Whistler

7 Important Things You Need to Know Before Renting Out Your Whistler Luxury Vacation Home

By February 28, 2019 No Comments

Whistler, BC is a favourite travel destination for many people around the world. While some guests enjoy being pampered in hotels, vacation homes full of personable amenities have increasingly grown in popularity.

Kitchens for cooking, patios for entertaining, and a breathtaking view are all in hot demand. Staying in a luxury vacation home is the easiest way to have access to all of this and more!

Are you thinking about taking the plunge and letting your Whistler vacation home make you some extra money to meet this growing demand?

Check out these 7 things you need to know before renting out your Whistler vacation property.

1. Ensure You Can Legally Rent Out Your Home

Renting out your Whistler vacation home can yield significant financial benefits, but before you jump headfirst into the process, make sure you do some legal research.

Like most popular travel destinations in Canada, there may be numerous rules and regulations in place to consider. Luxury vacation owners in Whistler will first need to think about licensing and zoning regulations, as well as protecting their properties with home insurance.  To find out more information, we recommend contacting the local office at the City of Whistler for more information, or by browsing their website.

Another important point is that even if you own your home, you may not be allowed to rent out your luxury Whistler property. People are often surprised mortgage agreements may include rental restrictions.

If you are part of a homeowners associations, make sure you understand the rules If regarding renting out your home. If you violate them, you could be facing expensive fines.

2. Invest in Professional Photos

If you want to show prospective renters everything your space has to offer, you must invest in professional photos. In fact, taking good photos of your Whistler vacation rental home can equal the difference between making hundreds of dollars per month to tens of thousands.

Given the high quality of cell phone cameras today, you may be tempted to start taking your own photos using your mobile phone. However, we strongly advise against doing this, as the luxury rental market in Whistler is highly competitive, and having the best quality of photos is one way to stand out. Hiring a professional photographer directly will ensure you capture top quality images of your property.

Make sure that you clean, declutter and stage your home before the photographer arrives for the photo shoot. Highlight each individual room with special decorative accents and consider captioning each photo, so that potential guests can begin to envision the space layout.

3. Hire a Professional Cleaning Service

Most luxury vacation home owners do not want to clean their own rental properties after each guest stay. Things like washing bedding, mopping floors, and dusting should all be done before and after every guest. Even though it can save some money, it is also time-consuming and stressful to clean an entire vacation home property on your own.

Before you hire a professional cleaning service for your Whistler housing rental, check online reviews for cleaning services and always make sure the company is licensed and insured.

You can also ask departing guests to keep the rental property tidy by taking out the trash and washing the dishes; however,  a professional cleaning service will be needed for any heavy lifting.

While cleaning can be expensive in Whistler, it is well worth the return of having happy visitors, receiving good reviews and creating a clientele of returning guests.

4. Lay Out Clear Rules When Renting Out Your Whistler Vacation Home

Most guests are considerate when staying in other peoples’ homes, but it is still best practice to lay out explicit rules for your Whistler vacation home. Some common ground rules to cover include pet guidelines, smoking, and maximum occupancy.

Guests will also appreciate if you include instructions on how to use the AC unit, sound system and any other high-tech items.

5. Invest in an Easy Entry System

Unless you live nearby your Whistler vacation home or have your luxury vacation property registered with a rental agency, you will need to install an entry system for guests to use.

You can install a lock box or keyless locks that require number codes. The latter is a great option because the number codes can be easily reset after every guest to ensure the security and safety of the property. One of the most common systems is a Kaba code lock, which is very reliable and easy to use.

6. Stock Basic Amenities and Necessities for Your Guests

Nowadays, when people stay at hotels, they have certain expectations on what basic items, such as a hot water kettle or a hair dryer, should be provided at hotels. As you are in direct competition with popular hotels, you should also ensure that your guests have easy access to these items.

Make sure to stock plenty of toilet paper, towels, dishes and washcloths in your Whistler vacation rental. It is also a nice touch to include basic toiletries, such as soap, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

Besides preparing toiletries, you should consider stocking up your kitchen shelves with dishware  and your pantry with basic spices and condiments.

7. Create a Welcome Book for Your Guests

A Welcoming Book is one of the most important amenities that you can provide for your vacation home guests. At the very least, it should be a compilation or guide that provides vacationers with information about the vacation home property, the surrounding neighbourhood and nearby attractions such as fun events or popular restaurants.

It is also good idea to also include your contact information in case of emergencies, along with any other important maintenance phone numbers.

You’re Now Ready to Share Your Home with Travelers

Opening up your home to travelers around the world is an amazing opportunity. Not only will it help you increase your income every month, but you can also be happy knowing that you are providing your guests a personable and joyful alternative to a hotel.

It can seem daunting, but we hope these tips have left you feeling more confident about your decision to rent out your Whistler vacation home.

Do you have any additional questions about getting your home ready for guests? Contact us today and we’d be more than happy to help with everything outlined above.

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