Top Tips to Rent out Your Ski Home via AirBnb

Renting out your ski home when you aren’t there is a great way to boost your bank balance when the property is sitting empty. Websites such as AirBnb, HomeAway and HomeToGo have made renting out your home for short stays easy, safe and incredibly profitable. Letting out your home for a few weeks over the year can help contribute to mortgage repayments, running costs and even help cover the costs of your own ski holidays. Because of the ease of holiday letting, many people choose to rent out their homes now. Making sure your ski home stands out above the rest is important if you want to maximise the occupancy time of your home. Here are out top tips for renting out your ski home. 

Price it Right!

Check out other properties in your area and see what other owners are charging for their homes. This will help you find a nightly price which reflects the quality, size, location and facilities of your home. It is fine to charge a premium price over peak skiing times such as Christmas, New-Year and Half-Term and if possible be as inclusive with the price as possible (e.g. include the cleaning fee in the overall nightly price) so everything is clear and simple when people go to pay.  

Take Great Pictures

The best thing you can do to advertise your ski home is to have fantastic pictures taken. Pictures should be of a professional quality and show the best aspects of your home as well as any eye-catching or interesting things which set your home apart from the rest. Posting at least 15 pictures which show all rooms (paying particular attention to the bedrooms and kitchen) shows guests what they are getting and increases your chances of renting.

Manage Guests Expectations

When writing the description of your ski home, be as detailed and thorough as possible. Don’t misrepresent your home – most homes have their own particular niggles and being upfront with your guests about these things before they arrive means they know what they are getting into and are not met with any unwanted surprises.

Clean Clean Clean!

A clean and de-cluttered home is the easiest way to get great reviews (which means more bookings!). The minimum expectation of guests will be arriving to a clean home, so investing in good cleaning equipment or hiring cleaners with impeccable standards is a must.

Add Some Extra Touches

Simple touches like good quality bedding, extra pillows, candles and even flowers do not cost much but give your home a feel of luxury that many purpose-made holiday apartments do not have. Providing a welcome basket with local wine, food and a booklet with your personal recommendations (and secret ski spots!) about the area a a great way to share your local knowledge with your guests and makes it a more personal experience that they won’t be able to get anywhere else. By including these extras, you are showing guests that you are willing to go the extra mile to make their holiday special.

Be a Friendly and Engaging Host

Even if you don’t get to meet your guests in person, always responding promptly to their messages or phone calls is one of the most important aspects of renting out your home. If you are unavailable to do it yourself, having a friend or employing someone who is on hand to take care of guest queries and act as a point of contact whilst they are in town is a good way to maintain good communication and ensure good reviews.

Being able to rent out your ski home is a crucial part of owning a ski home for many. In fact, over 90% of ski home owners are looking to rent out their home to help cover costs and finance personal trips. Although most ski resorts have a number of rental management companies, they frequently charge high premiums and can limit the amount of time you are able to spend in your home. Using holiday-rental websites gives you control over everything and outside of normal running costs means all the profit ends up in your own pocket.