Hosting Tips
Adopting effective strategies is crucial in ensuring your calendar is filled and your rental achieves its full potential. Here are some tips for effective management of short term rental properties.
CREATE AN ENGAGING TITLE
The title of your listing should be both catchy and honest, effectively highlighting your property’s prime attributes to attract potential guests.
INVEST IN HIGH-QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHS
Prioritise investing in high-quality imagery of your property. Professional photography can drastically elevate the appeal of your listing.
START WITH SHORTER STAYS
Shorter stays have a more rigorous turnover, but they help with reviews and making sure your place isn’t damaged. They’ll also allow you to get more practice and flex your ‘hosting muscles’.
CHECK BETWEEN EACH GUEST
This is imperative when you start hosting. Even if you have a cleaning service, it will not only help give you peace of mind, but it will also give you insight into the types of habits and norms that people generally have. It’ll give you a baseline to know if things are amiss in the future.
MAKE YOUR DECISIONS UPFRONT
Decide early if you’re open to hosting pets, children, or families and stick to that decision. You can change your rules as time passes, but it’s key to be clear about your expectations from the beginning. Don’t make any exceptions to get bookings, even if it is tempting. Wait until you’ve hosted several stays to evaluate whether you’re ready to change your policies.
LEAVE HOUSE RULES IN MULTIPLE PLACES
Make sure you post your house rules in your listing. You can also leave copies in a house guide and explain them in person to the guest if possible. Most guests need at least three opportunities to read and thoroughly understand the rules. The vast majority do not read them in emails.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE CAPACITY OF YOUR LISTING
It can be quite tempting to allow more guests than you would like, to get more money. Don’t give the impression that your space holds more people than listed unless you want guests to try and bring extra people. Many guests do not count children, friends, or grandkids as extra people and will often try to get away with bringing more people to the space than they have booked.