Spending time in sunny San Diego, California is an endlessly appealing prospect for travelers across the map year-round. Here, visitors can enjoy picture-perfect weather in every season, spend quality time on the 70 miles of shoreline, make the most of surfing adventures, and follow it all up with fantastic shopping and dining options too. San Diego is home to fascinating museums and art galleries and a great place to dive into history when visitors are looking to learn more about the area’s rich past. It’s home to the San Diego Zoo, a variety of gorgeous gardens to explore, and Legoland, making it a must-visit for families from near and far. The culinary scene calls endlessly to food enthusiasts looking for mouthwatering moments while opportunities to spend days hiking, biking, exploring, and wildlife watching are just as exciting. From the natural beauty to the city-center entertainment venues, San Diego is truly a city with something for everyone to love. Here are the ten things to avoid when renting out your San Diego vacation rental.
10 Things to Avoid When Renting Out Your San Diego Vacation Rental
While all these fantastic features make San Diego a terrific place to visit, they make the area equally appealing to prospective vacation rental owners. San Diego’s year-round attraction to travelers means that vacation rental homeowners here have a world of exciting potential at their fingertips in every season. That said, there are also a variety of pitfalls you could encounter along the way if you’re new to the industry. The following are 10 things to avoid when renting out your San Diego vacation rental so you can leave stress out of the equation and focus on your future success instead!
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Forgetting to Look into All the Details of Local Regulations
As the popularity of short-term vacation rentals across San Diego has risen in recent years, so have the local laws regarding property management. Not only are these regulations vast and sometimes complex, but they’re also ever-changing. Local regulations are something you’ll need to continually keep up with so you’re ahead of the game when expectations are altered. These include everything from permits and licensing laws to well as zoning laws specific to the neighborhood your vacation rental is located in. There are also regulations regarding taxes for vacation rental hosts that you’ll want to be aware of ahead of time to avoid any costly penalties.
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Not Taking Significant Time to Consider the Location of Your Investment
When you’re new to the vacation rental industry, it can be tempting to purchase a property to rent out in San Diego based solely on your preferred upfront budget. Sometimes, this leads new property owners to pick homes in areas that aren’t ideal for travelers, or alternatively, are oversaturated with other rentals. Unfortunately, if you don’t take significant time to consider the location of your rental as well as your budget, you could find that even the most charming of properties simply won’t appeal to the guests you’re hoping to attract in the long term. This can lead to a quick decline in occupancy rates and a failure to reach your profit goals year over year. Picking a property in a neighborhood with low guest demand could save you money initially, but there’s typically a good reason guests aren’t flocking to the area you’ve chosen and that’s something you’ll need to consider. On the other hand, purchasing a property in a San Diego neighborhood that’s already overcrowded with rentals means you’ll constantly be in competition and likely consistently lowering your price point below where you want to be to appeal to guests. It’s vital to spend time analyzing local neighborhoods ahead of time so you understand who your property will appeal to and what type of trends you can expect when it comes to seasonal bookings.
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Waiting Until the Last Minute to Post Your Listing
The vacation rental industry is certainly a dynamic one and when you own a property to rent out in San Diego, making more of your marketing strategies is a must. Travelers flock to the city all year long to enjoy the weather, activities, attractions, and inviting vibe. That means they’ll be looking for a vacation rental option that’s not only appealing but customized to their personal sense of travel style. If you wait until the last minute to post your home’s availability, you won’t end up with the bookings you’re hoping for. Many travelers know long before they travel this way that they want to stay in a vacation rental over a traditional hotel and they’re often looking to book earlier rather than later for peace of mind. If you don’t let them know your home is available during their preferred travel dates, or your listing is difficult to find across platforms, you won’t see the results you’re hoping for.
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Creating a Lackluster Listing
As important as it is to make sure your San Diego vacation rental is listed across all major booking sites so guests from near and far know it’s available, it’s equally important to create eye-catching listings that speak to your property’s unique appeal! It’s easy to get caught up in the details of home maintenance, preparation, and care and overlook how important it is to make sure your listing is something that truly draws prospective guests to your home’s most appealing features and amenities. Your listing is where you stand out in a crowd because it’s the first impression possible guests have of your home. Creating a lackluster listing is a sure way to have your property overlooked in seconds as guests move onto listings that are more aesthetically appealing or offer more detailed insight into the property’s features.
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Designing a Home That Doesn’t Speak Directly to the Guests You’re Hoping to Attract
A big trap that many San Diego vacation property owners fall into initially is attempting to design their vacation rental the same way they would their personal home. This is a particularly problematic approach when you’re trying to attract a variety of guests, or you’re looking to appeal to a niche market. For example, if you want your property to be one that’s regularly booked by families traveling to San Diego for vacation, designing a space packed with high-end furnishings, fragile décor, and an ultra-modern aesthetic typically won’t be what draws them in. Instead, you’ll want to consider what your guests will truly need during their stay. For a family-friendly getaway experience, you might swap out expensive furnishings for more durable and comfortable options so kids can run around and play without parents worrying so much about damage. You could create themed bedrooms for little ones and put more focus on modern design in master suites which are more likely to be used by the traveling adults in the group. Adding extras like kid’s plates, sippy cups, and even a highchair to the kitchen could make all the difference when it comes to letting guests know you have them covered at every turn.
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Overlooking Major Structural Issues
It’s common to worry about your budget when you invest in a San Diego vacation rental, but you don’t want to ever overlook a major structural issue in the name of saving a buck or two. The truth is your guests will notice, and they deserve better. Safety and health need to be your number one priority when you’re buying a home specifically to rent it out to others. That means it’s vital to make sure your home has been properly inspected and all potential maintenance issues have been taken care of before you begin inviting guests to stay. Areas to pay particularly close attention to when upgrading your rental home so it’s ready for guests include the kitchen, living spaces, and bathrooms. These are high-traffic areas that guests are going to spend a significant amount of time in and deserve your investment today so you can reap the rewards of satisfied guests later on.
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Investing in Materials That Wear Easily
While some vacation destinations on the map are strictly seasonal in terms of traveler arrivals, San Diego’s great weather means your rental property here can potentially see a steady stream of visitors year-round. Many first-time vacation rental owners make the mistake of filling their home with beautiful finishes that look great but wear easily. This can be a problem when there’s very little downtime between guests over the course of 12 months. When your rental home sees a lot of traffic and your finishes on counters, floors, and furnishings are durable enough to keep up, you might find yourself spending more than you counted on to replace these items more frequently than you’d like to. It’s always advisable to invest in durable alternatives like linoleum and laminate for flooring over hardwood which can scuff and stain more easily. Similarly, avoiding leather or mahogany finishes on furniture is a good idea, and replacing them with waterproof fabrics will save you a ton of stress and money in the long run. Darker carpets, tile flooring, and stain-resistant paint are all worth your while as well!
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Forgetting to Include Those Above and Beyond Amenities
These days, perhaps more than ever before, guests who book a stay in a vacation rental in San Diego are looking for the details that make all the difference in their guest experience. Forgetting to include those above and beyond amenities and extras can be the factor that keeps your occupancy rates from soaring or brings those guest reviews down a notch or two. Luckily, the remedy is simple and only requires your time and attention. San Diego is a city built for outdoor adventure so something as easy as including a bicycle in the garage for guests to use or adding a kayak to your lineup of amenities could really be the thing that sticks out in a guest’s mind as great and brings them back the following year. Offerings like a few bottles of wine in the refrigerator as a welcome gift can leave a lasting impression while a book of local event, restaurants, and activity recommendations adds that personal touch travelers crave and won’t forget.
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Skipping Over World-Class Guest Communication Standards
Owning a vacation rental in San Diego definitely comes with a lot of responsibilities and details to take care of. However, if excellence in guest communications falls to the wayside in the process, you’ll never see the profitable results from your business endeavor you’ve been aiming for. Even the most amazing San Diego rental will lose its luster in the eyes of guests if you don’t keep lines of communication open every step of the way. From reservations through departure, your guests deserve to know that they can find you when they have questions about the property, the area, or just about anything in between. Making sure you communicate what they should do if they have a maintenance issue and who they can speak to with general questions is essential. On top of that, making sure you’re subsequently available with a ready answer and response is the lifeblood of your property becoming a trusted and loved rental home in the area.
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Attempting to Take on Every Single Task Yourself
Many first-time vacation rental homeowners in San Diego go into the industry thinking they can easily handle every detail of managing the property themselves. Between home upgrades, maintenance, customer service, documentation, and local regulations, it doesn’t take long for that to become extremely overwhelming. If you want your property to succeed in a competitive marketplace like San Diego, it’s important to have professional help along the way. Investing in property management services is always the right choice because it ensures your home will be up to code, you can enjoy the business you’re a part of, and your guests will have the best experiences possible too. It’s a great route to earning the revenue you deserve while also earning a reputation for excellence in your neighborhood and seeing a lot of return guests and great referrals as a result.
Reach Out Today to Learn More
When you’re excited to see how much potential your San Diego vacation rental has, reach out to the property management professionals at Skye Management. We’ll help you reach your goals while transforming your home into a seamless oasis of unforgettable experiences for your guests. We can’t wait to hear from you soon!
