So! You’re finally set up and you’ve properly listed your rental on Roomorama. Also, you’re going to be out of town next week. Let’s get this baby booked.
Turning Inquiries Into Bookings
- Check your email often. At minimum, first thing in the morning, at lunch, and at the end of the work day.
- When you receive inquiries, respond quickly. Don’t miss out on a potential rental by not responding to inquiries in a timely fashion. Make it a priority -studies show that the first person to respond is the most likely to receive the booking.
- Be detailed and friendly in your reply. Confirm the exact check-in and checkout dates that you have available, and answer any additional questions your potential guest may have.
- Follow up. Send a message a few days after your initial correspondence if the potential guest hasn’t yet responded. If they’re wavering, additional communication could be what convinces them to seal the deal.
Screening Your Guests
Here at Roomorama we’re rather concerned with your well-being. (In fact, that’s pretty much why we created this site. But that’s another story). So we want you to be comfortable with your guests before they arrive:
- It is perfectly acceptable to ask potential renters questions to determine if they’ll be suitable guests.
- During the communication process, emphasize the fact that they will be staying in your home. This makes guests more comfortable with renting -and encourages them to take care of your property.
Of course, most of the basic questions you may have will be answered via Roomorama’s booking process. But if you think of something else that will ease your mind, go ahead and ask.
For Your Security (Deposits)
- Many owners require a minimum security deposit of either $200 or 10% of the total rental bill, whichever is greater. Be sure to clarify what the amount will be at the time of the booking.
- Process all deposits immediately. Bounced checks signal trouble -contact Roomorama right away.
- Only return a security deposit after you have inspected your property.
- Always inform guests of your refund policy and expectations -it’ll help avoid awkward situations.
A Word On Keys
There are several creative and convenient ways to exchange keys with your tenants if you won’t be present for their arrival:
- Lock Box You can install one on your doorknob or in any easy-to-find place on your property. They’ll usually run you about $30 and can be found at hardware and home supply stores. Set your code and email it to your guest within 24 hours of arrival or when you get their payment code.
- Keyless Entry It is relatively easy to purchase a keyless entry lock that has buttons right on the door. This is a bit more expensive ($150 – $500), but the code can be easily changed from guest to guest.
- Key Pickup Service If you’d prefer that your guests interact with a human, you can always employ a key pickup service -or just pay a neighbor you trust $20 to pass off the keys. The downside to this is if your person is a no-show. Then everyone’s in a pickle.
Lastly, don’t ever mail keys. They can either get there too late or not at all. On the flip side, if you send them too far in advance, someone has access to your home while you’re still in it. Not a good idea.
Some Final Words Of Advice
Well, Roomoramates, it looks like our journey through vacation-rental bliss packaging ends here. Thanks for being so patient with us as we rambled on about towel count and photo captions. If you could allow us, may we just impart a few more words of wisdom before we sent you out into the world, all grown up and ready to rent on your own?
- Be polite and friendly, always. Think of every interaction with every guest as a customer service transaction.
- Keep things up-to-date and, you know, attractive.
- Be good, prompt responders.
- Optimize.
::Sigh:: OK, we think you’re ready. Go forth and Rent. We believe in you.
xx,
Roomorama
P.S. Should you need anything at all, just e-mail us. info@roomorama.com. We‘ll be here.
Contact the author of this post, Lindsey Piscitell at lindsey@roomorama.com | Want to be a perks partner? email info@roomorama.com, subject line: PERKS.
