10 Tips for Renting a Vacation Home
Posted on | January 14, 2010 | 18 Comments
Renting a vacation home is easier than you might think. You can simplify your vacation rental business and prevent potential problems if you follow some basic guidelines.
Here are some tips to help establish high standards within the industry and give confidence to new and old renters alike.
1. Respond quickly to inquiries. When renters inquire, they are typically ready to make decisions. Don’t leave prospective renters waiting around for answers, especially after they’ve devoted time to searching the Internet for a vacation property. Besides, the first to respond is often the first to get the reservation. It is also important to respond even if your property is booked, just out of common courtesy. Consider using an auto-responder if you know there are times that it might take you a while to get to your computer.
2. Simplify your booking process. One of the top vacation renting tips is to accept credit cards from your guests. This speeds up your transactions and eliminates confusion if two renters have inquired about your property. You don’t want to make people have a race to see who gets their check to you faster. Always handle your vacation rental business in a professional and courteous fashion.
3. Keep an up-to-date calendar and rates. Owning a vacation home rental is a business. It is important to stay organized to reduce stress for yourself and to make the reservation process easier for renters. Keeping up-to-date calendar and rates not only helps your placement in the search results, but it also adds credibility to our industry. Renters will continually ask about dates and rates (even if yours are up to date) as long as there are owners out there that don’t keep theirs updated!
4. Post accurate and updated photos. Photos are probably the number one factor when a renter selects a property to book. The purpose of including photos in your vacation rental listing is to give renters all the information they need to decide whether your property is a good fit for their vacation. Make sure not to use a zoom when taking photos of the view from your home. It is easier to show people what they will actually see rather than dealing with a disappointed renter. As a rule, it is ok to improve the lighting and color of your photos, but it’s not okay to edit photos to make your property appear better.
5. Prevent double bookings. One of the best vacation rental tips is to stay organized. Track all bookings in one place and keep thorough records to avoid the dreaded double booking situation. This will alleviate stress on both the part of the owner and the renter.
6. Cancelling a booking. If you need to cancel a reservation, the best way to handle the situation is to help the renter find another property to book. Chances are renting a vacation home has put you in touch with a lot of other owners. Tap into those resources to get help.
7. Create a rental contract. It is important to create a set of rules to establish clear expectations for you and your renters and include penalties for cancellations, damage, etc. Establishing vacation rental guidelines is a proactive way to keep you and your guests happy.
8. Prevent cleanliness complaints. By establishing a clear check-in policy, you are following one of the top vacation rental tips! Give guests a chance to voice any complaints from the start so you can address them quickly. A check-in policy gives you the opportunity to clearly state that there will be no refunds for issues that are not addressed at the beginning of their stay. This also reduces your chances for a negative review.
9. Charging for damages. Renting a vacation home does not mean you should be in the business to make money off of renters’ security deposits. If there are no damages after check-out, the renter should be entitled to a full refund of their security deposit. If you do incur damages, you can only charge the renter for what it costs to repair or replace the damaged item(s).
10. Use reviews to your advantage. Most owners out there will receive a negative review at some point or another; it is just part of how to rent a vacation home. Instead of getting defensive, simply respond to the review and address the problem. This shows prospective renters that you have dealt with the issue and gives them confidence in renting a vacation home managed by owners.
Following these vacation rental tips will not only reduce the stress of running a vacation rental business but will also add some trustworthiness to the entire industry. As more owners follow these vacation rental guidelines, renters will gain confidence and owners will reap the benefits.
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Tags: culture > Hawaii > Hawaiian > Renting A Vacation Home > travel > vacation > Vacation Rental Business > Vacation Rental Tips
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18 Responses to “10 Tips for Renting a Vacation Home”
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January 14th, 2010 @ 9:53 am
I always love your art. Now I love your music
January 14th, 2010 @ 10:08 am
The only all inclusive trips I have taken have been cruises which I liked because I just unpacked once, settled in, then could choose if/when I wanted to go on shore excursions, or explore all the wonderful activities offered aboard the ship.
As the other answerer said – drinks, massages, beauty salon, etc. on board were NOT included, but there was a lot that was. It all depends on what you like to do & what your tastes are.
Best thing would be for you & your wife to do what he did – type in all inclusive vacations in your browser search line & review what comes up, then keep adding a keyword until you narrow it down to just those that fit the activities, locations, etc. that both of you like.
Good luck!!
January 14th, 2010 @ 11:00 am
lemme just say… you are my new hero.
January 14th, 2010 @ 11:22 am
hermosisimooooooooo !!!
January 14th, 2010 @ 11:24 am
My brother & I took a vacation, or more like a trip. Here is our story:
The wildwood flower grew wild on the farm
And we never knowed what it was called
Some said it was a flower and some said it was weed
I didn't gave it much thought…
One day I was out there talking to my brother
Reached down for a weed to chew on
Things got fuzzy and things got blurry
And then everything was gone
I Didn't know what happened
But I knew it beat the hell out of sniffin' burlap
I come to and my brother was there
And he said, 'What's wrong with your eyes?'
I said, 'I don't know, I was chewing on a weed'
He said, 'Let me give it a try'
We spent the rest of that day and most of that night
Trying to find my brother, Bill
Caught up with him 'bout six o'clock the next mornin'
Naked, swinging on the windmill
He said he flew up there
I had to fly up and get him down
He was about half crazy
The very next day we picked a bunch of them weeds
And put 'em in the sun to dry
Then we mashed 'em up and we cleaned 'em all
And put 'em in the corncob pipe
Smokin' them wildwood flowers got to be a habit
We didn't see no harm
We thought it was kind of handy
Have you ever take a trip and never leave the farm
A big ol' puff on the wildwood weed
Next thing you know
We's just wandering behind the little animals
All good things gotta come to an end
And it's the same with the wildwood weed
One day this feller from Washington come by
And he spied us and he turned white as a sheet
And he dug and he burned
And he burned and he dug
And he killed all our cute little weeds
Then he drove away
We just smiled and waved
Sittin' there on that sack of seeds
Y'all come back now, ya hear
January 14th, 2010 @ 6:35 pm
superb!!
January 14th, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
You need to get a Japan Rail Pass which gives you unlimited travel for the time you opt to purchase for………1 week, or 2 or 3 weeks .If you are just going to be on Honshu Island you can actually get a pass that is a bit cheaper just for that island.You could also look at the JAL flight passes but you miss the scenery if you fly.You must buy this Pass in YOUR country…………..you cannot buy them in Japan and you will save yourself a huge amount of money.
Look around Tokyo ………and do take a day trip to Kamakura…….go to the Tsukiji Fish Market on the way.
If you plan to go to Kyoto which is gorgeous you can mostly walk if you choose accommodation in a good location. There are maps with walking routes you get at the station.You won't get top see it all just do one section – we opted for the area near Murayama Park.There are so many shrines, temples gardens etc near here.
Catch the bus to Fuji go ko – Fuji Five Lakes…it is only an hour and a half and just beautiful …….at the base of Mt Fuji. Then take the bus to Gotemba which is a beautiful trip round the base of Mt Fuji through old traditional villages with thatched cottages etc.Change to a bus for Mishima – just catch the bus behind they call it Station 2 to Station 3.but was quite literally just the bus behind the one we got off. This bus takes you right to the Shinkansen which you can catch through to Kyoto.
If you go to Osaka, you should try and go further on to Himeji and see the castle …………probably the best in Japan and the Shrine and then on to Osaka. You could go on a little further to Okayama which has one of japan's best gardens but from Okayama you can take an ordinary train to Kurashiki – only 30 minutes ……..which is a really beautiful Edo period town.
You can look at these places at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/japanese-holidays.html
January 14th, 2010 @ 8:28 pm
January 15th, 2010 @ 12:30 am
This website might help , check it out –
http://www.usairwaysforum.com/
January 15th, 2010 @ 12:59 am
wow!
January 15th, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
you seem underweight. If you are going on vacation, the best advice i can give you is to HAVE FUN and eat the best and tastiest foods while you are at it. With an active lifestyle, your not going to add or lose too much weight.
January 15th, 2010 @ 11:11 pm
Omfg, it just looks like a picture
January 16th, 2010 @ 3:32 am
hi all everybody plz watches in my videos and rating .. plz plz plz !!!!!
January 16th, 2010 @ 8:23 am
It must be a slow day in the J.J. household today. But to answer another of your fabulously funny questions, I will give it my best shot. Go out in the garage, climb up into the attic and get out all the seldom used camping equipment. Then, after you have removed all the camping stuff, take into the living room and set up the tent with your sleeping bags, etc. You may have to go outside to find enough rocks to build your fire pit, but place it near the tent so you will not get cold during the night. Go to your local convenience store and pick up enough wood to last through the night. Then return home, turn your air conditioner down to 60 degrees. When your husband comes home, you can have a nice roaring fire going, with a cup of hot chocolate and only wearing a smile. It will be the best at home vacation ever. Good luck with that.
January 16th, 2010 @ 2:54 pm
at grand teton national park go hiking up to lake solitude, its 15 miles round trip but 100% worth it. In yellowstone I would recommend spending time just driving around looking at the wildlife, maybe hike to the top of Mount Washburn (only like 6 miles) oh and go to Bubba's Barbeque in jackson hole!!!!!
January 16th, 2010 @ 5:17 pm
You are amazing!
January 17th, 2010 @ 10:51 am
book supplier direct to avoid cancel or non refundable fares.
dig up association member cards, like AAA or AARP, you can get 10-15% off the weekly rate, (weekly rates are 5x the daily)
check with the company you work for, they may have a coporate agreement in place that may be available- many of these agreements waive airport fees and taxes, add'l driver and underage driver fees- real expensive fees here.
Also return the car to same location to avoid drop off charges and lastly, reserve a Compact car, most people are looking for smaller cars now with the most fuel efficiency. So reserve a smaller car and most likly they will upgrade you for free at counter.. if you wanbt a larger car, reserve in advance as paying for an upgrade at counter is usually much higher. oh, yeah, bring a copy of insurance card with you as well..
January 17th, 2010 @ 7:52 pm
Beautiful video!