10 Tips to Boost Off-Season Vacation Rental Bookings

Key Takeaways

1. Recognize your vacation rental's low season by analyzing local trends, events, weather patterns, and competitor pricing.
2. Flexibility is key in setting off-season rental prices. Use dynamic pricing tools, consider operating costs, and implement tiered pricing based on the length of stay.
3. To attract potential guests during the offseason, update your listing with seasonal photos and incorporate off-season keywords.

Ready to turn those off-season woes into booking wins? You're in luck! In this guide, we've curated 11 top-notch tips to help you rev up your off-season bookings and keep those occupancy rates soaring. From savvy pricing strategies to clever marketing tactics, we've got everything you need to turn your rental into a year-round hotspot.

1. Identify Your Low Season

Here’s what to assess when identifying your vacation rental’s low season:

• Seasonal trends: Understand the general tourism trends in your area. Coastal properties might experience a low season during cold months, while ski lodges might see dips in summer. Investigate the most and least seasonal Airbnb markets to gain insight into how seasonality affects rental returns.
• Local events and holidays: Be aware of local events that could impact your low season. For instance, a beach town could have a festival in the off-season that boosts demand.
• Weather and climate: The local weather patterns in your region play a significant role in determining your low season. Guests are less likely to book a beach house during hurricane season or a cabin during times of heavy snowfall unless winter sports are nearby.
• Competitor analysis: Observe when your competitors are dropping their rates, which often indicates a local dip in demand.

While “low season” is often attributed to winter months (November through March), demand actually varies greatly based on the factors above:

Seasonality by Region

In the US, July is the most popular month for STR demand while January and February are typically the slowest months. In 2023, average revenue per available room (RevPAR) earned during the peak travel month of July ($230) was 60% higher than average RevPAR earned in January ($143).

In the US, coastal destinations and small rural cities are the most seasonal. In both locations, RevPARs during times of high demand are nearly double the RevPARs during the lowest month of demand. 

The least seasonal markets in the US are large urban and suburban markets. Large cities receive visitors year-round, so they experience less fluctuation in demand and revenue. While large urban and suburban markets do have peak seasons and low seasons, the percent difference between peak season RevPAR and low season RevPAR is about 50%. 

AirDNA tools provide valuable insights into market seasonality scores, allowing you to gauge the level of fluctuation in demand throughout the year. Our seasonality score ranks markets based on the percentage difference between the minimum and maximum RevPAR in the last year.

A market with little to no fluctuation in RevPAR throughout the year will have a high seasonality score while a market with high fluctuation will have a low seasonality score.

2. Optimize Your Off-Season Pricing

When setting rental prices during the off-season, flexibility is key. Begin by researching the average off-season rates in your area to set a competitive baseline. Utilize dynamic pricing tools that adjust rates based on demand and local market trends.

Calculating your operating expenses is crucial as a starting point. Aim to cover these costs while offering attractive prices. 

Here's a simple breakdown:

• Fixed costs: These don't change and include costs like mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.
• Variable costs: These fluctuate with guest turnover, like cleaning and maintenance expenses.

Insights from Myrtle Beach 

Let’s take a look at one highly seasonal market: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This case study illustrates the impact of an off-season pricing strategy on occupancy rates and RevPAR.

In Myrtle Beach, RevPARs in January (the lowest demand month) are 80% lower than RevPARs in July (the highest demand month). 

In January 2024, we assessed the pricing dynamics of studio, 1, and 2-bedroom listings in Myrtle Beach.

Here's what we found: 

• Lower average daily rates (ADRs) tend to drive up occupancy rates, while higher ADRs lead to higher revenue per available room (RevPAR). 
• Properties in the bottom 25% with the lowest ADRs boasted the highest occupancy rates, around 40%. 
• Conversely, those in the top 25% with the highest ADRs reaped the highest RevPARs, hitting an impressive $61.

The key takeaway? In the case of Myrtle Beach, having higher ADRs lowers occupancy but it yields higher RevPARs.

This sheds light on the importance of striking a balance between ADRs and occupancy rates. While lower rates might fill up your calendar, higher rates can significantly boost your earnings. Remember: Every market is unique, so keep experimenting to find the sweet spot for your property.

3. Update Your Listing Page with Seasonal Photos

Ensure that you regularly update your listing with high-quality, seasonal photographs to accurately depict the current experience at your property.

What to capture:

• Exterior shots: Showcase your property's exterior with the current season's decor. In winter, include images of any cozy outdoor spaces, and in summer, highlight areas like pools or patios.
• Interior ambiance: Feature interior photos that reflect the season. Have a roaring fireplace in the winter or bright, airy rooms for the spring.

Tips for seasonal photo updates:

• Timing: Update your photos at the start of each season to ensure they’re relevant.
• Quality: Use a high-resolution camera for clarity and good lighting to capture the true ambience.
• Staging: Decorate and stage the interiors of your rental to reflect the seasonal vibe, such as adding festive decorations or plush blankets.

4. Target Off-Season Keywords on Your Property’s Website

Strategically choose and add keywords to your listing to optimize it for Airbnb’s search engine. These keywords should closely match the search queries people use when planning off-season travels.

First, identify the unique off-season attractions near your property. This may include fall festivals, winter sports venues, or spring flower blooms. Use keyword tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz’s Keyword Explorer, and Ubersuggest to discover related search terms. Google Trends is another great tool to understand trending topics and search frequency by location and time.

Create a keyword list with variations of:

• Location + “off-season vacation rentals” (e.g., "Maine off-season vacation rentals")
• Nearby attractions + “year-round” (e.g., "year-round mountain hiking trails")
• Events + “accommodation” (e.g., "winter carnival accommodation")

Naturally incorporate these keywords into your vacation rental listing’s title, meta copy, and content. Regularly update the copy in your listing to reflect current off-season advantages. 

5. Optimize Your Minimum Stay

When setting minimum stay requirements for your vacation rental during the off-season, it's crucial to strike a balance. Adjusting minimum stays based on demand can maximize occupancy and revenue.

• Low demand periods: Reduce minimum stays to attract more bookings, and offer incentives for longer stays, such as a discount or free extra night.
• Events or holidays: Increase minimum stays to capitalize on high-demand dates. You can also research local events and sync your minimum stay requirements accordingly.
• Understand your market: Monitor local trends to make informed decisions, and use data analytics tools to determine the ideal minimum stay lengths.
• Communicate clearly: Ensure your listing clearly states your minimum stay requirements. Keep your policy consistent across all booking platforms.
• Be flexible: Consider allowing exceptions for last-minute bookings, and remain open to shorter stays if your property isn't booked as the date approaches.

6. Offer Special Deals for Longer Stays

Implement Tiered Pricing 

Adjusting your pricing based on the length of a guest’s stay can help you increase occupancy during slow seasons.

Consider using tiered pricing based on length of stay:

• Short-term (a few days)
• Mid-term (a week to a month)
• Long-term (over a month)

Offering discounts for longer stays can incentivize guests to book accommodations:

Implement a tiered discount system where the longer the stay, the greater the savings. This method not only fills your calendar but also minimizes guest turnover, which can reduce your maintenance and cleaning costs.

7. Leverage Email Marketing

Advertising your off-season vacation rental is crucial to increase occupancy during the low season. Take advantage of email marketing. By using targeted email campaigns, you can reach past guests and potential new visitors with tempting off-season deals.

Follow these email marketing tips to get the most out of your off-season campaigns:

• Segment your audience into categories such as previous guests, leads who have shown interest, and general subscribers. Tailor your messages to each segment to increase relevance and engagement.
• Craft compelling content that includes high-quality images of your property and the surrounding area. Highlight off-season activities and any upgrades made to the property since their last visit.
• Provide special offers that are exclusive to your email subscribers.
• Use A/B testing to send two variations of the same email to see which performs better. Use this data to improve your email marketing strategy. Try out different subject lines and calls to action.

8. Turn on Instant Book

Airbnb Instant Book is a feature that allows guests to book your vacation rental without waiting for your approval. This feature offers immediate gratification to potential renters. 

Turning on Instant Bookings has been shown to help hosts earn up to 52% more. As an added bonus, it saves hassle for hosts who don’t have to worry about missing guest inquiries. 

9. Perform Maintenance on Your Rental Property

The off-season is an ideal period to address maintenance for your vacation rental property as well as your STR’s online presence. Focus on enhancements that will elevate your guests' experience and streamline your management tasks.

Use the slower season to:

• Inspect and repair any structural damage.
• Refresh paint and decor.
• Update amenities that may be worn out or outdated.
• Perform deep cleaning, particularly in high-use areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

10. Start Planning and Preparing for the Next Peak Season

As an off-season vacation rental owner, you should strategically prepare for the upcoming high-demand period. Your success during the peak season hinges on the choices you make well in advance. 

Here are some ways to prepare for peak season:

• Assess and revamp your property. Evaluate necessities like heating and cooling systems, check the condition of furniture and fixtures, and upgrade amenities like WiFi, entertainment options, or kitchen appliances.
• Ramp up your marketing efforts. Plan a marketing calendar leading up to the peak season. Create content and schedule it in advance so that you won’t have to worry about posting when you’re busy during peak season. 
• Assess your pricing strategy. Research competitor pricing in your area, consider demand fluctuations due to local events, and implement dynamic pricing to stay competitive.