Jacksonville, Florida, is one of the hottest locales in the United States. Since 2020, the city's population has increased by more than 20,000 residents. Its population is rapidly nearing 1 million.
This comes as no surprise given Florida's appeal. Jacksonville offers employment opportunities, low taxes, and great weather for most of the year.
For short-term rental property owners, off-season bookings are more difficult in the winter. Read on for three ways to increase your short-term rental bookings in the winter. Explore tactics such as relaxing minimum night requirements and offering vacation rental specials to keep your property booked.
1. Reducing Minimum Night Stay Requirements
Many vacation properties implement a minimum night stay requirement. The objective is to book more nights while reducing turnover costs. It costs money to clean and prepare a short-term rental for each new tenant.
This is an effective strategy during peak season. However, you need to fine-tune your property's policies in the winter.
Relaxing minimum night requirements is one tactic employed with success. Filling a few days is better than having no guests at all.
Also, you may tap into a separate network of customers. For example, people doing business in Jacksonville or St. Augustine may now be interested in your property. Another possibility is road trippers on their way down to Orlando, Miami, or the Florida Keys.
2. Vacation Rental Specials
Another idea is to offer vacation rental specials. A discounted rate may be enough to pull a potential tenant off the sidelines.
It is logical to reduce nightly rates in the off-season when the weather is not optimal. You can package your specials in other ways as well. Buy one get one (BOGO) 50% off is another rental special to consider.
Some short-term rental management companies are getting creative, especially in Florida. For instance, they may offer discounted admission to local attractions in Jacksonville or St. Augustine for a 3-night stay.
3. Ramp Up Your Marketing Efforts
Many property owners find it easy to fill a short-term rental in Florida during peak season. Winter requires a more aggressive marketing approach.
You need to identify potential tenants and start marketing to them. A successful marketing campaign relies on data. You should record demographics and other valuable information on the type of tenants you receive.
Consider that the majority of your tenants are in the age 30-49 demographic. With this data, you can tailor your marketing campaign to these individuals.
Social media is a great place to start your marketing campaign. Platforms like Facebook allow you to tailor advertisements to specific age groups or income levels. Here, you can offer promotions and discounted rates to fill those off-season vacancies.
Your Guide to Increasing Short-Term Rental Bookings in the Winter
You are now ready to tackle the winter season in Jacksonville, Florida. While it may be more difficult, it is not impossible to fill these vacancies. Jacksonville is a business epicenter for the northeastern portion of the state. There are also many things to do and the weather is still kinder than in the Northeast or Midwest.
If you need help increasing your short-term rental bookings this winter, contact us at PMI Jacksonville to speak with an expert.
