Tactics for Handling High-Season Demands in the EU Vacation Rental Market

Certain seasons bring increased demand for vacation rentals. While high-demand seasons vary based on the location of your short-term rentals, you should always have a strategy for dealing with these periods. Ideally, you will address guest comfort, rental turnaround, and aggressive marketing. The following guide will help you create a comprehensive system. 

Use Technology to Boost Efficiency

A high-demand season gives your business a boost, helping you to offset the losses that come within off-season periods. However, the higher demand of certain seasons means your staff might become overwhelmed by the rapid turnaround in your rental properties. Technology can simplify tasks and boost your staff’s efficiency.

Look for applications and devices that help you manage various aspects of your short-term rental business. Install software that tracks housekeeping and maintenance. Use smart security devices, such as smart locks, to eliminate the need to change locks after each guest’s departure. Keep an eye out for new tech advances that will reduce the burden of managing your properties.

Choose a Demographic and Cater to Them

Understanding the makeup of a high-demand period will help you to fine-tune your marketing strategy. For example, retirees will travel irregularly throughout the year since they aren’t restricted by work schedules or school vacations. Focusing your marketing on retirees can result in wasted advertising dollars for this reason.

Most vacation rental property owners will turn their attention to millennials, who are more likely to travel when they take a vacation. They might have young children or teenagers. Focusing your marketing on families during a high-demand season will help you showcase your properties to the highest percentage of travellers.

Create a Standard Turnover Response

Even when business is slower, guest turnaround can adversely affect the smooth operation of your short-term rental business. Anytime a guest leaves, your staff will need time to inspect and prepare the room for the next guest. This involves deep cleaning and repairing wear-and-tear damage. During this process, that guest room will remain unoccupied.

Reduce the time a room remains vacant by streamlining this process. Create a standard inspection, repair, and cleaning checklist for your staff to follow. Make sure you maintain an inventory of common replacement items (light bulbs, toiletries, etc.) to avoid delays. Set a timeline for starting this process, assigning the initial inspection as soon as a guest departs. 

Choose High-Profile Listing Platforms

Plenty of online platforms provide vacation rental listings, but not all platforms are equal. You’ll want to look at statistics for each site, including daily visits and click-through rates. This will give you a thorough understanding of the popularity of the site and its effectiveness as a marketing tool.

Some people think it’s better to stick with less popular sites since there won’t be as many listings. However, fewer listings lead to lower visibility and fewer unique visits. Even though there’s more competition on popular platforms, you can take advantage of a higher number of visitors. A successful platform offers greater visibility and greater lead generation.

Take Advantage of Compression Management

What are compression nights? These are the nights when demand is the highest due to a sudden increase in travellers and vacationing guests. A successful short-term rental business takes advantage of these periods by increasing their rates to meet the higher demand. You can predict compression nights by looking at trends common within the vacation rental industry. 

For example, Indio, California, experiences peak demand during the Coachella Music Festival (April 14 through April 24). Average guest occupancy shoots up by 48%, leading to increased vacation rental rates. When raising your rates for a high-demand period, look at the rates of your competitors. During Coachella, rates generally rise and then drop immediately following the festival’s conclusion.

Outsell Your Competitors

Keep in mind that every vacation rental property owner is going to follow many of the same steps during a high-demand period. Each property owner wants to take advantage of heightened interest in vacation rentals. You can stand out among your competitors by offering something unique and alluring.

Pay attention to your competitors throughout the year. Monitor their marketing to find out what makes them special. Follow their social media pages as well. Viewing the online activity of your competitors will tell you what increases engagement. Use this data to make improvements to your properties that guests will find irresistible. Market those upgrades or additions when competition is tougher.

Train Staff to Provide Responsive Customer Service

Even when experiencing a burst in demand for your vacation rentals, it’s important to ensure the highest possible quality of service. If your guests aren’t satisfied with their experience, they will stay with a competitor in the future. You can avoid that type of customer churn by ensuring your staff has customer-focused training. 

Keep in mind that the most vital aspect of customer satisfaction is ensuring the customer feels heard. Your staff should listen to your guests and try to empathise with them. Instruct your staff to learn and use the names of your guests. 

Create a standard response to complaints. This might involve offering something that addresses the guest’s issue or delivers some form of compensation. A guest will remember the care and responsiveness of your staff, and that can lead to a positive review in spite of experiencing a problem with their stay.

Partner With Area Businesses

Network with other business owners in your community to create a more exclusive guest experience. Some business owners might offer free samples to your guests. Include those products in your guest welcome packages. Free samples provide a more enjoyable stay and encourage your guests to visit those businesses.

Some business owners might offer discounts. This is especially common among service-oriented businesses, such as theme parks or tours. When a company offers discounts to your guests, make sure to mention that perk in your marketing materials. Offering little extras will help your business stand out during the peak season.

Protect Your Short-Term Rental in a High-Demand Market

CoverCat couples our insurance protection with guest verification services. Our insurance will help you recover your assets faster after suffering damage or theft. You’ll reduce those risks when you use our guest verification services to identify who stays in your vacation rentals. Learn more about these services when you contact us for a quote.