Important topics when renting out a holiday home

Adriaan de Jager

If you’re considering renting out a holiday home and you’ve decided that now is a good time, congratulations! It’s an exciting process but one that requires careful attention to detail. So, to help you succeed, we’ve listed some of the most important things you need to consider when renting out a holiday home.

Rental price

Determining the appropriate rental price for your vacation rental is crucial. You want to maximize your return by not setting the price too low but also avoid being too expensive to ensure optimal occupancy.

Several factors will determine your rental price:

State of the house

Holidaymakers are more likely to rent a home that’s clean and tidy. Although every home is unique, creating an ambiance that complements your rental and its surroundings will have significant benefits. And make sure the house is also in excellent technical condition. Not everything has to look perfect, but everything must be working perfectly.

Location

The location of your accommodation has a major effect on the rental prices you can ask. For example, a centrally located holiday home with good public transport connections will be a big attraction for many tenants. Some people will want to be surrounded by nature and beautiful views in the countryside. So have a good think about this, and make a list of what makes your location unique and appealing!

Facilities and amenities

The quality of the facilities, both inside and outside your home, can significantly impact your rental price. The more luxurious your facilities, the more attractive your holiday home becomes, and the more you can ask. It’s helpful to compare your home with others in the area and consider what additional services will make it stand out. These small details can make a big difference.

Rental agreement

Apart from deciding on the rental price, ensuring that all legal requirements are met when renting out a vacation home is equally crucial. A rental agreement plays a vital role in this process. It helps document your rights and responsibilities in a legally binding contract, clarifying the expectations for both you and your tenant. When creating a rental contract, it is important to include details such as the personal information of yourself and the tenant, the rental period, payment information, and the responsibilities of each party.

Website

Tenants will need to find you before they can rent your accommodation. A website can be extremely important in this regard. Ensure your website is optimized for search engines, and that you can manage it yourself. You don’t have to create your own website from scratch: there are several useful website builders available, including systems like Wix, Weebly, Jimdo, and Duda. When creating your website, pay particular attention to clear text, striking photos, and an appropriate design.

Platforms

We all know Booking.com, Airbnb, and other big booking platforms. It’s precisely because these sites are so well known that the chance of getting bookings is also high. However, here are a few things you should keep in mind if you plan to advertise with them:

• High commissions: You pay a fixed percentage of the booking amount per reservation. Depending on a number of factors, this percentage is between 10 and 25%.
• Strict conditions: Landlord regulations are becoming tighter, particularly regarding cancellation conditions, whereby tenants are gaining more and more rights, resulting in greater risks for landlords.

Booking system

It may sound obvious, but a booking engine is an indispensable tool for your website. Your system should be flexible and easy to use, so you can set it up to suit you. Do you only want to show your availability and then have personal contact with your potential tenant? Or would you prefer to receive bookings and have them paid (in part) immediately? Check whether all these preferences are executable within the booking system. Also, ensure your booking system or availability calendar is commission-free to avoid unwanted costs. If you decide to list your accommodation on one or more of these platforms, check that your booking system can synchronize the availability across all the platforms to avoid double bookings!

Learn more

Still have doubts? Are there certain subjects you’d like to learn a bit more about? It’s always good to gather as much information as possible; a course could be very useful in that respect. If a course is something you’d be interested in, it’s well worth getting in touch with BNBVerhuurcursus.nl. They really know everything about purchasing and renting out a holiday home. Find more information here. They also communicate in English!