This week we hosted our first every Zoom presentation for local Airbnb hosts to review tips and ideas to help make the most of fall and winter bookings. Our discussion focused on 2 parts -

Part 1 - maintenance and off season updates (click to read the previous post)

Part 2 - marketing and updating your listing (read below)

How to get Fall and Winter Airbnb and VRBO bookings in your slow seasons

The first thing to think about is what is bringing guests

to your region in the off season ?

• Are their food and wine festivals, film festivals, theatre events or concerts?

• What outdoor recreation is nearby for hiking, skiing, fishing, hunting and all of those activities in your region, and who are your target customers? If you have a summer lake cabin, does it work for a long stay hunting cabin for winter groups?

• Are the waterfall hiking trails more exciting in the rainy season and bringing lots of eco tourism?

• Are the local farms hosting seasonal harvest events?

• Does your small town look like a Hallmark Movie for great local shops and food?

• Are people looking for longer stays for 2 weeks to 3 months that you could accommodate for students, health care workers, snowbirds, seasonal workers?

• Is it just a better experience because it’s quieter, peaceful and there are less tourists and traffic?

• Can people work from home at your space and get out of their own small city apartment for a few days of change of scenery?

• Is your town a year round wedding destination? If so, have you connected with wedding planners and venues close by to give them your info if your space is suitable for a bridal getting ready suite, or guests attending the wedding? This is a good idea year round

• Can you rent your Airbnb to a business for their meetings or photography? We found another platform called ThisOpenSpace that allows owners to rent to businesses just for this reason.

You need to consider these items and then MARKET to them.  

LOOK FOR DEALS! What attractions are in your area and do you know where to find the deals or discounted lift tickets to help them get more value for their stay? When they book with you, ask what they are in town for and see if you can find some recommended discounts to fit exactly their needs.

How to market your Airbnb or VRBO Rental

First, have great photos.

You REALLY need great photos, even if you do them on your own (click here for our DIY Photo Tip Guide).

I looked at every listing in our competitive area, Only 5 of them had professional photos. Those ones had on average higher reviews, and more bookings ahead of time for the summer season.

The investment is averaging $150-$250 for a standard space, more for larger homes, and if you were to get just ONE or TWO extra bookings in the season, it has paid for itself already. Not to mention good photos show the value of your space. The best lighting, the real ambiance, the ACCURACY that guests are rating you on.

PHOTOS Sell your space to guests. If you don’t have great photos and your competitor does with a similar price point and rental, that competitor is going to get the clicks and the bookings 9 out of 10 times.

I recommend adding a few SEASONAL PHOTOS updated for the fall & winter or the less-than-pretty months.

Show your cozy spaces, your fireplaces all lit up with a comfy chair and throw blanket, a storm-watching or snowfall watching window view, what does sunrise look like with the light across your yard?

Showcase the best of the views and comfort guests can enjoy and see. Even in beachy towns, I feel that throw blankets are a top amenity to include for comfort, and a little design. I hate freezing to death in AC when i just want to read a magazine on couch in the morning view and be warm and comfy.

When you add a few seasonal photos, make a few edits to the first part of your Airbnb or VRBO description that outlines what is awesome about your space and your town/area in the fall & winter months and how guests can enjoy both.

When you make changes to your listing photos and description, it often seems to give a boost in the search results as it’s “fresh”. I also will often adjust rates by $5 a day to help this too.

Highlight, share accurate notes about the area, what’s awesome, (the tourism things mentioned above) and mention a couple high level, ongoing concerns that should be mentioned upfront to deter guests who may not have researched what your area or your suite will be like in the slower season for weather, etc.

For our ski resort rental, we always mention that they are required to have snow tires on any vehicle to come up and can be turned away on the highway if they don’t come prepared. This changes plans for some people, but better than last minute lost revenue. We also tell people to book both spa, ski and restaurant reservations at least a month in advance or they may be out of luck for some things.

ADD VALUE

If you were not getting rated for 5 stars on Value, consider your amenities, your total offering vs nearby competitors and hotels, and how your amenities can contribute to this. Quality amenities for higher price points.

Basic amenities for lower price points, even BYO coffee/linens etc if you are appealing to rent a room to more backpacker type guests.

Bedding - is it modern, is it comfortable, is it warm enough for the winter season (cool for the summer)?

Click here for our Bedding recommendations

Does your kitchen come fully stocked with coffee, tea and all the cooking supplies? Is it GOOD coffee? Is there enough for their stay?   If i’m in the middle of nowhere and i get one no-name keurig pod provided for my whole weekend, look-out, that value score is going down!  And make sure you have decent coffee mugs too, not just disposable cups.

Bonus points if you Include some hot chocolate (we do!)

Check out our guides for top amenities

• Have you looked at what your competition offers for amenities and bonus items?

• How do you compare? 

• Is there something awesome that guests are mentioning in reviews that you could easily add to your rental?

Do you have a view?  A fireplace or campfire? Do you include firewood for the campfire?

Is there comfort items like hot chocolate and throw blankets (note on the coast or in the mountains, EVERYONE should have throw blankets available for guests in the winter months)

Do you have a gym? Are you pet friendly? Pet friendly spaces are often the most booked up.

Think about your total package, make sure it seems to fit the price point guests are paying vs competive listings. Don’t go overboard either. Also DON’T list every single little thing in your amenities or description. Allow for some pleasant surprises for guests on arrival, vs running the risk of something being missing or out of stock and leading to a disappointment that negatively affects you.

Example - Our listing states Coffee Pods, Tea and basic spices included.

We also include farm fresh eggs in the fridge from our chickens, several tea options, basic cooking supplies, hot chocolate, ice tea, farm produce when we have it…and fresh flowers but none of it is mentioned in our listing.

It allows for the wow factor that is not shown in photos or mentioned in the listing, though it often gets mentioned in reviews

Market on Instagram:

Make an account name for your property, include a booking link, and start posting photos of local stuff that is open, restaurants, activities, things to enjoy in the winter, with frequent photos of your space looking cozy and ready for guests.  We use this for Cerritos Beach and constantly share stories that other local businesses post, it has been a great resource for our guests and getting our name out there.  It’s our busiest year in mexico to date and we were sold out all summer.

Consider Direct Renting for a few months, Seasonal Long Stay Guests and Students and promote local info:

Rent to a student or temp traveller.  Not all students are destructive or partiers or bad. Many are from other locations who just want to have a warm dry place without rowdy roomies and need to camp out from September to May.  We rented ours to an Aussie couple who moved to Canada thinking that a van would be cozy in winter.. Until it wasn’t.. they happily rented from us for 5 months. Furnished suites rent higher than unfurnished and you can also price really high for a more luxury/business focused suite for a business traveller.

Advertise as a short term work from home option with no overnight use. Many people are working from home but are DONE with working IN their home with kids and spouses and chores and just need a more productive space but not their actual office.  You may be able to secure someone for weeks or a few months who wants to rent it for their own use but not actually stay there as they just need a quiet place to work.

Healthcare places often have an employee bulletin board or classified ads to post temporary housing options for travelling workers. Talk to a local friend who works in health care to see where you might be able to post your info for a direct booking.

Market on short term temporary rental facebook pages to longer term guests 1 week to monthly to seasonal.  Note that unless they clearly are someone looking for SEASONAL placement and sign a lease to that effect, don’t do it. Check your laws for tenancy rules, in some states it’s 14 days, in others it’ 28 days, that a guest becomes a tenant and standard tenancy rules apply if they want them to.   If you don’t want to get stuck with a long term tenant, do your research and screening carefully. 

If you are renting a room in your home, not a private suite, always require ID before they can book. If they won’t provide it, then move along and don’t book them. Hotels require valid ID from all travellers to be provided upon check-in. Your home is no different, you just can’t KEEP their ID or personal information unsecured in your files.  

That’s it for our seasonal tips for now.

Don’t forget to Update your listing!!

Update your photos for seasonal images of your property.

Want to take your own photos but better?  Check out the detailed post on our website.

Our Top Bedding Recommendations for winter staycations to just relax. * sponsored content *

READ PART 1 - Maintenance and Off-Season Updates