You’ve heard of the hype, of course you have! The idea of staying in someone else’s home instead of a hotel is not new. It is also not a fully developed market. This does not stop sites such as AirBnB get massive valuations of multiple billions of dollars. If you have a property and feel it would be a great place for weary travelers then you may be right. It is easy to make a bad vacation rental though, so with these 5 basic tips you will be on the way to success.
Provide Wifi
Seriously. Provide Wifi. The modern traveler needs to be plugged in. If they do not get the internet fix then you will miss out to the other properties in your area that are providing internet. There is nothing worse than arriving at a hotel and finding out that there is either no wifi or that you have to pay for it. In this day and age, most people traveling will expect wifi and if there isn’t then it is enough to lead them to write negative reviews about you affecting any future business.
Communicate Like a Professional
There is nothing worse, nothing worse than a bad communicator! If I have booked a property I expect to know where it is! I expect an easy way to get there and I expect to be able to ‘check in’ without any hassles. From the initial enquiry until the guest leaves, you should be on your toes ready to answer any and every question they may have. Sure, if people ask whether there is a hairdryer 20 times then it doesn’t lead to much fun. But you can change your description with this knowledge. It isn’t rocket science.
A real example of where communicating quickly and effectively with multiple guests led to a change in the description of one of the properties that Roomfilla manages came down to the amount of questions about whether it was a shared or private pool. It wasn’t a black and white thing and to save the time in the future answering such questions, a simple change in the description stopped these questions come through.
Remember, if you are found to communicate poorly, this will affect your ranking and reviews. Nobody wants to deal with someone who communicates poorly.
Keep it Clean!
Seriously. You take beautiful photos of your property to show the best side of it. If you then let guests arrive and it is a total mess then you are quickly going to get a bad review which is going to affect you in the long run. It is very easy to be bad at cleaning your vacation rental. If you get a booking which finishes on one day and then someone else arrives on the same day then you only have a short amount of time to ensure the place is clean.
Get a system in place for the cleaning. The more you can automate your vacation rental, the more money you will have in your back pocket. We all want money in our back pocket right. Even if you outsource your cleaning, it is only a small amount compared to the potential money you can take in through vacation rentals. From experience, one thing which is often neglected is towels and bed sheets. It is easy to see why, if you do not have a spare set then you need to wash them every time a guest finishes and get them ready for the next guest. Invest in a spare set. It is worth it!!
Don’t Lie
Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to tell lies? Well, she was probably doing this for a good reason. It is the same when it comes to vacation rentals. If there is a problem with the property such as the swimming pool is out of action due to maintenance then it is worth telling the guest. The earlier you tell them, the more they will know it when they arrive and they will not be struck by a big surprise. People understand that things happen and if not then you can always offer them a small discount which can often sweeten the blow.
One of the easiest things that people lie about from experience is the kitchen. Some places do not have an oven. Some places do not have a kettle. Some places may be poorly set up in terms of plates and cups. Be honest. People will look at the photos and you should match what is in the photos to what you say. Telling someone you have a fully functioning kitchen when there is just a microwave and a sink is a sure way to disaster. Don’t do it!
Treat People Fairly
This isn’t just a way to make money. The people who have booked to stay in your property have booked to have a holiday. They may not have another holiday all year, or even longer. Do not ruin it for them! Answer all questions fairly and honestly and build up a good relationship with your guests.
The fairer you treat your guests, the more they are likely to keep the place tidy and recommend you to their friends. There is no better feeling than getting a repeat customer or a referral where one of their friends wants to stay because you showed a person in their network such a good time the first time. Vacation rentals are not easy to run, but with the right attitude and treating people the way you would like to be treated, it can go a long way.
Take Aways
If you want to get into vacation rentals then you have to remember to treat people fairly and be honest. Nobody likes a liar! Also keep the place clean and communicate effectively, it is pretty simple. There are a ton of other things to keep in mind when launching a vacation rental but this is a good start.
Of course, if you want the benefits and the cash from running a vacation rental or putting your spare / empty property on to the short term rental market then you can do this in near enough one click by just giving it to Roomfilla, we’d be more than happy to take care of it for you and show you awesome results.
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