If you own a vacation rental, Airbnb, and Vrbo home in the Phoenix area, you may be thinking “the season” is over…but summer vacation rentals are actually a lot more popular than most people know.  While summer bookings are undoubtedly fewer than the rest of the year, you can still make this season a success! Here are a few tips that will help you have a “no sweat” summer vacation rental season.

Know Your Summer Bookings!

 Summer guests fall largely into three categories:

1. Last-Minute Bookings – Often work-related or emergency travel, but summer is also the time for spontaneous road trips!
2. Stay-cations – These will usually be weekend visits. A requirement for many stay-cationers is a swimming pool, so ALWAYS make your sparkling pool a highlight in your summer listings!
3. Longer-term Renters – With the kids out of school, summer is a popular time to move and some find it necessary to secure a temporary home while their new one is being made ready, or while waiting for escrow to close.  Especially if your rental doesn’t have a pool, consider monthly pricing to attract the longer-term bookings.

The Price is Right! Or is it?

If your vacation rental is empty in the summer, you’re doing it wrong! Check out hotel pricing in the area. What was a $300/night room in March is easily $99/night during the summer months.  Even local resorts offer $99 rooms in the summer.

We often see vacation rental homeowners catch on to “summer pricing” in their second year.  So if this is your first year, don’t waste these months! Remember, the more activity on your listing, the more attractive your vacation rental home becomes – both to prospective guests and site algorithms.

Protect Your Vacation Rental Home!

No one wants a sky-high electric bill, or worse, to have to replace a $10k A/C system prematurely. A lockable thermostat is a worthwhile investment. Just lock it at 72 degrees and you can relax knowing your system is safely operating at maximum efficiency.

If you have long breaks between guests, consider having Moxie Girl check on your vacation rental home just to make sure everything is safe and in order.  That’s considerable peace of mind for only $75!

Communication is Key!

Summer is notorious for last-minute bookings and changes.  You may notice more guests extending their

stays because summer in Phoenix is actually pretty nice when you have time to relax by a pool! Always communicate with Moxie Girl regarding any scheduling changes within 24 hours.

 

No one likes unpleasant surprises – especially guests. Be sure your guests are aware of any fees for extending their stay, late check-outs, damages, etc. Also, it never hurts to prepare guests – especially those not familiar with the desert – for things such the occasional scorpion and our crazy monsoon storms.

Don’t ignore it for the summer when you can keep your vacation rental home working for you, year-round! Moxie Girl is always here to help – from setting up your vacation rental home, Airbnb, and Vrbo to ensuring on-time, quality cleaning between guests! Check our other Moxie blogs for more information to make the most of your summer vacation rental bookings.