Despite the ongoing pandemic, people are willing to spend huge amounts of money on a weekend getaway in a secluded vacation home. With the line blurring between work and home, many people seek ways to escape the pressures they experience every day. This has become even more challenging amidst the current travel restrictions and health concerns. Nevertheless, people are looking for accommodations that can provide them with a safe bubble to stay in, even for a few days.
As a result, the accommodation-sharing market has seen an influx of guests during this time. People are looking for spaces that they can rent out for a few days. Hosts have shared their surprise at how fast bookings for their property get filled up every month. However, along with this high demand comes higher expectations from guests.
Given that the stakes are higher, people are looking for vacation homes that guarantee safety, comfort, and entertainment. Consequently, rental owners need to step up their game to satisfy the needs of their patrons. Here are some changes that hosts have been making to achieve that.
Renovations
The early months of the lockdowns in the United States forced non-essential businesses to shut down. Of course, home rentals became part of these industries that lost revenue during the pandemic. This also meant that some of these properties were not given regular maintenance, as access to some of these houses was cut off.
Now that the market is starting to recover, owners have been preparing to welcome even more guests. They have been reinspecting pipelines, electrical wirings, and ventilation systems. They have also made sure that mold, mildew, termites, and other pests have not damaged the property. This has allowed them to make the necessary repairs.
Many rental owners have also considered more drastic overhauls to keep up with the higher expectations of guests. For instance, hosts have taken the time to repaint their walls to make the property look new and well-kept. Some have also chosen to use paints that are eco-friendly and reduce the accumulation of microbes. Other installations include antibacterial floors, windows with UV protection, and HVAC systems with more effective filters.
Housekeeping
In addition to the standard rules and regulations of most vacation home rentals, owners have included new policies to ensure heightened security measures for guests. Many property owners have enforced limits on the number of people who can stay at a time. This rule aims to prevent superspreader events and to be compliant with government safety protocols.
Earlier this year, a leading accommodation-sharing website released guidelines to ensure the cleanliness and safety of rental homes. This new policy requires the use of personal protective equipment when disinfecting and cleaning the property upon the departure of visitors. The company has also implemented a program that provides a 72-hour window between bookings as an extra precaution for owners who cannot perform thorough cleaning.
Professional cleaning services have also made it easier for rental owners to disinfect their property. Moving forward, hosts can establish partnerships with expert cleaners so that they have regular staff coming in for reliable services.
Property Management
Bookings, customer concerns, price hikes, and other management concerns have been extra difficult for hosts. Given that a large number of owners have other matters to deal with at home and work, they struggle to answer inquiries and manage the property when guests are renting it.
Property management companies have been around even before the pandemic. However, many owners have found their services even more beneficial recently. These companies sign agreements with multiple property owners so that they can take charge of the daily affairs of rental houses. They can update listings, manage bookings, reply to inquiries, and fulfill the additional demands of guests. They can also be responsible for the overall upkeep of a property.
In this type of partnership, an owner receives a monthly rental fee from the management company. This setup guarantees that the owner has a steady stream of income as long as the contract is still valid. Meanwhile, the company has the liberty to raise and lower rental fees according to the demands of the season. Although owners pass up on the opportunity to gain extra during price surges, they also free themselves from the burden of handling the market’s volatility.
Vacation rentals are recovering from their losses in the previous year, and owners have been making changes and improvements to attract guests. This allows them to adapt to the growing demands and expectations of accommodation seekers in the months and even years to come.