{"id":2755,"date":"2014-10-18T08:58:33","date_gmt":"2014-10-18T08:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pmpazure.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2755"},"modified":"2015-10-01T22:10:24","modified_gmt":"2015-10-01T22:10:24","slug":"how-to-increase-occupancy-maximise-your-rental-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.promotemyplace.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-occupancy-maximise-your-rental-income","title":{"rendered":"How to Increase Occupancy & Maximise Your Rental Income"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s start with a question – what\u2019s your biggest objective as a holiday let owner?<\/p>\n

Happy guests? Positive feedback? Additional income?<\/p>\n

Whilst all of these are important, we\u2019re guessing your biggest objective is to achieve high occupancy rates year-round to maximise your rental income.<\/p>\n

So how do you go about achieving that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it\u2019s not just a case of purchasing your holiday let, getting it guest-ready, creating a website, promoting it through listing websites and social media \u2026 and then bam, you\u2019re fully booked year-round.<\/p>\n

If only!<\/p>\n

But on the other hand, it\u2019s not as difficult as it may initially seem. As long as you put some processes in place – and make sure you adhere to them.<\/p>\n

So what does \u2018maximum occupancy\u2019 really mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In reality the maximum occupancy that your rental can achieve is location dependant.<\/p>\n

What we mean, is that unless you\u2019re located in a year-round holiday destination, there are going to be times during that year when you won\u2019t have any bookings.<\/p>\n

At all.<\/p>\n

Even if you are marketing a rental in one of those beautiful year-round destinations (lucky you!), you\u2019ll inevitably encounter a low season. So again, it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll achieve bookings 52 weeks of the year.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s exclude any low season periods from your maximum occupancy objective – if you get a booking during that time \u2026 great. But if not \u2026 you won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n

On average, UK-based holiday lets can expect to achieve 28 weeks per year fully booked. Again, this figure is location dependant even within the UK, but we\u2019ll go with the average for ease.<\/p>\n

And holiday rentals located in warmer climes get an industry average of 36 weeks per year.<\/p>\n

How does your rental compare?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not quite hitting those figures, don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s not out of reach.<\/p>\n

As long as you don\u2019t sit back and expect it to happen on its own.<\/p>\n

Gone are the days when all you needed was a website to be found in search engine results.\u00a0The sheer quantity of holiday rentals with competing websites makes that ambition obsolete.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s what you need to think about to achieve higher occupancy rates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Efficient processes<\/li>\n
  2. Guest reviews<\/li>\n
  3. Guest feedback & repeat business<\/li>\n
  4. Dedicated website & online promotion<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now let\u2019s look at each one in more detail \u2026<\/p>\n

    1. Efficient Processes<\/strong><\/p>\n

    As soon as you receive an enquiry, a response should go out.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Setup automated responses thanking them for their enquiry and explaining you\u2019ll get back to them within X hours.<\/p>\n

    Ideally the \u2018X\u2019 hours should be less than 12, if you really want that booking. Remember, they\u2019re likely to have contacted other holiday let owners too.<\/p>\n

    Being the first to respond puts you ahead of the pack.<\/p>\n

    Do you have standard templates setup?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If not, why not?<\/p>\n

    They\u2019ll make your life so much easier and help you project a more professional image.<\/p>\n

    Create a first response template that you personalise for each enquiry.<\/p>\n

    To include:<\/p>\n