As holiday season fast approaches, a rising number of short-term rental hosts are becoming I-PRAC accredited to differentiate themselves from fraudulent operators (who operate at peak volume this time of year).

To make the process as straightforward as possible for hosts, we’ve recently updated I-PRAC’s online application form and launched a brand new 17-Step Members’ Guide. While the process remains thorough and meticulous – and we certainly cannot jump through any hoops – these updates will make life a lot easier; and hopefully, save applicants time.

If you’re thinking of becoming I-PRAC accredited and leveraging your membership for more direct bookings this summer, then this guide should successfully walk you through the entire process.

Remember, sometimes technical glitches do occur; and we always recommend that you clear your internet cache or try applying from a different internet browser if you experience any issues such as slow loading time and frozen screens.

1) Deciding what kind of I-PRAC membership is right for you

There are two types of I-PRAC memberships. It’s important you select the right one, to save yourself from needing to start the application all over again.

Private Owner Approval: Applies to people who own/ manage just one short-term rental property, and costs 199.50 for the entire year.

Agency Approval: Applies to people who own/ manage more than one short-term rental property and costs £449.50 for the entire year. 

 

2) Creating your I-PRAC account


Take your time to read the introductory content on the website, before starting your I-PRAC application. This will give you a list of all the documents you’ll need during the process, and also advise on how to complete certain fields. Remember, if you leave any parts of the application blank – this will delay approval.

When creating your account, make sure you use an email address that you have full access to, as this is the address we’ll link to your I-PRAC account (and send all emails containing important documents to). Make a note of your password – you’ll need it every time you log back into your I-PRAC account. 

 

3) Entering a payment waiver code 

If you’ve been referred to I-PRAC by an I-PRAC partner, or you’ve been provided with a payment waiver code by a senior member of the team, you’ll need to enter it at the beginning of your application – when it asks you to do so.

4) Personal Details 

This part of the application seems relatively straightforward. However, take the time to complete all the fields correctly – as this is where we’re verifying your identity, and any discrepancies will delay your approval time.

  • Ensure the name you enter matches the name on your passport
  • Triple-check your passport number when entering it into the relevant field
  • Use a clear profile picture of yourself, this will be displayed on your I-PRAC members’ profile 
  • Use a good quality, high resolution image for your profile display picture (most members use their company logo), this will be displayed on your I-PRAC members’ profile 

At this stage, it doesn’t matter if your passport is expired – as we’re just using it to verify your identity.


5) Property Details 

If you cannot remember the exact date you purchased your property, double check your proof of ownership documents (as we will need these for the application anyway). You will at least need the correct month and year in your application form.

Many applicants fail to upload correct images of their property, resulting in some delays in the approval time. Please note, we need a minimum of six, high-quality images in JPEG format. The maximum file size is 1MB.

If you try to upload images of your property and find that the system is not accepting them, it will likely be a size issue. You can alter the size of the images you’re uploading by:

  • Opening the image on your computer
  • Clicking ‘tools’ on the top navigation bar on your computer screen 
  • Clicking ‘adjust size’ 
  • Decreasing the dimensions of the image 

 

6) Payment and Bank Account Details 

I-PRAC will only ask for the bank account information that is used to make payments into your account during the verification process.

Your BIC/ Swift code is used for safe and speedy international payments by your bank. It actually stands for ‘business identifier code’, and is just another way of us verifying your bank details. You don’t need to look for two separate codes (your BIC and Swift code is the same thing, depending on your bank). It can be found on your paper or digital banking statement, or by using a digital SWIFT/BIC search tool and providing your country and bank location details.

We will also ask you for your IBAN number in this part of the application process, which stands for ‘international bank account number’ – and is used to make international payments into your bank account. You can find your bank’s IBAN in your digital banking app and on your bank account statements. For some banks, you can also look up the IBAN online, by entering the name and branch of your bank into a search engine bar, and asking for IBAN. 

If you leave the fields asking for your PayPal and Stripe email addresses blank, then we may contact you and ask for it, before approving your application. If you don’t use either of these platforms for accepting payments, it may be useful for you to email Neely Khan at [email protected] in advance, to save time all-round.

7) Social Media Account Links 

We ask for both your personal and business social media account links, and cross-check them to verify you. Please provide as many links as possible. If we find that you have accounts on certain platforms, and have failed to state them in your application, this will delay your approval time.

Remember, the application only allows you to continue when you enter a hyperlink into the fields (a ‘https link’). 

 

8) Supporting Documents 

Your application will not be accepted if we don’t receive all the supporting documents requested. Please ensure you upload clear images of your passport, bank statements and other letters (no shadows or fingers/items covering important details).

If some of your documents are in an incompatible format (such as Google Sheets or XL), you can export them to a PDF file, by clicking ‘File’ on your computer’s top navigation bar and ‘Export’ from the drop down menu.

9) Pay and Submit

Please take a moment to double-check your application details before proceeding to the payment stage.

When you do reach the payment stage, you’ll be asked to enter your payment details into our secure platform – without which, your application will not be submitted. You’ll receive an email from I-PRAC confirming this is done (so, all you have to do is wait to hear from us after).

Additional notes:


The I-PRAC application should take you no more than thirty minutes to complete in full, if you already have all your documents to-hand. We strongly recommend setting the time aside to complete it in one sitting, to ensure the process is fast and seamless for you. This applies to both private property and agency memberships.

If you feel you’ve made a mistake in your application or have any questions about what you’ve submitted, you’re more than welcome to send a note to Neely Khan at [email protected] – and she’ll address any of your concerns. You may also get in touch with Neely if you’re experiencing issues with the application during the process itself – most issues take less than five minutes to fix and members go on to become approved in no time.

So, are you ready to invest just thirty minutes and start generating more direct bookings through trust and trust marketing? Start your I-PRAC application now, by clicking here.