Written by overseas rentals website, HomeAway.
As the Costa del Sol is part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, all holiday homes need to be compliant with the laws and decrees set by Tourism Andalusia. There are a few essentials that holiday homeowners have to arrange before renting out their property for the first time, such as having a registration number and including it in their listing on HomeAway as well as having an occupancy licence for the property.
There are also some essential steps to owning a holiday rental property, such as conducting regular checks and maintenance work on the property facilities and furnishings, providing holidaymakers with clear guidance on the reservation, advanced payments and cancellations and also providing a phone number in case their guests need to contact the owner or manager during the stay.
HomeAway provides both property owners and holidaymakers with all relevant information on regulations and responsibilities on its website.
One way to help you achieve maximum occupancy is to provide something that makes you stand out from the other properties in your area. This could be a hot tub, wine cellar, equipment for children or smaller things such as a welcome package with local delicacies provided on the first night for free.
Having said this, there are some features that holidaymakers expect for their booking process and to find in their holiday homes. For instance, a quick and easy online booking and online payment process, WIFI, fresh linen and towels or toiletries.
When it comes to advertising, the most important thing by far is to have great images of your property on your HomeAway listing. We recommend you get professional pictures taken as holiday homes with comprehensive pictures in hi-resolution and with a lot of information about the holiday home convert much better than those with lower quality pictures. Also, you can upload up to 50 photos of your property on HomeAway! If you provide holidaymakers with a great impression of the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, view, outdoor area and location you can be sure that this positive experience is one of the reasons why a holidaymaker is more interested in your property than other alternatives.
What is also important is to keep your pricing and your calendar up-to-date at all times. Holidaymakers expect a seamless experience, so they need quick responses to requests and accurate listings. If a holidaymaker wants to book your holiday home but can’t because the calendar was not updated and it is already booked, they are unlikely to consider looking to book your property again.
We make it easier to be competitive, with our new property management tool that provides our partners with real-time data, showing actual information on other properties in their area. Find out why your neighbouring property got a booking you did not and improve your property offering and/or adjust your prices if your nightly rate is higher, lower etc.
