Remote holiday let management can cause a few sleepless nights. There is so much to deal with, from managing the marketing and guest enquiries to cleaning and check-ins, and that’s just pre-stay!
Once the guest has arrived you have a whole set of other details to stay on top of, most importantly delivering a first-class guest experience.
To help you stay on top of your remote rental business, there are plenty of smart apps and services out there to support you and which will help to streamline your role as a property host.
No longer will you have to take on the role of cleaner, chief of marketing, guest experience manager, concierge and maintenance person, you can concentrate on being the perfect remote host while your guests are enjoying your smoothly managed holiday let.
In this article, we’re sharing our favourite tips and tools to help you manage your holiday let effectively from a distance and delight your guests during their stay.
Keyless self-check-in
Keyless or smart check-in isn’t just for hosts doing remote holiday let management. Many guests also prefer a self-check-in option since the Covid pandemic.
They choose a holiday let over a hotel for more space and less contact, so it makes sense that they also appreciate easy access once they arrive and minimal contact with the host.
It’s also great for guests arriving on a late train or flight, as you don’t have to pay someone to check them in at midnight!
There are several keyless or self-check-in options to choose from: the original key lock box on the wall with a key code to access; an electronic keyless lock with a punch in code, which you share with the guest pre-stay or a complete automated check-in system.
Check out Smart Lock which offers a number of options for UK and Europe-based landlords and serviced accommodation providers.
Digital Guest Welcome Book & Guide
Whether you’re managing your holiday let remotely or locally, your guests will appreciate receiving a digital welcome book before their arrival.
This is an app which sets out everything they need to know about their stay, including key and entry information, check-in/check-out times, appliance manuals, security and Wifi codes; all combined with a guide to your destination – places to visit, shop and eat.
A digital guest welcome app is an integral part of today’s guest experience, allowing them to access everything they need from a secure link.
There are several ways to integrate a Digital Guest Welcome Book into your guest experience strategy.
Property Management Systems: You can use a property management system or channel manager to create your digital welcome book. Hostfully is one company that offers an integrated digital guide in their PMS.
Dedicated Welcome Book: If you already have a PMS and channel manager, you can sign up to a dedicated welcome book app, such as Touch Stay or a next-level Welcome Book, such as YourWelcome, which allows you to upsell recommendations and where guests have access to a free tablet which houses all of your information.
MyGetaways: If you are managing a holiday let remotely in Brighton or Sussex and need some on-the-ground support, MyGetaways have a stand-alone guest app which was developed in-house and presents the guest with everything they need to know about their stay and the destination.
Home Automation Systems & Noise Monitoring
Choosing a home automation system to integrate into your holiday let will not only offer your guests a premium experience it also allows you peace of mind that you can stay in control without being close to hand.
In fact, smart home technology and gadgets aren’t just super handy for check-ins, overall using smart home technology will considerably improve the agility of your holiday let management.
And from the guest’s perspective, staying in a home controlled with smart technology is a premium experience delivering on modern comfort and a greater level of property safety and security.
In today’s Short Term Rentals sector, there are smart apps for just about every element of the rental management, which alleviate many of the pain points experienced with traditional hands-on management methods, and are perfect for remote management situations.
Smart technology doesn’t stop there, you can also find smart apps to enhance every aspect of the pre-stay guest experience, such as digital welcome books as mentioned above, booking and reservations platforms, and check-in and cleaning management.
Managing the guest booking during and post-stay is also made simple with smart apps for cleaning, smart Wifi marketing from which you can mine guest data, and noise reduction and party prevention solutions, such as Minut with integrated temperature and humidity control.
What’s more, many home automation systems can help to improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs in your holiday let, especially when you have guests that aren’t conscious of switching off lights and air conditioning during their stay.
They can also offer real-time intelligence from your mobile or central dashboard system which helps to create an efficient process for high season changeover days.
Use a channel manager for remote holiday let management
Multiple booking channels are necessary for today’s competitive market and the biggest portion of your time will be spent managing the various OTAs (Online Travel Agents) and direct booking channels. Trying to keep them all in sync, keep rates up-to-date and avoid double bookings.
A good PMS will allow you to streamline every aspect of the daily holiday let management: syncing calendars, managing enquiries and bookings, taking payments and handling guest communication. It’s the best way to save time and minimise effort in handling guest bookings and enquiries.
There are plenty of systems out there but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Your holiday let business is unique and you will need to research the market, book demos and make a decision based on your individual requirements and budget.
You may find that the first system you select isn’t the one that you’ll end up with, so make sure that you don’t get locked into a long-term contract with the supplier.
Property management systems can be time-consuming to set up but once they are set up and fully synced to your booking channels, your remote holiday let management suddenly becomes much easier.
Find a reliable housekeeper, cleaner, and quality contractors
What you DON’T need are calls at 3 am to inform you of a water leak.
What you DO need are good people on the ground to take those calls and fix the problem before your guest’s holiday is ruined and they potentially ask for a refund.
Having reliable and professional contractors on the ground is key to the smooth running of your holiday let.
You’ll need a person who can handle in-person check-ins, an efficient cleaning team and someone who can manage all maintenance issues, such as electrical and plumbing issues, and broken or faulty appliances and furnishing.
Whether you decide to hire a cleaning resource or a housekeeper will depend on the size of your property and the level of service you want to offer guests.
If you have a large country rental or luxury Brighton apartment and would like to offer a high-end concierge service we recommend you hire a property manager or housekeeper who will be your problem-solver, oversee cleaning and attend to your guests.
An alternative option for rental cleaning management is sign-up for a service such as Doinn which has certified and professional cleaning companies throughout the UK and will organise your cleaning and laundry requirements.
Partner with My Getaways for a hands-off, headache-free experience!
If all of the above sounds too much like hard work, the head-ache free way to run your holiday let remotely is to hire a professional management company like our team at My Getaways.
We’ve been optimising short-term rental income for property owners in Brighton and Sussex for over seven years and have been finalists in several national hospitality awards.
After working with 100s of owners we know what it takes (as well as what it doesn’t) to deliver high performing properties – and we can do that for you.
Good luck with your remote holiday let management. Please get in touch if you would like a free consultation on how we can help you earn hassle-free income from your Brighton and Sussex holiday let.