Travel in Orange County is back up, which is excellent for anyone involved in the travel industry. As someone who owns a vacation rental, that includes you! Are you ready to start welcoming guests?
If you're new to owning a vacation rental, you have a lot to consider. For example, what vacation rental rules and guidelines will you set?
We're here to help you figure that out. Read on for our top tips.
Make Vacation Rental Rules and Guidelines Reasonable
Many people who own short-term rentals create strict (and often unreasonable) rules for their vacation rental guests. Remember, your guests are staying there to have a good time. If you limit their ability to do so too much, they won't leave a good review and you definitely won't have return customers.
Try to imagine yourself on vacation. What restrictions would seem fair to you?
Instead of a curfew, set quiet hours that make sense (for example, if the rental is in an apartment building, the quiet hours would be earlier to show respect for other tenants. Ask guests to leave the unit tidy. Don't expect too much.
Focus on Safety
Safety is key, especially if your rental is targeting families. There are many types of vacation rentals that all have their own safety hazards, so try to find the specific hazards that pertain to yours.
For example, if you target families and you have a second-floor unit, you may want to specify rules about not sitting on the railing of the balcony or not leaving children unattended outside. If you have a pool, specify leaving the gate locked when not in use.
These are practical rules to set in place.
Limit Cleaning Requests
Many vacation rental hosts have long lists of cleaning requests alongside hefty cleaning fees. We recommend limiting those and hiring competent cleaners instead.
The average person will never be able to clean as well as a pro, and people don't want to clean on vacation. The less you limit their enjoyment of your space, the better.
Make Rules Accessible
Make sure you make your house rules as accessible as possible.
They should be included in the listing so guests know what they're signing up for before signing the rental agreement. You can also include them in your welcome message so guests always have the rules available in their emails.
A physical list of rules should also be somewhere in the unit, preferably where the customer can't miss it (like on the refrigerator).
Rules Make Guests Safer
It can be tricky to find a good balance with vacation rental rules and guidelines. As long as you keep the rules reasonable, focus on safety, limit cleaning requests, and make the rules as accessible as possible, you shouldn't have a problem.
Do you need help managing your short-term rental in Orange, California? At PMI Harbor Beach, our team of experienced property managers can help! From marketing to cleaning, we'll help you arrange it all.
Schedule a free consultation with us today.
