It's vacation season in Texas, and you know what that means. It's time to get your short-term rental ready for guests!
This process should start with a thorough vacation rental inspection. This step will catch any features that need to be repaired or replaced. It may also be time for a fresh coat of paint, new furnishings, WIFI installation, or hardwood flooring.
These improvements make for eye-catching rental marketing material, from enticing web copy to professional photos.
What's the next step?
Listing your short-term rentals on the web's most popular listing sites.
Discover how to rent your properties quickly for the best price!
How to List Short-Term Rentals On Airbnb
Airbnb is one of the most popular vacation rental listing sites online. Once listed, with the right strategy, you can expect rentals to go quickly. There are around 150 million active users on the platform.
This platform also has a helpful rating system that allows both guests and landlords to rate each other. This built-in mechanism can supplement your current tenant screening process, but it shouldn't be a replacement; there's no substitute for a rigorous tenant background check.
Detailed reviews of guests (from other landlords) provide deeper insight into prospective tenants' behavior, payment history, and cleanliness.
Landlords may start the process by signing up for a host account. You may rent rooms from your own home, granny flats, or second homes. This is a great opportunity for someone who inherited a second property or thinking of building a vacation rental portfolio.
It's important to note that Airbnb collects a service fee for every rental booking. However, this fee is small at around 3% per booking.
Preparing to Rent On Airbnb
Next, you'll need to prepare your property for rent.
Consider hiring a property manager at this stage. Even one property requires a lot of responsibility, juggling more than one requires help. Even better, property managers are experienced in listing short-term rentals on Airbnb; you don't have to worry about listing it yourself!
For example, a property manager from PMI Galveston Bay will start with a rental inspection, followed by necessary repairs and replacements. They'll also clean up your rental's curb appeal for listing photos. Working with a professional photographer is recommended when listing in a competitive market.
Choose a Pricing Strategy
Fill out all necessary logistics like property type, square footage, amenities, and location. Next, you'll need to price your rental accordingly to facilitate faster bookings from quality guests.
A property manager is essential here, as well. You can also look at the pricing strategies of your fellow Airbnb hosts in the area. Remember to consider their property types, amenities, and square footage when comparing prices.
You can price your rentals higher during peak vacation seasons but also lower prices during shoulder seasons to fill vacant properties. Shoulder seasons attract vacationers, business guests, students, and other tenants who need to stay for the short term.
Prepare Your Online Listing
You don't have to wait long for someone to bite at your vacation listings. Remember these tips as you craft Airbnb listings for your short-term rentals. As you achieve success, consider the possibilities of growing your portfolio with even more properties.
PMI Galveston Bay wants to help you with your goals. Browse our vacation rental management services or call us to learn more.
