If your family has a cottage that isn’t being used regularly, you’ve no doubt thought about renting it out for short-term or seasonal use. Is it worth your time and effort to make sure your rental earns 5 star reviews? In a word, YES! If you want to be sure that income property becomes a money earner, there’s one thing you’re going to need – glowing reviews, and lots of ’em!  Because higher ranked listings are more visible on rental platforms, hosts need to do what they can to create an amazing experience for each and every guest.  And then you need your guests to tell their online community all about their wonderful holiday. According to the Cottage Life Magazine these are the tips and tricks hosts can implement that will help to earn rave reviews:

Keep Things Spotless

Keeping the cottage clean and presentable between guests can feel require a concentrated effort but if it prevents a poor review, its well worth it.  Removing your family’s personal items will make it easier to clean the space and a reputable, local cleaning service can keep things spic and span if you’re not able to do the work yourself. 

Add Some Amenities

For guests, a visit to your cottage is about more than a place to sleep — they want the full vacation experience. On rental platforms, travellers can filter their searches by desired amenities. Some luxury amenities such as a hot tub aren’t so easy to add but guests will appreciate the little extras such as board games or online consoles, beach chairs or other supplies, fire pits complete with marshmallow roasting sticks and barbecues that are ready for use.  You don’t have to take care of everything all at once but if you can accumulate some “extras” – think of items like water toys and floaties, a canoe or kayak or a hammock or porch swing – you’ll be anticipating what your visitors need for a memorable stay.

Set Expectations

It’s easier to earn five-star ratings if your guests are primed for a five star experience. Put yourself in the guest’s shoes and think about what you would need to know and be prepared for. For example, a rental in farm country may be located close to working farms so some machine noise or animal smells could be present. In the spring, people driving up from Toronto may be surprised that there’s still snow on the ground.  A cottage in the Muskokas could mean that at certain times of year, guests should be prepared for mosquitoes. Your best bet is to make sure your guests come prepared so let them know what to expect before they arrive.

Maintain Communication

All the amenities and welcome baskets in the world won’t make up for poor communication. One way to boost your chances of getting that five-star review is by responding quickly to online inquiries (even if it’s just to tell them you’ll get back to them in a little while) from potential visitors and current guests. Be a good host: check in during the stay and do what you can to maintain professional communication throughout each visit.  Most platforms seem to be set up to allow automatic online communication but personal contact can go a long way toward building a long-term relationship. One more thing: don’t be shy about letting your guests know that you want to make sure your rental earns 5 star reviews as often as possible. If they know what you’re working towards, they might be more likely to leave you that awesome rating in acknowledgement of all your hard work.

If you’re looking to enter the vacation rental market, your first step is to find the perfect property that you can turn into a dream rental. Grey County is ideally situated to provide a wide range of holiday options from rural farmsteads to lakeside cottages to cabins in the woods, all just a stone’s throw from scenic biking routes, hiking on the Bruce Trail, skiing at a number of local clubs, riverside fishing and paddling, shopping in quaint one-of-a-kind stores and wonderful food from cafes, bakeries and restaurants. If you’re ready to buy or sell in Grey County, give us a call. We don’t just cover Grey, we live, work and play here. We know the area like the back of our hand and we would be happy to help you find your own peaceful corner in beautiful Grey County.