Do you have a vacation home that is unoccupied a lot of the time? Are you thinking about renting it out short-term and looking for information? Or perhaps you are already renting it. But there are more and more properties for rent, and it can be hard to find renters or make them happy. We prepared these vacation rental tips for you to find more guests, make them happy, get good reviews, and earn more with short-term rentals!
1. Let them know what to expect in your vacation rental
When you post an ad for your rental property, ensure that everything is as clear as day! If your prospective guests don’t understand something, they will likely skip to another ad instead of inquiring about it. So, create an extensive description: describe rooms, beds, the layout, the amenities, places of interest nearby, any quirks, etc.
Having high-quality photos is also very important to grab your guests’ attention. Another of vacation rental tips is hiring a professional photographer to take the photos. It pays off when you get lots of guests!
2. Cleaning and providing the basics
Leave the place as clean as a whistle. Scrubbing toilets is not too much fun, but you should do it for your guests. Vacuum or sweep the apartment thoroughly, and make it clutter-free.
And make sure to provide all basic necessities. It includes enough toilet paper, soap, several towels, dishes, and utensils. Just think about what you need to stay in a property comfortably and then prepare all these things.
3. Quality bed, pillows, and linen
People spend a third of their lives sleeping, and it’s similar during trips. We need accommodations because we need somewhere to sleep. So if you have a good bed and high-quality linens, people will surely notice and appreciate it! You can also get several different pillows because different people like different pillows.
Another good idea is to have a rollaway bed. Sometimes more people might want to book your space, or they might not want to sleep on one bed, even if it’s spacious. Such beds take up very little space but can be very useful.
4. Extra goodies
Your guests are looking for a nice place to stay in first and foremost. But if there are extra things in the vacation rental, even better for them and you, as you will get good reviews! One example of going the extra mile is to prepare a welcome basket. You can put many things there: a bottle of good wine, cookies, crackers, maybe sodas, bottled or filtered water. You can even leave some basic groceries for them, such as bread, milk, cereal, jam, and eggs. That will save your guests from having to go grocery shopping, and they might be very thankful!
You could also include such modern comforts as gaming systems, Netflix, beach toys if you are in a beach area. Once again, think about what you would like to have and add it to your apartment! It might seem like expenses at first, but it will soon repay with constant bookings.
5. Help the vacation rental guests
Finally, help your guests as much as you can. Ask how they will arrive and give them clear instructions to getting to your place, by car, train or other transportation. Leave your number in an easy place to see so they can contact you if they need something. Have a person in the location who can come and fix things if something happens, such as the pipe bursting.
It might also be helpful to prepare a guidebook for your guests. Everything in your property might look easy and understandable to you, but it’s not the same for your guests who are visiting this place for the first time. Noting everything in a guidebook – from Wifi passwords to how to turn on the stove – will make the lives of your guests easier, and they will be more thankful. Just think what they might need and use and write instructions in your guidebook.
If you follow these vacation rental tips, your rental is bound to become popular with the guests! Perhaps you are looking for a vacation apartment yourself? Read why vacation rentals are better than hotels.