13 Simple Ways to Boost Your Short-term Rental Income this Summer as an Airbnb Host

short-term rental income

Travel is back! After two years of uncertainty, many Airbnb hosts are finally seeing a rise in bookings this year. And there’s no better time to make up for the past years’ losses than this summer, a high season for travel in many areas. If you want to boost your short-term rental income this summer, take a look at these helpful guidelines.

What is “high season” in tourism?

In the tourism and hospitality industries, ‘high’ season (otherwise known as “peak” or “busy” season) is when travel is most active and rates are highest. It’s a destination’s primary travel season.

Each location will have a different amount of visitor traffic, though. For the leisure market, that depends largely on an area’s tourism appeal. Appeal is influenced by various factors: time of the year, attractions, amenities, public and school holidays, festivals and other special events. What may be a high season for one place may be a “shoulder” or low (off-peak) time for another.

When is the peak summer travel season?

In most temperate zones in North America and Europe, the peak of the summer travel season is from June 15 to September 21. Popular beach destinations tend to mark their high and busy season as the wintertime in the place where their guests are coming from. So when it’s winter in North America, it’s a busy season for places like Florida and the Caribbean.

It’s worthwhile to note that the high season for the leisure market tends to be the off-peak season for the business market.

So if you’re catering primarily to the leisure market, summer is the best  time to capitalize on local and international tourism. You can expect a lot of bookings by couples, college kids, and families this summer. (Many of them will include pets, too.)

That’s a good thing because more heads mean you can charge more — and therefore, expect more Airbnb income. But it may also require you to beef up your amenities. Also, remember that more guests may increase the wear and tear on your property.

So how do you ensure that you get full bookings for the entire summer peak season? How do you handle the increased traffic and workload? And despite the strain, how will you ensure a safe, smooth and hassle-free experience for your guests?

Boost Your Short-term Rental Income This Summer

The summer and high season are the best time to maximize your short-term rental income for the entire year. So you’ll want to avoid problems as much as you can. That way, you can keep the revenues coming and prevent problems from even arising, causing damage, and potentially eating into your profits.

During high season, the challenge isn’t so much to attract guests as it is to retain them. Since you’ve already drawn the guests you need, you’ll want to make sure they’re not only satisfied, but also want to come back next year.

short-term rental income

1. Offer early-bird discounts.

Look at your pricing strategy. Several months before your high season, consider offering discounts and announcing them in your listing description. Travelers are booking much earlier now. In a 2021 study on travel planning, 59% of respondents who were making plans for 2022 said they intended to book trips two to five months in advance – compared to less than two months in advance for both 2020 and 2021. 

Offering discounts will attract those early birds and help fill your calendar long before the summer sets in. That will give you enough time to prepare for the influx, purchase additional inventory, and hire extra help you might need.

Don’t forget to set a limit on the time that guests can avail of the discount. In exchange for a cheaper rate, you may also set a stricter policy on cancellations so you don’t end up shortchanging yourself.

2. Ensure health protocols.

Continue with enhanced cleaning procedures, especially before and after each stay. Remember that many people are able to go on a major trip only now, long after the ebb and flow of Covid-19 and its variants. Safety is still a high priority for them. 

Do everything you can to keep your place immaculately clean. And make sure potential guests know about it by mentioning your deep-cleaning protocols in your listing description. That will assure them that health and safety are top priorities for you, and provide added peace of mind.

3. Be pet-friendly.

Pet-friendly amenities were one of the most searched-for amenities in 2021. Airbnb says searches that filtered for pet-friendly listings increased by 55% on their platform. 

Vrbo’s Trend Report for 2022 also shows that rentals with pet-friendly amenities have been rising, with an average annual increase of 40%. It said 70% of the respondents they surveyed were parents, 68% of whom have traveled, were planning to travel, or wanted to travel with their pets.

Read also: Pet-friendly Airbnb – 6 Advantages of Allowing Dogs in Your Vacation Rental

4. Prepare for the influx.

As mentioned, do a deep clean — especially before the season starts. Pay special attention to the areas of your home that aren’t usually covered during regular cleanings. These include the walls and ceilings, under the beds and behind headboards, storage areas, ovens and kitchen hoods, air conditioners and vents, and the yard or garden.

Examine all your furniture and appliances and make sure they’re in tip-top shape to reduce any chance of breakdowns later. Check your fridge, air conditioning, oven, faucets and toilets, wifi, entertainment system, lightbulbs and all electronics.

And of course, ensure that your inventory is well-stocked. Buying ahead and in bulk will also help you reduce expenses.

5. Set a minimum stay.

If you’re expecting a time of particularly high demand followed by a low one, consider requiring a minimum nights’ stay. Prioritize inquiries that ask for longer stays over the shorter ones. This will allow continuity, so that stays during the peak demand can extend or spill over to the off-peak days. It’ll help you secure occupancy for the lull that follows.

If you find this setting too restrictive, you can always remove it as the busy season gets closer.

6. Encourage longer stays.

If your area isn’t a tourist destination in the summer,  all the more that you need to push for longer-term stays. They help you get higher occupancy with lower guest turnover – and a more predictable income.

Ever since the pandemic, corporate America has adapted to remote and hybrid working arrangements. Workers now value and prefer having a lot of flexibility. Because of remote work, Vrbo says guests are staying at vacation homes longer – with a 68% increase in 21-to-30-day stays. For Airbnb, 37% of folks they surveyed said they planned to go on more long-stay travels for 2021 and beyond.

You can attract these types of guests by offering weekly or monthly-stay discounts, which Airbnb encourages on its platform. And when you do, be sure to provide essential features for longer-term stays: kitchen amenities, cleaning supplies, and more linen and towels. 

Read also: Airbnb Monthly vs. Short-term vs. Long-term Stays — Which One is Right For You?

7. Be flexible.

Aside from rental price and quality of amenities, a flexible cancellation policy tops the list of priorities that travelers are now looking for. According to a report, searches for flights within 7 days have increased 50%. Travelers have become increasingly more flexible and spontaneous in their travel plans. That’s partly due to the unpredictability of Covid-19 and how local and national governments deal with tourism and border traffic.

8. Allow last-minute bookings.

If there are remaining unbooked days on your calendar, those are the best slots to keep open for last-minute bookings. Airbnb reported a 58% rise in spur-of-the-moment reservations in 2021.

So try to attract those spontaneous travelers. But be sure to waive any minimum or maximum length of stay that you had pre-set, and compare your prices with your competitors. If it’s viable for you, offer them discounts. That can incentivize undecided guests to choose your property over others. 

9. Screen guests carefully.

If safety and manageability are top priorities for you, consider limiting your guests to only the type that you prefer. Would you want to cater only to adults? Out-of-towners (to avoid locals who are more likely to throw parties)? Small groups (who are less inclined to make noise and disturb the neighbors)?

Carefully selecting guests and ruling out potential troublemakers will help keep problems at bay. It’ll also ensure smooth, hassle-free turnovers in between stays.

You may consider turning off the Instant Book feature on Airbnb so you can chat with potential guests and get to know them before confirming their booking.

Read also: Property Management Software – Which One is Right for Your Airbnb?

10. Celebrate summer!

Now’s the time to do a seasonal makeover and put on the summer vibe. Add touches of color in key areas, such as fresh flowers or brightly colored decor and interior accents.  Bring out the outdoor furniture. Set up a barbecue grill. Spruce up the garden or patio. And clean that pool!

11. Sell your location.

Check for special activities and events scheduled in your area. Concerts, trade fairs, festivals, and sporting events are always huge draws for tourists. Even if yours is a small town, there may be special activities of interest to city folk. Garden shows, yoga camps, craft workshops and petting zoos may happen here and there.

12. Update your listing.

After inputting all the above changes you’ve made to your listing description, go over and evaluate your existing text and photos. Update and improve anything that can be improved. Consider adding photos of outdoor activities and attractions in your area that guests can enjoy.

13. Thank your team.

Last but not the least, appreciate your workers. Your cleaners do a lot of the heavy lifting in your rental business, and at no worse time do they do a lot of dirty work than at peak season. 

Show your appreciation. You can provide brown bag lunches on busy weekend turnovers, have “appreciation barbecues” or get-togethers, or just reward them with cash gifts or bonuses. 

That will make them feel they’re not just a part of your  business, but an important element behind its success.

Conclusion

Summers and high seasons can be the most trying time for a vacation rental business. Day-to-day operations can quickly become chaotic. That’s why many Airbnb hosts get the help of a co-host or a property management company

But they’re also the most lucrative seasons. If you properly prepare your house for Airbnb this summer, there’s a good chance you’ll maximize your short-term rental income.

Read also: How Do You Become an Airbnb Superhost?

learn how to Manage airbnb properties better

Ready to learn how we built & operate a $2M/year short term rental business, operate properties throughout the USA remotely, and acquired 70+ properties without owning any in just 2 years? Attend our free online master class to learn how you can do the same. Click here.