Part-time vacation rental owners make up the bulk of those entering the market in many areas. By part-time, I mean those who are, perhaps reluctantly but for good economical reasons, renting out their cottages, cabins, villas, vacation homes (whatever you want to call them) for the weeks they are not using them personally.

I talked to many of these people at the Cottage Life Show in Toronto last week, and will no doubt do the same next weekend at the Cottage Show in Ottawa, and the same questions came up every time:

What do I do with my own stuff? How much can I leave in cupboards and drawers? Do I have to move all my personal belongings out?

In the seminar I presented last week, I talked about the changing face of vacation rental; the increasing expectations of rental clients, and how owners need to adapt to both of these to capture their share of the market. Part of this adaptation is realizing that this type of vacation is new to many travelers. They have been used to resorts and hotels for many years and they bring perceptions and expectations based on those experiences. To some extent it is a challenge to live up to those expectations particularly if your plan is only to rent for a couple of weeks in the summer. Some argue that it’s too much trouble to move their stuff out for such a short time , and that renters should accept they have rented a ‘lived-in’ property and be prepared to share the space.

My view is that the moment you list your property on a vacation rental site, you become a provider to the travelling public; and once you accept money for a period of time in your property, you have responsibilities to provide a good standard of accommodation. And this does mean moving your clothes out of wardrobes and dressers; creating space in the food cupboards, and cleaning out the junk drawers.

Take a moment to think about what happens when your guests arrive. If the weather is great they’ll probably be more focused on the outside, than on unpacking, but at some point during their stay, every cupboard and drawer will be opened, every bed looked under, and any storage box you’ve left out will be examined. It’s human nature and we are a curious species, so even the cupboard you have carefully labeled, “Owners” will be checked out.

So, how do you manage this when you use the place a lot yourself?

Several years ago we visited our friends’ fractional ownership property near Lake Tahoe. It’s a beautifully furnished and decorated property with everything supplied by the management company and owner syndicate for a comfortable stay. Along with 6 other owners they had 7 weeks each year they called the place their own and it was fascinating to arrive with them and see the place transformed into their personal space. Out of a cupboard came a couple of totes packed with photos, pictures, candles, ornaments, vacation clothing and shoes and non-perishable food items they had left from their previous visit. They even had their own sign with their family name that hung on a hook outside the main door. Within about 15 minutes the villa was their own again.

Along with the decision to rent out, comes an acceptance that you’ll have to make concessions to your own use of the property. You’ll want your renters to feel welcome and not as though they have invaded someone’s personal space, so take some time to plan what you have to do. Here’s a few tips:

Personal belongings – clothes, shoes, bathroom cabinet stuff

Buy several totes. Label each one with the room the contents are from, and create an inventory list. Use additional boxes to pack smaller items in the totes, such as toiletries

Food

If you have your own food in the fridge – half used ketchup/dressing/margarine etc, consider moving them out. Buy a small fridge to go in the basement if you have space and keep your perishables in there if you must keep them at the property. Leaving non-perishables in the food cupboards is OK to a degree providing there is plenty of space for your guests to store their supplies. It is nice to supply seasonings, herbs and spices, olive oil, coffee, tea, sugar and flour etc., but just make sure the cupboards are not cluttered with half-full boxes of pasta and rice.

Videos, DVDs, books and magazines

I recall a rental guest’s concern after a stay in a cottage where he had found X-rated videos in the extensive collection. He appreciated having a large choice of video entertainment but didn’t feel it was appropriate to have videos available that his children may encounter. I agree. Take some time to go through your video, DVD and books and remove those that could offence or embarrassment.

Family photos and personal effects

It’s not necessary to take down every photo as this could result in an environment that looks sterile and lacking in atmosphere. However, it’s worth taking a candid look around and asking yourself how much of yourself and your family you wish to share, and how much they need to see. A couple of framed photos on the wall is fine, but rooms stuffed full of free-standing frames of assorted family weddings and events, along with a lifetime of quirky buys from various bazaars around the world may not be so well received.

It is in our interests as owners to respect our rental guests and provide them with quality accommodation for their stay. If that means there’s a little extra work involved then it’s best to accept that it goes with the territory. If you are unwilling to do that, it may be better to reassess your motivation to rent.

I got such a great comment on my Renting 101 post that I wanted to deal with it separately because I think it’s an issue many new cottage owners face. This was the comment:

"We are first time renters beginning this summer. What are your thoughts on how to deal with immediate family that wish to vacation at our newly-acquired cottage? Is charging rent appropriate, or would it be better to simply ask them to do things like cut the grass, clean thoroughly and replenish items such as paper and cleaning products to get the cottage through a few more weeks of upcoming renters after they leave?"

I remember when we bought our first cottage and suddenly became very popular with ‘friends’ and family. At first I didn’t want to charge them, but we had set goals for what we wanted to achieve with renting, and that didn’t leave us with any free high season weeks to give away. So, we simply made it clear that we were running our cottage rental as a business and although we’d love to offer a discount in the summer, it just wasn’t possible given our plans.  However, we were happy to have family stay in the low season, and all we asked for then was for some jobs to be done.

Here’s a brief excerpt from my book, "Renting Your Recreational Property for Profit", that touches on this issue:

"To maximise your income, you’ll need to rent the whole of the summer, but that may not be practical if you have family who want to spend some time in the cottage as well. At times you need to be strict, not only with yourselves, but with family and friends who probably see your cottage as an inexpensive way to vacation, particularly if they have done so in the past. Let everyone know that you are renting in a more professional manner and that you may have late availability weeks or weekends that they can have. If you have minor jobs that need doing, you could save a little on property management by asking your non-paying guests to do them. Alternatively, have your non-paying guests, family or friends leave a ‘gift’ for the cottage. Why not keep a list of items that may need replacing from time to time and ask your non-payers to choose from the list and take the replacement item with them to the cottage. Include things like new pillows, towels, books and games, additions to the fishing tackle box, etc. They will appreciate knowing their gift is needed, and you will save on some of those expenses."

One word of caution here. Immediate family and friends have the same responsibilities as other paying guests. This means they should leave the cottage in the same condition in which it was found, if you don’t provide cleaning services. I don’t recommend relying on them to undertake the changeover duties that should be done after each rental by an owner or caretaker. Relationship issues can arise if your family guests have caused any damage or fail to clean up to the right standard. The last thing you want is for your rental guests to call you and complain about the condition of the cottage after family have left.

This can be a thorny issue and everyone will be happier if there are clear boundaries. If you can afford it, set aside a couple of high season weeks – the first and last of the season are good ones – but don’t rely on the family to prepare it for the next guests.

Has anyone else got suggestions on how to manage this issue? I’d love to hear them from you.