How to Keep Your Summer Vacation Home Rented

A summer vacation home is a great place to get away, but most people can't afford to stay in their vacation homes throughout the travel season. When the home is unoccupied, it is simply costing you money in mortgage payments, maintenance and other costs. One way to offset some of those costs is to rent it out when your aren't there. These days, a huge percentage of vacation homes are rented out, and owners can enjoy thousands of dollars of income from homes that would otherwise be vacant. There's a lot of competition out there for renters, however, so you have to know how to play the game to keep your summer vacation home rented.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photos of your home

1. Get your vacation home in tip-top shape to stand out in the crowd. Many summer vacation homes have a cookie-cutter appearance that doesn't attract renters. Take the time to upgrade your vacation home's appearance with wall paint, quality furnishings and kitchen essentials so that renters feel as though your property is something special.

2. Take quality photos of your entire rental home. Photos are the best tool you have to advertise your vacation home. When prospective clients feel as though they are already familiar with your home, they will be more likely to rent it.

3. List your home on vacation home rental sites such as CyberRentals.com or vacationhomes.com (see Resources below). These sites allow you to upload photos of your home and provide lots of information about the property. Most renters looking for summer vacation homes will use the Internet to find properties.

4. Craft a stand-out property description for your listing that highlights everything you love about your vacation home. Most listings are utilitarian, so a well-written, passionate description will make your property seem more attractive. Include every piece of relevant information you can think of so potential renters feel like they really know what they could expect from your home.

5. Take advantage of additional listing tools like availability calendars, customer testimonials and hit counters. These tools make it easier for renters to navigate and provide information they want and need.

6. Offer competitive specials during the off season to keep your vacation rental occupied throughout the year. Use the larger figure, whether it's a percentage or a specific dollar amount, when advertising your special. This way, potential renters will think they are getting a better deal.

Tips & Warnings

• List your home on multiple vacation home listing sites. No one site dominates the market, so to get you home viewed by the most number of eyes, you have to diversify.
• Keep your listing updated regularly, particularly if you use an availability calendar.
• Pricing your home just slightly below others in the market may help you keep it rented, because renters will feel like they are getting a deal.

Resources

• Vacation home listings
• More bacation home listings