do not take them over, but we keep the records that make them straightforward.
- How is the ORTUS fee calculated?
- We do not publish a single rate, because it would be inaccurate: location, size and condition of the apartment, seasonal workload and whether the service is full or online all affect it. You do not get a figure at the end of a phone call — you get it in a written offer, listing what the fee covers and what remains an owner expense.
- How does ORTUS improve rental performance?
- ORTUS improves the parts of the rental process it directly manages: listing quality, rates, availability, response time, calendar accuracy and guest communication. The approach and initial assessment are adapted to the apartment, season and current demand. We do not guarantee income — nobody controls demand or the season.
- Do you work with single apartments or only with multiple units?
- We work with single apartments too. Full management is available in Tivat and the immediate area. Online management is available in Tivat and across Montenegro when the owner arranges on-site work. We choose the model around the location and support needed, and coordinate calendars and turnovers for multiple units.
- How does cooperation start?
- You send the location, type and current status of the apartment — that is enough for a first reply, which arrives the same day. We then review the apartment and how it has been rented so far, and you receive a written proposal stating what ORTUS handles, what stays with you and how cooperation can end.
- What if I want to end the cooperation?
- The term and notice period are not fixed in advance — they are written down before work begins. Before cooperation ends we agree who completes already confirmed stays, and then keys, documentation and records are returned, with ORTUS access handed over or removed within what each platform technically allows.
Looking for the detail on working with owners?
The scope of both services, the service area, the split of responsibilities and what the monthly report contains are set out on the owner pages.