Room4Rent Tips

Keep the title short and to the point – it will appear in the search results and will be the first impression the potential renter see’s.

Be realistic when setting the price per night – take into account factors such as location and size of the property, prices of other available types of accommodation in your area, and whether you are offering extra’s such as internet or breakfast. Also take into account the time of year, or whether there are any events on in your area – using the auction function may be a good way to go during events, the peak of the holiday season, or other times when the demand for accommodation in your area may be high. A good benchmark may be what you think would pay for the accommodation.

Factor in the costs of power, water, and other utilities into the price per night, and consider disallowing toll calls.

If you won’t be at the property during your guests’ stay, be sure to leave your contact details for the guest in case they need any help with anything to do with the property. Perhaps leave a list of directions to help ensure the guest can use all the facilities and leave the property in an acceptable state.

Provide as much information about the rooms, property and surrounding area as possible in the description to increase the chance of tourists applying to stay in your property. Include things such as attractions in the area, distance to shops, restaurants, and public transport, what access to cooking and washing facilities is provided, and any other things you would want to be told about if you were booking the accommodation. If you can provide transport to or from places such as the airport, let your guests know.

Leave the house/room in a good state for your guests – perhaps leave some basic food products or fruit for your guests to make their stay more enjoyable.

It may be best to remove any valuables from the house/room, particularly if you won’t be on-site during the stay.

Leave feedback after the stay to help us make room4rent a safer way to find accommodation.

Check your email regularly – a tourist could apply to stay at your property at any time.

Be patient – you may not get a tourist interested in your property straight away, but if you leave a large number of dates available, it increases the changes. Remember, there’s no fee’s until someone actually books the property, so you have nothing to lose!

Treat the property with respect, as you would want your own property treated, and follow any instructions the host has left.

If you use anything, such as eat or drink food or wine left in the house, replace it before you leave unless the host has said otherwise.

When creating your profile, make it as detailed an accurate as possible. Having a complete profile gives you a better chance of being accepted by the homeowner.

Communicate with your hosts – ask them if you have any queries or want to know more about the location of the house. Let them know of your travel plans and what time you will be arriving, and keep them updated if the plans change or flights are delayed, etc.

Use the question and answer function on the listing page to find out as much as possible about the home and surrounding area before you make an application to stay or a bid.

If a listing is missing something you consider essential to know before booking, such as photos, consider searching for another, more complete listing in the area.

Leave feedback after the stay to help us make room4rent a safer way to find accommodation.