Holiday let management service options
Finding a trusty holiday letting solution is just one side of the coin when it comes to marketing your holiday home. The other side is holiday let management. How are you going to make sure your property is looked after, your guests have what they need and that any emergencies, from lost keys to leaking pipes, are handled quickly?
Things to consider when choosing a holiday let management service:
- How far away do you live?
- Can you access the property quickly in case of emergency?
- How will you handle changeover services like laundry and cleaning?
- Can you make sure your property is secure when it’s empty?
- Does anything in your property need explaining – like how to use specific technologies?
- There are three main types of holiday home management to consider when letting your holiday home.
- Professional property management services
- Owner managed holiday home management
- Professional hosting
Find out about our professional hosting services
Below, we’ll explore each of these three services in more detail:
Owner managed holiday home management
Some people prefer to manage their own holiday let. There are benefits to that, but on the other hand it can be a lot of work. It’s also only a realistic option if you live close by. For lots of people, holiday homes are several hours away from where they normally live. If a guest gets locked out or there’s a serious maintenance issue, that’s too far away to get there in time.
Direct control over standards
If you’re something of a perfectionist, it’s reasonable that you might prefer to take the lead with the cleaning and management of your own property so that you feel more in control. You might want to do the cleaning yourself, or oversee it, and do the property checks to repair scuff marks and any damage between guests because you know your property better than anyone. Do keep in mind however, that in peak season the time between one guest leaving and another arriving might only be a few hours.
Limiting management costs
Not incurring the cost of a professional management service might allow you to take a greater share of the letting profits or give you more leeway to be competitive on the pricing of your holiday let. However, it’s crucial for the success of your holiday let that maintenance and housekeeping are done to professional standards, so you do need to be able to commit to that, even in peak season when it can get very busy. Otherwise the cost saving can quickly turn into a false economy if guests ask for refunds or leave bad reviews.
Be prepared for all eventualities
As an owner managed holiday let, you are responsible for everything, from fire risk assessments and PAT testing (Portable appliance testing) through to responding to guest questions, managing problems occurring at the property, and handling service providers and emergency call-outs. A property management company can handle those key elements for you.
Professional hosting
The third option when it comes to property management is to work with a professional host who can be your eyes and ears on the ground, be close by to help you find solutions when there’s a problem at the property and to oversee standards. Their support can be further enhanced by a professional hosting service, or they can help make it easier for you to manage your property yourself.
HolidayHost is a local company with team members living and working within easy reach of all our properties. We also work alongside companies like Pebbles, who also operate locally, and provide the level of support that we want for our holiday homeowners. Sound good? Get in touch to see how we can work together.
Contact us today to enquire about our professional hosting service.
