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Holiday rentals are great investments, and for a number of reasons. However, one of the potential downsides that can catch inexperienced landlords by surprise is not knowing how to keep your rental booked all year-round. After all, some holiday rentals are strategically positioned to attract summer vacationers, while those mountain cottages are just perfect for wintery escape. Don’t worry, though, there are numerous effective ways you can keep your rental booked throughout the year and turn it from a hobby to a lucrative business.

Provided that you are already managing your revenue wisely and that you’re being sensible with your spending in the first year, now is the time to up your game and invest in your growth strategy. Let’s take a look at the best tips for keeping your holiday rental booked year-round while building a recognizable rental brand and attracting the best vacationers to your doorstep.

Every season has its charms

Let’s tackle the first concern that might come to mind – how are you to keep a holiday rental booked throughout the seasons. Firstly, keep in mind that every rental, no matter where it is, has the potential to serve as a year-round stay, provided that you know how to paint a picture for your audience and that you optimise the stay for every season accordingly.

In the summer, for example, you might want to stick with light interior design that doesn’t have the décor you would typically associate with the colder seasons like blankets, candles, heavy throws and carpets, and the like. Come winter, though, you should bring in those exact elements to imbue the ambiance with a cozy, warm vibe. Optimising the setting for the season will show the vacationers that your stay is the perfect place to be.

Make detailed listings and use professional visuals

To make your listings capture the attention of vacationers researching stays online, you have to be as detailed as possible in describing the look and feel of your rental. What’s more, it is imperative that you invest in professional photoshoot and create a professional tour video to portray your rental in the best possible light. After all, you want to emphasize the beauty of the space and help people envision themselves staying at your rental while listing useful information and simplifying the payment and check-in procedures, for example.

One common mistake that holiday rental landlords make is that they focus too much on what the rental offers instead of telling a story. You have a unique opportunity to tell a compelling story and paint a beautiful picture, so you need to provide as much information as possible and convey the unique charm of your rental. That said, in these (still ongoing) COVID-19 times, it’s also imperative to convince your audience that your rental is safe, clean, and that you take good care of it, which leads us to the next crucial point.

Follow the trend of service apartments

Service apartments are on the rise around the world, most notably in urban hotspots where tourists flock to explore the unique sights and experiences of the big city. Whether your holiday rental is located in a city or somewhere deep in the countryside, you should consider adopting this trend for your own rental in order to appeal to the modern vacationers.

This is a trend that is gaining popularity in Hong Kong, for example, where vacationers are looking for modern service apartments that offer regular cleaning, ensure quality hygiene and maintenance, provide regular linen and towel changing, and more. It might seem like a big investment if you suddenly started offering these perks in your rental, but it’s the only way to attract quality tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the new normal.

Invest heavily in marketing

You might think that your rental is beautiful and cozy enough to rent on its own, but in reality, all businesses need to market their products, and that includes your holiday rental. There are many ways to market your holiday rental, and it’s important that you invest in SEO if you have a website, put up some social media and Google ads, and that you keep your social media profiles alive to grow your following and keep them engaged. All of these marketing tactics will help you build social proof, which brings us to the last crucial point.

Leverage customer reviews to build social proof

Before people even start to think about getting in touch with you or booking directly online, they will first take a look at the opinions of your past tenants. This can, as you may know, make or break your rental business. If you want to keep your holiday rental booked all year round, then you have to amass positive online reviews on all relevant platforms.

If you happen to get a bad review, then it’s important to do your best to transform it into a success story. Be sure to showcase authentic photos and videos provided by your tenants on your site and social media to show your audience just how satisfied your past tenants are with their stay and your level of service.

Wrapping up

It’s not easy keeping a holiday rental booked all the time, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have some powerful tactics at your disposal. Follow these tips and you will have no problem attracting the best tenants no matter the time of year.

Big thanks to experienced blogger and real estate whiz, Mike Johnston, for this article. Mike’s no stranger to online publications like PPO, and is a seasoned writer across the property,  construction, home improvement, and interior design niches.

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