Long Beach is an excellent market for short-term vacation rentals and provides a great opportunity for owners who are thinking about converting their long-term rental homes into something that meets the needs of tourists, business travelers, and other temporary visitors. As Long Beach property managers, we take care of both long-term and short-term rental properties.
There are a number of significant differences, however, in how you rent each type of property. When you’re turning your long-term Long Beach rental property occupied by tenants into a short-term rental property occupied by guests, you have to pay attention to these important details.
Furnishing the Property and Adding Amenities
Your short-term rental will need to be furnished. Not only furnished, but tastefully decorated. Take a look at some of the other listings in your area. You will likely find comfortable beds, new sheets, plush towels, and attractive artwork throughout the houses. You won’t get away with a blow-up mattress in the living room; you’ll need to invest in comfortable seating that makes the place feel like a home. Your guests will be looking for hotel-quality furnishings, amenities, and linens.
You’ll need cookware, small appliances such as toasters and blenders, as well as plates and glasses. Think about your coffee machine. Some people prefer a drip coffee machine others will want a French press or an easy coffee pod.
When you’re furnishing and decorating a short-term rental, consider using a theme to drive all your decisions. If you’re close to the water, a beach theme may work. If you’re renting out a cottage or a bungalow, go with rustic colors and materials. You want to offer charm and character. Plain, sparse spaces will not work for the majority of guests looking to rent your property for a few days or a few weeks.
Choose Your Marketing Platform
We typically use VRBO when we’re advertising short-term rental properties. Airbnb is also good. These platforms provide insurance and they help us handle any claims that need to be made, which does not happen often.
These sites will help you keep your bookings organized, and more importantly – they’ll help you market to the people looking for a place to stay in Long Beach. Payments, deposits, and reservations can also be handled through the online sites.
Securing and Preparing Your Long Beach Vacation Rental
Some owners prefer to have keys available to their guests and others believe it’s more secure to use an entry code. Investing in a keyless system can be great for short-term rentals because it allows you to change the entry combination between guests. This can also make it easier for cleaners and maintenance vendors to get inside the property when work needs to be done between guests.
Take some time to really prepare your property for guests. This will lead to good reviews and more bookings. Provide activities when you can, such as bocce ball, horseshoes, bikes, or even kayaks if your property is close to the water. Offering a selection of beach chairs and board games is also a good idea.
There are many benefits to a short-term rental. You’ll earn more money per night, and you won’t be locked into a long lease term if you want to use the property yourself or do something else with it. You’ll have to be prepared for more frequent cleaning and maintenance. Customer service will be more important than ever.
Think about having your vacation rental managed professionally. If you’d like to talk about your plans, contact us at CMC Realty & Property Management.