Vacation Rentals During Pandemic: Take This Time To Adapt

The pandemic has changed the way we live our lives. With most flights canceled, we are dealing with a different scenario even if flights are allowed once again. Vacation rental properties are struggling these days because hosts can’t accept guests. On top of that, there are no new guests on most properties since countries are on lockdown.

If you are a host, this is a bad time. But don’t worry since almost all industries and businesses are also down. People might reconsider traveling even after a few months from now. But instead of just doing nothing, why not make it an opportunity to adapt to the given situation?

Lower Room to Guest Ratio

Vacation Homes 365 noticed that a lot of properties on their list tend to host a large group of people. Before the COVID 19 pandemic, a single room could accommodate two to three people. But with the new normal following social distancing protocols, things are about to change. To survive, you must prioritize the safety of people who are going to stay in your property.

Instead of housing four individuals, it’s going to be one person per room this time around. Yes, the price is going to come up, but it’s better to offer your guests peace of mind.

Health Clearances

There must be guidelines before you can accept guests. Though you want to provide them with privacy, it might be a wise move to also reserve the right to refuse them if they are sick. You might want to take their temperature to ensure that you are not hosting a potentially sick person in your property. On top of that, it might also become a trend wherein people who travel will most likely need to have health clearance from doctors. You can also expect in the future that cheaper test rapid test kits will become a trend. Though it’s an additional cost on the part of your guests, this will be a good way to screen them.

Invest in cleaning and disinfection

Cleaning and disinfection procedures will then become a trend. VacationHomes365.com helps different hosts to clean their property after their guest used the room. But after the Covid19 outbreak, things are going to be different. Cleaning will cost more since it will be more thorough. It will involve disinfecting areas to minimize the chances of the virus found in different surface areas.

You will also have to invest in providing alcohol and hand sanitizers in different corners of the property. This way, you can keep your guests’ hands clean.

It might also be a good idea to have an area where they can leave their shoes and get cleaned before they go inside the property.

Target Domestic Guests

Next, you also want to target domestic guests rather than those who are coming from other parts of the world. In case lockdown in your area has been lifted, you don’t expect guests from other countries to flock to your area immediately. Instead, perhaps, you have new guests from nearby towns or states?

There is no denying that hosts are going to adjust. But VacationHomes365 is more than willing to assist hosts that are looking for new ways to adapt to the new normal.

Vacation Homes 365: Essentials in Running a Vacation Homes Rental

VacationHomes365.com is a platform that has provided vacation homes a good number of eyeballs. But aside from that, Vacation Homes 365 has also been involved in helping struggling vacation homes. In reality, there are a number of challenges that you might encounter especially if you are somewhat new in the industry.
There are those vacation homes that don’t even make a profit simply because it is mismanaged. VacationHomes365 has helped a good number of homeowners turn the loss into profits. Here are some essentials that every homeowner should look into.

  1. Pricing

Pricing is key to the success of any vacation home rental. It is important to consider the pricing of other competitors. On the other hand, it is also a good idea if you are going to formulate pricing strategies. For instance, you can offer discounts for those who are going to stay for more than five or six days in your property. What it does is encourage people to actually book the property for a longer period of time.

2. Cleanliness

Next, it is also important to consider the cleanliness of the property. It is important that there is someone who is going to clean the property regularly. However, be sure that the guests are actually informed that someone is going to be present on the premises cleaning the property.

If you have multiple properties, it is better if you can hire someone to do these things for you. You don’t want to end up having to clean every property. This can be tricky especially if you are waiting for multiple guests who are going to use the property in a matter of a few hours.

3. Self-Check-in

Self-check-in is becoming popular for a number of reasons. One, it is convenient on the part of the host. It means that you don’t have to meet the guests if they are going to check in. Instead, they will just have to key in the digital lock that has been set for the guest.

Next, it is becoming popular mainly it provides privacy on the part of your guest. It means that there will be no interaction needed to get into the property.

4. Internet and Other Amenities

Next, it is crucial that you are going to provide the necessary amenities to your guests. If you are going to run a vacation home rental, you need to have a checklist of what you are going to have. Internet is something that has become a staple. Of course, you need to have a clean bathroom and even a washing machine that guests can use.

However, if you are going to have amenities in your property, be sure that you are going to make everything idiot-proof. It means that you will need to have some notes around the property in order to remind the guests of what they may or may not do inside the property.

If you are planning to have a vacation home rental business, it is important to consider all of these essential things. The last thing that you want is to encounter problems that may cause a loss of profits in the long run.

How to File a Complaint As a Guest on Airbnb

As a guest, you are expected to respect the property. You will still have to follow the ground rules of the host. But of course, there are instances when you the property isn’t exactly what it seems. This means that you are not happy with what you just saw. Now, it is important that you also know how to file a complaint. And when you file a complaint, you can even have a refund.

Contact the Host

The first thing that you will have to do is to contact the host. Is there anything that is wrong with the property? Can something be done in the property that can make you change your mind? If it can settle everything between the guest and the host, then this is the easiest thing that you go for.

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Now, what if the host won’t do anything about your complaint? What you can do is to tell the host that you are going to document everything and you will leave a bad review. A bad review can be a bad thing for their business. And most of the time, guests most likely don’t want to end up with a bad review.

Ask for a refund

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Airbnb spokesperson Nick Shapiro mentioned before that negative experiences are quite rare in the platform. However, if there is this type of situation, the host will shoulder the refund that the guests are asking.

Act Quick

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If you opt to file a complaint, you want to make sure that you file a complaint in the first 24 hours of your stay. In most cases, you want to do it quick. You can only claim a refund if you filed a complaint within the first 24 hours. This means that there is obviously something wrong in the place where you are staying and you don’t want any part of it.

Contact Airbnb

Now, what if you are dealing with someone who is quite unresponsive? Then, it is a good idea that you contact Airbnb immediately. They will do the communication to the host themselves and could definitely expedite the entire process. However, you will have to document everything. You will need to take the necessary pictures and provide a detailed account as to why you want to have a refund instead.

Know the refund policy

You also need to understand the refund policy of Airbnb if you start using the platform. So what are the reasons why you can have a refund?

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One, if you can’t get into the rental. Two, if the listing is misrepresented online. Three, if the place is dirty and/or unsafe. And lastly, if there is an animal that isn’t disclosed in the listing.

If you encountered any of these things, then you can qualify for a refund. However, understand that it can still be a long process. Airbnb also has to be fair to the host. It is important that they also protect the host because there could be a possibility that the guest simply changed his mind and doesn’t want to stay in the property anymore.

Reasons Why Vacation Homes Fail

The vacation rental business is now a popular industry in different parts of the world. Unfortunately, it is also a cut-throat industry given the number of competing vacation rentals in a particular area. Standing out has become a challenge. In fact, Vacation Homes 365 has worked with a good number of hosts and turned their business around for the better.

Working with countless properties, VacationHomes365.com has narrowed down some of the most common reasons why vacation homes fail.

The price isn’t competitive

The first reason why vacation homes fail is because of the fact that the price isn’t too competitive. You have to make sure that the price is actually within the range of your market’s budget. It requires that you do your research in order to figure out the average price point in your area. VacationHomes365 can advise hosts on how they should be pricing their property. But ultimately, the last call still depends on the host.

As a rule of thumb, the property should be around half of the average hotel price. If hotels ask for $100, then it might be a good idea to start with $50/night for a house. But of course, there are a lot of other considerations. You will have to consider the number of rooms plus the season.

If it is the peak season, then you have the chance to ask for a much higher rate. On the other hand, you would want to lower the rate in case it isn’t the peak season.

The property wasn’t built as a vacation home

Next, another common reason why vacation homes fail is the fact that they haven’t built the property according to the needs of the guests. Guests are very particular about a number of things in the vacation homes. Internet, cooking basics, as well as a washing machine, these are just some of the basic things that you shouldn’t forget when it comes to having a vacation rental.

The area doesn’t have enough guests

You also want to make sure that you study the number of people that goes into the area. Does it have a nearby tourist spot? If it does have a tourist spot nearby, then it should have a good number of guests. Try to make sure that you study the area where your property is located. Keep in mind that location is actually everything when it comes to this industry.

The host doesn’t have time to communicate with the guest

Another common problem is that the guests are not getting the answers fast enough. Vacation Homes 365 is a company that fills in this role for the hosts. Here, the hosts are able to relax while the experts from Vacation Homes 365 answer the queries and questions raised by the guests and potential guests.

Keep in mind that vacation home rental is a tough business. It takes an effort in order to convince guests to choose your property given the number of vacation home rentals out there. Avoid these common pitfalls and you will be able to find yourself running a successful business.

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