Advice on renting during summer months

[Jason2601]

Hello all. Does anyone have advice on renting during the summer months. I know it’s hot but surely there is a market

[Debbie210]

Make sure you would make money, because the guests would use the A/C non stop. Not to mention, they will put the temperature to 60°. So, the A/ C would be on all day. 

[Joan2709]

Hi @Jason2601 

Luv your place. Since this is your slow season a few suggestions:

Min Stay

I would reduce your min stay as right now it is 7nights. This will automatically eliminate your property from many guest searches. Your place can't be booked if guests don't see it show up in search results. In slow season we usually reduce our min stay, but protect our weekends from being split up. I suggest reducing your minimum to 3-4 nights in slow season during the week and keep your weekends intact by using Pro Tools and Rule sets. Some money coming in is better than no money coming in. Save your 7day minimum for your busy season months.

Title

Your title should highlight your best amenities. I would try something like:

"Mountain Views | Walk to Golf/Hiking/Restaurants"

Professional Photos

You have a fantastic property, but your photos are not doing it justice. The cost of professional photos will pay for itself with one booking and you can write the cost off as a business expense. Be sure to choose a photographer who has experience with photographing Airbnbs. You want to convey emotion in each space...not just a photo of the space. Guests want to see themselves in the space enjoying it. They should convey relaxation, comfort and activity. For example, the dining table should be set like guests are ready to sit down for a meal. The firepit outside should have a fire going and the photo should be taken at twilight. 

Put Captions On Every Photo

Let your photos tell the story of your property. Market research shows that many guests make a booking decision based on Title and photos alone. 

Change Your Cover Photo

When it's hot...change your cover photo to say "it's cool here" subliminally. I would change your cover photo to a pool shot. Although most properties in Arizona have a pool, a pool photo would be better than the exterior shot you have now. I would try and get a twilight shot of the pool area with umbrella up and lights on. For now, I would try the photo below as your cover:

This drone shot would be a killer cover photo if taken at twilight. It shows the pool and the mountain views and would be even better if taken at twilight with all the lights on around the pool:

Outdoor Space

You have a fantastic outdoor space, but your photos don't do it justice. For now, suggest you put these photos as your next few photos after cover. I would reshoot the patio and firepit at twilight with fire going and maybe some wine glasses out. I would reshoot the covered patio area with table set for dining and the string lights on. For the outdoor kitchen I would have the BBQ lid open and plates, glasses out like you are ready for a BBQ:

Custom Promotions

Airbnb gives a higher search result to listings that use their custom promotions. This will get more eyes on your listing in search results. I would try running some promotions in the slow season to encourage more bookings. Use caution when running promotions, as they will stack on top of early bird and short notice discounts, as well as weekly and monthly discounts. We generally don't use those discounts when running a promotion. 

Custom Promotions

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2982

[Christina1948]

@Jason2601 I would check out PriceLabs. They can map out the demand in your area several months out.

[Cheryl248]

Do people vacation in your area? If so, you shouldn't have any problem getting bookings in the summer months. What is tourism like where you are?

[Paula]

Hello @Jason2601,  welcome to the Airbnb Community Center! 😊

There are many insightful comments from our experienced Hosts in this thread. I would love to hear your thoughts on them. Are you planning to implement any of these suggestions? Have you considered reducing the minimum night stay, as suggested by our Host Joan?

Looking forward to hearing from you 🌟

[Andrew3374]

Reduce your stay to 3-4 night minimums, lower your rates by 10-15% the week out if there are no rentals. Write copy in the listing that encourages guests to getaway for the summer months. Mention local activities the locals enjoy in the summer months that make the guest feel like they can experince the local atmosphere of their vacations.