A first-hand account from a property manager who paid $7,398 for services that were never delivered
HostGenius operates two lines of business: a growth and sales consulting service for short-term rental property managers (which is what I contracted), and a separate property management company managing STR properties on behalf of homeowners. My experience is solely with the consulting side. I have no knowledge of how the property management arm operates.
HostGenius markets itself as a growth partner for short-term rental property managers. Charles Mullany's sales pitch was polished and confident. These are the specific services I contracted and paid for:
The Market Partner Agreement specified fees billed monthly in advance, on the last day of each calendar month. Here is how HostGenius actually billed me:
Three charges in 68 days. No 30-day gap between any of them.
When I raised this as fraudulent billing in my formal demand, HostGenius's accountant responded in writing. The explanation, quoted directly from their October 7, 2025 response document:
"Second invoice (July 22): Issued slightly earlier to align with cash-flow management."
"Third invoice (August 19): Scheduled in accordance with the same cash-flow guidance."
This was not a billing error. By their own written account, the accelerated cycle was intentional — timed to serve their cash flow, not the terms of our agreement. The contract said end of month. They billed whenever they needed money.
The same document also claimed $2,100 in Hostaway and PriceLabs technology fees were non-refundable. These were software subscriptions I was told were included as part of the service. They were deducted from my refund without my agreement.
I submitted a formal termination notice on August 21, 2025. Charles Mullany's response was to hand me off to Natalia Mukhina, HostGenius's Community Manager, telling me she would "run point" on my offboarding and refund.
What followed was six weeks of managed delay:
On October 14, 2025, after a formal demand letter, Charles Mullany wrote:
"Yes — we can complete the refund tomorrow."
That same evening, he sent a DocuSign settlement agreement. The agreement required me to sign — and trust that payment would follow — before any money was sent. By that point, HostGenius had already taken $7,398 from my account and delivered almost none of what was contracted. Signing first and trusting that payment would follow was not something I was willing to do.
I offered a significant compromise. I agreed not to:
What I asked to retain was narrow:
I also asked that payment clear my account before the agreement became binding — a standard protection when the other party has already demonstrated they will take your money and not deliver.
Charles refused these terms. His response on October 15:
"If you sign the settlement agreement, the wire will be sent by 5:00 PM MT today. If not, we will proceed under the dispute process outlined in our contract."
No wire was sent. No further communication from Charles Mullany followed.
The question I'd ask anyone reading this: if the refund was legitimate and the money was ready to wire, why did receiving it require me to first sign away my right to tell the truth?
Charles Mullany is a skilled salesman. His sales process is professional — pressure tactics, polished Notion pages, an automated booking system. The infrastructure looks substantial.
What I experienced: a team that does not execute, zero accountability, and billing practices that don't match what was agreed. When I asked for my money back, the offer was: sign this NDA first.
I've since been contacted by others who found my reviews while doing their own due diligence before engaging HostGenius. I share my experience when people ask, and I'll continue to do so.
Make of it what you will. I simply wish this information had been available to me.
If you've worked with HostGenius or Charles Mullany and want to share your experience — or if you have questions about mine — use the form below. I read every message.