Would you like to be the best Vacation Rental host ever? This article will help you with how! Vacation rental hosting can provide many benefits, but it also has many challenges. Make sure that you know what you’re getting into before jumping in headfirst. Here are 11 tips to help ensure that your home is a great place for guests and that the experience of hosting them is rewarding.
-
Make sure you know what your goals are
Are you hosting primarily to earn money? Then it’s important to recognize and feel good about how hosting aligns with and supports these goals. For Vacation Angel CEO, John Paul Pfeiffer, Vacation Rental hosting started as a means to help pay the taxes and insurance on his property. He says that initial goal has evolved into being able to provide a great, affordable place to stay in Brantingham Lake, a highly coveted area of the Adirondacks that give guests the opportunity to live on the waterfront and experience all the treasures of local activites. “I’m proud to be able to share that.”
-
Surround yourself with resources.
Knowing whom you can call on when things go wrong is one of your most important assets as a Vacation Angel host. You will need to care for your home and manage the expectations of guests, so having support when things get tough can be invaluable. If you are not living close and able to be on site in a few moments its vitally important you have someone you trust who can be. Always expect the unexpected and be prepared for everything to go wrong. If you are prepared then your stress levels will be managed and your guests can have the issue resolved in as reasonable time as possible.
-
Be an active host!
Vacation rental hosting is all about being there for your guests – even if it’s just a virtual presence while you are not at home yourself. John Paul says has he has to “put in the time,” which is sometimes hard when she has a full-time job. But it’s worth it. She said that being an active host helped her build trust with guests and made them feel comfortable staying at her place even if they were alone or had just met each other on the trip.
-
Be proactive!
Vacation rental hosting is about anticipating and meeting your guests’ needs before they even know what those are. Elle said one of the best ways to do this is by “staying in the mind-set that it’s not just a transaction, but an experience you want them to have.” This means staying flexible as a host. You can’t be an active or proactive host if you don’t have a flexible schedule and the willingness to go with the flow when things change unexpectedly, so make sure that is part of your hosting plan from day one!
-
Be prepared for guests at all times. Be Flexible.
Vacation rental hosting means being ready for someone to come by at a moment’s notice. John Paul recommends keeping your place “spotless, clean and ready for someone to drop in without any warning.” This can be tough if you have a full-time job or other obligations outside of hosting that mean unpredictable schedules – but it’s an important part of being a good host!
Vacation rental hosting is all about being proactive and staying flexible, even if that means changing your plans to accommodate guests at the last minute. Vacation rental hosting is all about being there for your guests – so try not to get frustrated or upset when you have to make changes!
It’s important for hosts to be ready to accommodate guests at all times. Vacation rental hosting is also an opportunity for hosts to get out of their comfort zone and meet new people – so be open to whatever comes your way!
-
Be honest about what you can and can not offer.
Vacation rental hosting is all about good communication, and that includes being upfront with your guests – even if it means saying no to them sometimes. You need to make sure their expectations are realistic before they arrive at your place (and know how much you will be able to accommodate those expectations.) This also means setting clear house rules from day one.
-
Set up a comprehensive house manual
The best way to manage expectations is to have a comprehesive house manual set up. Sending this to guests immediately after they book is invaluabel for both hosts and their guests. It saves time and energy for both parties in making sure your guests have all the details. John Paul suggests making the manual with many categories so that guests can find what they need quickly without having to read the whole thing just to get one bit of information they are looking for. Read our Blog about our choice or the best house manual for 2022.
-
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Vacation rental hosting is a big responsibility, and having someone to turn to when things get tough can make all the difference. John Paul recommends working with your local neighborhood association as well as Vacation Angel hosts in other cities or countries – since you will need to learn about your guests’ needs and be ready for anything.
-
Be transparent with your guests!
Vacation rental hosting is all about building trust, and that starts with being honest from the beginning. If you don’t want people staying at your place more than one or two nights in a row (or if you only want them there on the weekends), say so! If you only want guests staying for a short period of time, make sure to mention that. Vacation rental hosting is all about setting expectations from day one and making sure those expectations are met – which means being honest with your future guests as early as possible.
-
Be good to yourself!
Vacation rental hosting is a big responsibility, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. It can be tough making sure everything runs smoothly when you’re not there to see what’s going on in your place – so make sure you are taking care of yourself at the same time! John Paul recommends talking through problems with someone else who hosts Vacation Rentals in your area so you have a support system to turn to when things get tough. One way of connecting is via the Vacation Angel Facebook Group where hosts of waterfront vacation rentals can exchange ideas and experiences.
Vacation rental hosting is all about being there for your guests, anticipating their needs and making them feel welcome from the moment they arrive at your place until it’s time for them to go. If you aren’t willing or able to do that, it’s better for everyone involved to say no. John Paul does his best to make sure that everything is ready for his guests when they arrive. He also includes in the house manual tips on how to get around, interesting things to do in the area and places where her guests can find what they want.
-
Safety First
Vacation Rental Hosting isn’t just about making money; while safety should always come first, John Paul says he enjoys meeting new people from around the world and getting a peek at what life might look like elsewhere. “I love knowing I helped someone get an experience of staying on an Island and Brantingham Lake. Something more personal than staying in a hotel.”
But making sure that your guests are safe and sound is of utmost importance. Hosts should make sure that they have all the property safety precautions immediately available such as Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors, Fire Hydrants and a Emergency First Aid kit.
Vacation rental hosting is all about being there for your guests -Vacation Angel can be a great resource when it comes to advice on how other hosts have handled issues with their own Vacation Rentals themselves! Vacation Angel invites vacation rental hosts to join their Facebook Group to be able to share ideas and experiences. Click here to Join the Facebook Group: VACATION ANGEL FACEBOOK GROUP
