Owning a rental property can be a rewarding experience. You can make passive income off a one-time investment, but only when people stay at your rental regularly. When it’s not a popular time to visit your rental’s location, you should be aware of these five off-season vacation rental risks and how to avoid them. Keeping these in mind will benefit you and your vacation rental cleaning crew.
Off-seasons are inevitable, but you don’t have to worry about maintaining your property during empty periods. Prepare for potential problems by using these tips to increase security and learn how to handle challenges that come with renting a home.
Fewer Guest Bookings
Certain times of the year are better for vacationers. They won’t travel when their kids are in school or the weather isn’t right for your rental’s location. Getting through periods with fewer guest bookings is part of the rental process. Avoid any risks associated with less revenue by planning expensive renovations or upgrades during busier seasons so you conserve funds in the meantime.
Routine Maintenance Issues
It’s challenging to keep on track with maintenance if you live in a different city than your rental home. You might not notice when major storms roll through the area or temperatures plummet below the freezing point. Some weather conditions will cause routine maintenance issues that every renter should prepare for. Don’t rely on your vacation rental cleaning team to maintain pipes and fixtures. For this, you may need to take matters into your own hands.
Frozen pipes are some of the most common household problems. Don’t risk walking into your rental to find a flooded kitchen or empty faucets. Take a few precautionary steps to prevent your pipes from freezing, like opening cabinet doors or adding insulation around the pipes. You won’t have to pay a plumber for an expensive repair or replacement during slower months.
Neighborhood Break-Ins
Locals know when tourists will visit in waves, which means potential thieves know precisely when rentals will likely remain empty. They target rental home neighborhoods because no one’s there to see them break in if no one stays at the properties.
Amp up the security for your rental to avoid this major off-season risk. In addition to installing a security system, you can make helpful upgrades like replacing your garage door. A new study model will use strong steel frames to seal your home against intruders who would otherwise try to kick in the door or force it open.
Sudden Holiday Bookings
Some holidays might occur during your rental’s off-season, so you could get sudden holiday bookings. If guests arrive and find leaking pipes or damaged parts of your property, you’ll get bad reviews. Bad reviews are always a vacation rental risk, so learn how to respond to them and transform them into a future of good reviews. If you fix the issues cited by guests, you’ll prevent those issues from being a problem in the future.
Weather-Related Problems
Sometimes weather patterns will create other problems renters have to tackle. Storms might rip shingles off your roof or ruin your landscaping. Check your property regularly, even when bookings are slow so you can spot and repair any damages caused by high winds and extreme weather events. A lot of Airbnb cleaning success comes with preparation and prevention. If you can address the issue beforehand, you may save yourself from a tough mess.
Visit Your Property
These off-season vacation rental risks are avoidable if you visit your property even when bookings are few and far between. Inspect exterior and interior features, increase your security and monitor your online reviews. You’ll keep up with your property and make it the best place to stay for the few travelers who pass through the area during slower periods. Once that is all finished, you are prepared for the busier seasons. When it gets busy, you can use Turno to make things more manageable. With automated payments and scheduling, vacation rental cleaning has never been easier.
