The short-term rental market has been booming over the past several years. Just in 2022, an estimated 60 million Americans chose short-term rentals while traveling. That's led to many people buying property to take advantage of that trend.
But short-term rental management takes a lot of work and is something you must get right. Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when offering short-term rental services.
Only Using One Platform
Many people hear about people making great money on platforms like AirBnB. While they can provide a great source of customers, they aren't your only one. You also must consider what will happen if you lose access to the platform.
Try to find other booking sources outside of your primary options. Doing this will allow you to reduce platform risk and find more customers for bookings.
Creating Bad Listing Pages
Your listing page is often the only way a potential customer can evaluate your property. They look at your pictures to get a feel for your property and look at the features you describe in the description.
A bad listing page will greatly hurt your chance of booking travelers. Work on creating a detailed description of what makes your property stand apart from the rest, and use high-quality photos to show people why they should book your rental.
Providing a Poor Guest Experience
You don't want your guests to fend for themselves when they visit your property. Guest amenities do a great job of improving the experience and creating happy customers.
Look at what the most successful short-term rentals do for their guests. Try to replicate that experience and provide great customer service to ensure you have happy guests who will leave positive reviews for your property.
Leaving Unsanitary Conditions
People expect clean living conditions when they book a short-term rental. They don't want to visit a property that's dusty and still has garbage from previous guests around.
Make sure you take cleaning seriously between guest visits. Whether you use a cleaning service or property management company, ensure the property gets cleaned after every visit to avoid having a dirty vacation rental.
Choosing a Bad Location
Rental location is everything in the short-term rental business. You may have extra space to rent, but you won't have many customers unless people regularly come to your area.
There are many potential locations to consider for short-term rentals:
- nature areas
- popular cities
- ocean property
- business destinations
If you pick one of these areas, you'll greatly increase your chances of finding rental bookings. Look at the demand for the area you plan to purchase to ensure you find a great area to buy.
Do Short-Term Rental Management Right
Buying a home or renting yours out during popular times seems like an easy way to make some extra cash. The problem is that many people fail to realize how much work it takes to maintain a short-term rental over time. You then end up with unhappy customers and a rental that fails to attract visitors in the future.
If you're struggling with short-term rental management, it pays to work with an experienced management company. Whether it's customer booking, check-in and out services, or cleaning, PMI Sea Island has every service you need to manage your short-term rental. Contact us to learn more about our services.
