15 TIPS FOR YOUR VACATION RENTAL PROPERTY

HAVE FUN WITH DESIGN & STYLE Designing & decorating your short-term rental property will be one of the most fun things during this entire process. Do not be afraid to let your imagination run wild! These are one of the few times style can take preced

HAVE FUN WITH DESIGN & STYLE Designing & decorating your short-term rental property will be one of the most fun things during this entire process. Do not be afraid to let your imagination run wild! These are one of the few times style can take precedence over functionality and trust me, you want your place to stand out. A rule of thumb that I stick with when advising my clients what to do is to allow their rental property to embrace the location. For example, a rustic ranch or farmhouse in the country, coastal vibes at the beach, or quirky in a city like Austin, TX.

PERSONAL TOUCHES Details, details, details. While they can seem tedious to some, they are so important to the overall design of any space. Including a vacation rental. When your guests arrive, you want them to feel welcomed. You also want them to h

PERSONAL TOUCHES Details, details, details. While they can seem tedious to some, they are so important to the overall design of any space. Including a vacation rental. When your guests arrive, you want them to feel welcomed. You also want them to have a sense that your property is a home away from home. You also want to make things easy enough for them that they are not having to do too much hunting or research to find things. After all, this is a vacation for them. Examples of this: Welcome signs; having your wifi information displayed in a small frame; bags of coffee or other items (beer, wine, teas, herbs, snacks, etc) from local businesses; decorating for different seasons & Holidays such as Christmas; provide a complimentary bottle of champagne if they are staying for an anniversary or any other adult milestone event; etc

FAUX GREENERY Plants add an element of life & natural contrast to a space that cannot be produced through something else. However, with a rental property, it is difficult to tend to the needs of live plants such as watering, proper sunlight, trimming

FAUX GREENERY Plants add an element of life & natural contrast to a space that cannot be produced through something else. However, with a rental property, it is difficult to tend to the needs of live plants such as watering, proper sunlight, trimming, etc. This is where faux plants come into play. They are the perfect addition for achieving that sense of life in the space while also remaining no maintenance.

UTILIZE YOUR SPACE I know that I began this article by talking about how style can take precedence over practicality & functionality in a vacation rental. However, let me also encourage you to think about incorporating functional pieces. More specifi

UTILIZE YOUR SPACE I know that I began this article by talking about how style can take precedence over practicality & functionality in a vacation rental. However, let me also encourage you to think about incorporating functional pieces. More specifically, multi-purpose pieces. This way you and your renters will get more out of your space. Examples: A dining table with an expandable leaf; a day bed with a trundle; a bunk bed with a trundle; sofa sleepers; side tables with charging ports; ottomans/poufs that double up as tables and extra seating

COFFEE BAR If you have an eye for details, these are incredibly fun to put together. You can find a lot of inspiration on Pinterest but most importantly, let your imagination run wild on this one! The necessities: A coffee maker (keurig or carafe),

COFFEE BAR If you have an eye for details, these are incredibly fun to put together. You can find a lot of inspiration on Pinterest but most importantly, let your imagination run wild on this one! The necessities: A coffee maker (keurig or carafe), coffee according to your chosen type of coffee maker, mugs, sugar packets (assortment stevia/splenda/pure cane), creamers, stir sticks or small spoons and a place for it to all go. Extras: Coffee syrups, hot water kettle, keurig + carafe, milk frother, a mini fridge to store creamers With just a few tweaks you can also turn this into a coffee bar + wet bar. There is a variety of ways you can incorporate storage & display for this area. Again, be creative & have fun.

THINK ABOUT ENTERTAINING Some like to go out to eat, some like to stay in, and some like to do both. To help allow your space to feel more like a vacation for your guests, let's talk about adding more than just your necessities in the kitchen. Addi

THINK ABOUT ENTERTAINING Some like to go out to eat, some like to stay in, and some like to do both. To help allow your space to feel more like a vacation for your guests, let's talk about adding more than just your necessities in the kitchen. Adding fun serving pieces such as decorative cutting boards that can be used for charcuteries, dip bowls, and chip bowls will allow those renting your property to feel at home.

GET RID OF PERSONAL SENTIMENTAL & VALUABLE ITEMS One of the unfortunate things about vacation rentals, or rentals in general, is sometimes things disappear or get broken. That is just the cost of doing business. You can find inexpensive items at thri

GET RID OF PERSONAL SENTIMENTAL & VALUABLE ITEMS One of the unfortunate things about vacation rentals, or rentals in general, is sometimes things disappear or get broken. That is just the cost of doing business. You can find inexpensive items at thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, or a few retail stores such as HomeGoods, Ross, AtHome & Amazon that do not cost a lot of money to replace if something happens. At the end of the day, to be in this business you have to find joy in creating a space to be shared with others and not have any attachment to the things inside the space itself.

WELCOME BASKETS Something that I love about rental properties is your opportunity to host while also providing a fun experience for your guests. A welcome basket helps set the stage for both of these. Find an inexpensive gift for your guests that the

WELCOME BASKETS Something that I love about rental properties is your opportunity to host while also providing a fun experience for your guests. A welcome basket helps set the stage for both of these. Find an inexpensive gift for your guests that they can take with them at check out. A tea towel, essential oil, key chain, magnet… there are so many possibilities here. Add bottles of water, some snacks such as trail mix or chips, some oranges, a few granola bars and a welcome note from you, the host. You can also create one for the bathrooms with a inexpensive tube of toothpaste, tooth brushes, maybe some floss, travel size shampoos/conditioners & body washes. Any small, inexpensive toiletries that you think would be useful for your guests. You do not need to add a welcome note to the ones in the bathroom, however maybe inform them that they are complimentary by leaving a note or adding it to the laminated informational paper.

INCLUDE TOURIST INFORMATION Guests typically book vacation rentals to experience the town/city they are staying in. Sometimes they book because of weddings or events that are happening close by but still have plans to experience at least a taste of t

INCLUDE TOURIST INFORMATION Guests typically book vacation rentals to experience the town/city they are staying in. Sometimes they book because of weddings or events that are happening close by but still have plans to experience at least a taste of the town they are in. It is always helpful to have information for them readily available as well as insider tips. While visiting tourist attractions is fun, they also want to know about the heart of your town and the best-kept secrets. If you do a little research you might even find that your town has a map of its hot spots. The town I reside in, for example, has a map of breweries, distilleries, and wineries to visit. Your local visitors center is a great place to find things to share with your guests and it saves your renters time from having to dive in themselves.

OWNERS CLOSET This is a great thing for you as well as those cleaning the property and if you have a property manager. It doesn’t have to be huge but it is a place to store extra linens, extra inventory (coffee, welcome basket items, toiletries), and

OWNERS CLOSET This is a great thing for you as well as those cleaning the property and if you have a property manager. It doesn’t have to be huge but it is a place to store extra linens, extra inventory (coffee, welcome basket items, toiletries), and cleaning supplies. The owner's closet is locked, either with key entry or a push button lock and only those you allow will have access to it and it won’t be able to be tampered with by your guests.

CLEANING CHECKLIST These are helpful for several reasons. One of them is that it puts everyone involved in the cleaning process on the same page. Some vacation rentals do a lengthy deep cleaning between guests, others (yes, true story) don’t even cle

CLEANING CHECKLIST These are helpful for several reasons. One of them is that it puts everyone involved in the cleaning process on the same page. Some vacation rentals do a lengthy deep cleaning between guests, others (yes, true story) don’t even clean their comforters between guests and require only a spot cleaning. Having a checklist will allow you and those helping to know what the needs and focus are. Another reason is that sometimes cleaning times are chaotic. Sometimes they have to be rushed because the previous renter left quite the mess. Having a checklist will help make sure everything gets done on those days when it is hard to keep up. I recommend a laminated list kept in the owner's closet, next to or inside the cleaning caddy with a dry erase marker in case it is necessary.

COORDINATE YOUR LINENS So this is a piece of advice that I stumbled upon a few months ago and it just makes sense if you think about it. I used to be an advocate for white sheets. Why? Because if they get stains, you can bleach them. However, that

COORDINATE YOUR LINENS So this is a piece of advice that I stumbled upon a few months ago and it just makes sense if you think about it. I used to be an advocate for white sheets. Why? Because if they get stains, you can bleach them. However, that was until spray tans and kids were factored into the equation. Some stains just don’t come out with bleach. So… here is the tip. Purchase your linens in specific colors for each size. For example: Dark green = twin size beds Terracotta = full size beds Dark blue = queen size beds Taupe = king size bed

SMART TV Redbox, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, PrimeTV, and ESPN are just a few that make this a necessity for a TV. It will help you save money by not having to add a cable bill to your costs unless you already have one and want to just add a TV to it. So

SMART TV Redbox, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, PrimeTV, and ESPN are just a few that make this a necessity for a TV. It will help you save money by not having to add a cable bill to your costs unless you already have one and want to just add a TV to it. Some property owners have accounts set up for their renters while others just have their renters use their own. I recommend the first option as you are trying to make things as convenient for your renters as possible. However, both options work. One thing I do recommend if you provide it is to also provide a laminated paper with information for those services in their welcome pack.

Think beach towels & beach toys for a beach rental. S’mores sticks, firewood, throw blankets that can be used outside & floats for a river rental. The end goal is to make this feel as much like a vacation as possible from the decor to the small detai

Think beach towels & beach toys for a beach rental. S’mores sticks, firewood, throw blankets that can be used outside & floats for a river rental. The end goal is to make this feel as much like a vacation as possible from the decor to the small details. Everything leaves an impression on your guests and whether or not they recommend you to someone else. Do not be afraid to go above & beyond, within reason, when it comes to providing for your guests.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY With most big things in life, the importance of a professional photographer can be overlooked. I know we have so many filters nowadays that people believe will do the job just fine. However, hiring a professional will not onl

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY With most big things in life, the importance of a professional photographer can be overlooked. I know we have so many filters nowadays that people believe will do the job just fine. However, hiring a professional will not only make you, yourself look like a professional but it will also show your renters what your rental looks like. Depicting true colors & details. With so many rentals available nowadays, you want to make sure your property stands out.