setting a weekend check in over the xmas period

[Kris2897]

Hi all 

Im new to hosting - we will be renting out our 5 bed waterfront property over the school holiday periods for a while to help with income since covid.

to gain the most of the 3 to 4 weeks over xmas / NYE and not have the home empty what are your thoughts about making check in only on a Saturday or Sunday for this period ? like with most holiday rentals here they are week to week ? 

we already have a min 7 night stay over this period however i am getting enquiry's for odd dates which leave the last or first week empty 

your feedback is appreciated 🙂

[Sharon1014]

@Kris2897   If you have a 7 night minimum, you are likely to have problems with back to back bookings (not enough cleaning/sanitising/airing time between guests, the cleaning and changeover for a 5 bed property is no small task) and guests wanting slightly shorter stays.  Might be better to opt for 3 or 4 night minimum with a 24 hour buffer either side of each booking ( you can set this up to be automatic in your availability settings).  Our summer school hols bookings typically vary from 3 nights to 6 nights, we have a 2 night minimum for all bookings now regardless of when, because of the extra cleaning involved.