What makes a good vacation rental?

Ever since the emergence of vacation rental sites like Airbnb and HomeAway, there has been a surge in homeowners renting their homes out as vacation rentals for out-of-town guests visiting their city. It’s actually been quite lucrative for many people… Well, for those who “get it right.”

“Get it right?”

In order to be a good vacation rental host, you have to “get it right,” meaning make your rental appealing and comfortable to the guests coming to visit your home.

Ultimately, to make your guests feel comfortable and welcome, you have to put yourself in their shoes… ask yourself “what makes the perfect vacation?” Of course, excursions, sightseeing, and great food make a great vacation, but a major part of vacation enjoyment is the accommodations, and that’s where you come in.

By having an understanding of what guests want and look for in a vacation rental, you’ll be better able to meet and exceed their expectations. The idea is to create a home space away from home. But to meet and exceed their expectations, it doesn’t just start from the moment they arrive at your rental property… It actually starts when they first encounter your listing online.

Once you “wow” them online, you then have to “wow” them in person with your property. Take a look at some helpful tips on how to make your vacation rental guests feel right at home in your rental property.

Tips to Meet and Exceed the Expectations of Your Vacation Rental Guests

Don’t Live in Your Vacation Rental

The vacation rentals where guests feel the most comfortable are the ones where the homeowners don’t actually live there. Ideally, if you’re going to get into the vacation rental market, it’s best that you don’t live there. You can easily find a permanent rental loan program that you can use as a vacation rental or more of a long-term rental as you please.

But guests are definitely going to feel more comfortable when they know you’re not there. If you must be in your rental, make sure your property has a basement area or lower area where you don’t have to come in contact with your guests at all. The less visible you are to them, the more comfortable and free they’ll feel.

Also, your home decor should not be personalized; There should be no pictures of family, have empty dresser drawers, and empty closets with hangers, etc. You ultimately want your rental to be furnished and stylish but look like no one lives there so that your guests can come in and personalize the space how they want for the time that they’ll be staying there.

Make Sure Your Rental Reflects What You Advertise Online

There are so many vacation rental scams out there that you want to instill trust in your guests that you’re not one of those scammers. So how do you do that? Make sure your rental is reflective of everything you advertise online.

If your rental is listed as a three-bedroom home, there need to be three usable bedrooms for people to sleep in with beds. If you advertise a two-car garage, that garage needs to be empty for guests to park two cars. So the bottom line is that you need to be honest about your listing. The moment a guest discovers falsified information on your listing, your ratings will suffer tremendously.

Make Sure Your Rental is Spotless

One of the quickest ways to get a bad review on your rental is for it to be dirty. Everything from a dirty microwave and crumbs in the silverware drawer to crud on the baseboards and odd smells, these are all things that can make the difference between a nice vacation rental and a horrible one, if only the property were clean.

Your property is your responsibility, so that means you have to keep it clean after each checkout. Whether you go in behind your guests yourself or hire a house cleaning company to do the work for you, you have to make sure your property is spotless every time a guest stays in your rental. Not doing so can cost you lots of money in decreased bookings.

Help Your Guests Plan Their Stay in Your Rental

Your rental listing isn’t just about telling guests that you have a three-bedroom with a pool, wifi, and great views… To make your listing receive rave reviews, help your guests plan what to bring when they arrive.

On your listing, you want to let your guests know what they have available for their use in all areas of the home. In the kitchen, you might let them know that the kitchen comes with a dishwasher, refrigerator, and stove, but that you’ve also included wine glasses and a wine opener, dishwashing soap and rags, seasonings, cooking utensils, and coffee, sugar, and tea.

It’s little things like that, that will not only impress your guests but will also make them very appreciative of the accommodations and convenience you’ve provided for them.