Hosts FAQ

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This page includes just a few of our frequently asked questions and answers. For a full, searchable list of all questions and help articles please visit our Helpdesk.

Who are we?

Theatre Digs Booker consists of a small but highly motivated and friendly company led by Phil Barley. Phil is both an actor and a singer, who has toured, on and off, for over eight years. His tours have taken him across the UK, Europe and the USA, experiencing the best and worst of what it is to be a touring company member, along with regular reminders of how important the living situation is.

Phil's experience as a customer service representative, sales executive, personal assistant and office manager has all come together to prove extremely useful in the building and running of this company. You can find out more here.

Why has Theatre Digs Booker been formed?

Until now, finding theatre accommodation has been a frustrating and long-winded job made difficult by the process of getting all the different digs lists from the theatres, finding they are not in any useful order or that they are out-of-date. Plus, from the limited descriptions and lack of photos or maps Guests have little idea of what to expect.

Privileged to boast a team of great web designers, web developers, customer service experts and Phil's family, Theatre Digs Booker aims to solve this problem once and for all.

The goal is simple. To become the best online accommodation resource for theatre professionals.

We are getting close but will constantly strive to be the ultimate solution

How does it work?

As Digs providers, or 'Hosts', you can list your digs on the site for FREE!

You can upload up to 10 photos, write full unlimited* descriptions and update your availability at any time.

Touring companies and individuals (or 'Guests') are able to search these listings, based on their criteria, and BOOK ONLINE by paying a 10% deposit through PayPal.

You then have 24 hours to view and/or respond to the booking. If you accept then we process the deposit and retain it as a booking commission. The Guest then arranges with you how to pay the balance. By default the Guest would pay the balance of the fee on arrival direct to the Host. Some Hosts may wish to receive the balance a number of days before the Guest's arrival. Just make this clear in your digs' description and arrange it directly with the Guest.

If you decline the booking or fail to view and/or respond to the booking within 24 hours, we let the Guest know by email and invite them to search again.

You can choose whether you want to receive bookings from anyone searching the site or by 'Theatre Professionals Only'.

Why not register now?

What does it cost?

All listings on the site are now FREE!

All we ask is that you ensure your contact details, availability, prices and digs features all all kept up-to-date.

What about commission?

We charge 10% commission on all successful bookings made through the site. You have the option to decline bookings but if you keep your diary updated then this should be a rarity.

No more missed bookings just because you can't get to the phone and hopefully far fewer calls about a room that is already booked out. It's easy and great value.

What if I need to cancel?

Please get in touch directly with the Guest. Hopefully it should be a rare occurrence and we will refund the deposit to the Guest.

What if the Guest cancels?

We hope this never has to happen but, depending on the circumstances we will usually credit the deposit to your future bookings.

What about tax?

Under the government's Rent a Room scheme, Hosts can earn up to £4,250 per year from rental income before having to pay tax on that income. There are, as you would expect, some stipulations and reading the rules on this would be a good place to start. Still, it's a nice incentive – if you only let one room @ £100 per week you can enjoy 42 weeks of happy, paying tenants without paying any extra tax!

Why Theatre Digs Booker?

theatredigsbooker.com has exclusive links to professional bodies, unions and affiliate websites with theatre professionals totaling in excess of 115,000 members.

We contact touring companies, producers, theatres, unions and professional bodies to ensure that they know the 'paper' digs list is a thing of the past.

All of this means you can easily optimise your chances of getting bookings without fear of being relegated to the back page of a paper list just because your name comes later in the alphabet.

Can I link to my website or my email?

No. We try to keep all communication happening through the site and that way the bookings and follow up process doesn't break. You get your bookings and Guests can write reviews after their stay.

Can I show my telephone number?

In order to keep all the communication happening through the site we no longer show telephone numbers. Instead Guests can contact you via messages or by booking online.

Many Guests told us that calling digs and getting no answer was one of their main frustrations. Now they can book all their digs within a matter of minutes.

Why are Photo's required?

Photos are a requirement of hosting with TheatreDigsBooker.com and greatly improve your chances of getting more bookings.

You only need 1 but can upload up to 10 and it only takes a few seconds.

Digs listings without photos appear below listings with photos and elicit weekly reminder emails from the site.

For help adding your photo see our help article How to upload photos.

* Unlimited usage governed by fair usage policy.

Proudly working with these wonderful organisations.
Equity
Spotlight
Musician's Union
UK Theatre
ITC
The Actor's Guild
SMA
Mandy.com
ISM
Just a few of the great places where we've been featured.
The Telegraph
The Sunday Times
The Stage
Channel 5
Money Saving Expert
Choice Magazine