Do you want to rent out your property as a holiday apartment or holiday house? Or are you planning to buy a property with the aim of renting it out afterwards? Great – then you've come to the right place! Here you will learn which steps to take to successfully rent out a holiday home.
Since there is a lot to consider between buying the property and welcoming the first guests, we have put together a practical checklist for you with an overview of the most important provisions related to holiday properties, along with useful tips and tricks.
Table of contents
- Clarify legal and tax aspects
- Set up a holiday apartment
- Take safety measures
- Take stock of the inventory
- Create a description of the holiday apartment
- Present your holiday home with appealing photos
- Set reasonable prices
- Put your holiday home online and make it bookable
- Manage your calendar
- Download free checklist
10 tips for renting out your holiday apartment
1. Clarify legal and tax aspects
First, you should create the basic conditions for renting out your property and clarify aspects such as registration / login, visitor's tax and guest registration. You also need to check whether the holiday apartment is being rented privately or commercially and therefore requires a business registration. You should also find out what tax aspects need to be considered and what taxes and other costs you may have to pay. We strongly recommend that you seek expert advice on these fundamental issues and contact the relevant authorities for information on local laws and regulations.
2. Furnishing a holiday apartment
Furnishing your holiday apartment is one of the first key steps. Think about what style you like best and make your holiday home a friendly, feel-good place for your guests. We have put together step-by-step instructions with professional insider tips for optimally furnishing your holiday home here. When designing your holiday apartment, you should definitely also consider your target group, for example, to make a particularly family-friendly or a accessible holiday home.
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3. Follow safety precautions
As a host, you are subject to the legal duty to maintain safety, which means that you must take legally required safety precautions to protect your guests when furnishing your holiday apartment. These may include certain safety standards for balcony railings and bunk beds, for example, but also secure apartment doors and windows, as well as things like fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and first-aid kits. Regulations vary from country to country. We also highly recommend taking out (commercial) home contents and landlord's liability insurance, as well as legal expenses insurance if necessary. Detailed information on this important topic can be found in our host guide.
4. Take stock of the inventory
Before you receive your first guests, you should definitely take stock of your inventory. We recommend that you always keep the inventory list up to date afterwards. Accurate documentation can prove important – in the event that an item is damaged or stolen by a guest.
5. Create a description of the holiday home
Create a welcoming but honest description of your holiday apartment or holiday house. The description should include the most important information (e.g. number and type of rooms, facilities and details of the location) as well as, above all, the special features that make your apartment unique. You can find more helpful tips for the perfect description of your holiday apartment here.
6. Showcase your holiday home with appealing photos
Appealing, high-quality photos of your holiday home are essential for creating the right first impression – and as we all know, you rarely get a second chance to make a first impression. The photos should show all the rooms in your holiday apartment and present them in their best light, as authentically as possible. It is particularly important to have an appealing and meaningful display picture. You can find detailed insider tips for the perfect presentation of your holiday home in our photo tutorial.
7. Set reasonable prices
Now set the prices at which you would like to rent out your holiday home. In addition to your running costs, which determine the minimum rental price of the apartment, you should also take into account a competitor analysis of comparable holiday apartments. Important additional information for your guests about any additional costs incurred locally (e.g. local visitor's tax) should be communicated transparently with the rental price on your holiday home's online presence.
8. Put your holiday home online and make it bookable
Now it's time to make your holiday apartment visible and bookable online. Nothing could be easier – because that's exactly what we do for you! With just a single free registration with atraveo by e-domizil, your holiday home can be booked directly on almost all renowned platforms. After creating your property presentation and an uncomplicated verification, you can start renting immediately. In addition to strong marketing, we also take care of the booking and payment process as well as guest communication for you.
9. Manage your calendar
In addition to a good internet presence, an up-to-date calendar is essential for successful bookings of your holiday home. With iCal, you can easily manage and synchronise your calendar. You can see exactly how it works in our iCal tutorial.
10. Prepare for your first guests
Now that atraveo by e-domizil is marketing your holiday apartment for you, you can focus entirely on preparing for your first guests. Ensure that your check-in and check-out processes run smoothly so that your guests feel at home right from the start. We have put together a lot of information about check-in for you here. You can create a positive holiday experience for your guests right from the start through personal contact and small gestures such as welcome gifts. You can find inspiring tips here.
