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Listing your bach as a holiday rental is one thing, but you also need to ensure that you are operating within the law, meeting health and safety standards and a range of personal, legal and taxation obligations that you will need to understand and navigate.
It could feel a bit overwhelming at first glance so we’ve put together an overview of the main aspects that you need to consider before renting out your bach. It’s not an exhaustive list but it will set you on the right path. Our experience managing more than 2000 holiday homes nationwide means that our Bachcare experts are well equipped to help you ensure that all the regulatory bases are covered.
Under New Zealand legislation, an owner is responsible to ensure that the holiday home and garden are free of any hazards that could cause an accident or injury, including pests and vermin. This includes the following:
You will need to check local body rules as these can vary between towns and regions e.g. Queenstown-Lakes District Council requires providers of visitor accommodation to be registered. Other watch-outs include
You may need a specific holiday home insurance. You should advise your insurer of its use as a holiday rental, and ensure that you have the correct policy in place.
If a bank has a security interest in your property, you should check with the bank on whether mortgage terms and conditions allow short term rentals.
Communicate clearly with tenants all dates and arrangements for payment e.g. for deposit, final full payment. You must also advise and agree on the cancellation process — when, how and what refunds can be given at different stages e.g. 2 months, 2 weeks or 2 days out.
A holiday rental is covered by consumer law rather than the act that relates to long-term tenancies. It’s therefore important that you have a rental agreement in place to cover both owner and the renter.
At Bachcare we understand that one size doesn’t always fit all. We offer two solutions with varying degrees of involvement for you as a homeowner.
Bachcare is the only holiday home management company in New Zealand that has a team dedicated to managing owners’ revenue and occupancy. These services are based on our commercial insights, experience and knowledge of the holiday rental business.
Insights from the national Bachcare holiday home database help determine the optimal base price for your property, based on location, facilities and amenities, market trends and seasonality e.g. nightly rates may vary from an average $50 per person per night up to $150-$200 per person per night for a luxury, high season stay.
Bachcare properties average bookings of 55 nights per year, but this could be up to 200 nights when a property has full availability over the summer holiday period.
There is an option to keep your bach at a flat nightly rate throughout the year or, the preferred option, when our dedicated revenue team manages and proactively adjusts the pricing according to fluctuations in demand so that you never miss out on potential revenue and bookings.
Bachcare’s two revenue management options are:
- Super Income Max which pricing allows flexibility for the team to adjust your nightly rate in response to demand.
- the Fixed Price plan maintains one nightly rate throughout the year.
Whatever your property and revenue goals are, we’re here to help.
The thoughtful provision of amenities, along with extra little touches and additional considerations can generate more positive reviews and help raise income potential. It’s worth noting that with Bachcare, pet-friendly properties get 23% more bookings.
Bachcare provides a handy checklist to ensure that all the basic items are available for your guests.
Pricing is crucial to optimising occupancy. Over-pricing risks missing out on bookings and income, while under-pricing could mean you’re simply not breaking even.
Effective price setting takes into account comparable short term rentals in the local market and needs to be flexible for a seasonal market. Use the Bachcare website to compare your place with other similar holiday rentals in your area to get an idea on what you could be charging.
Or, you can leave it up to the experts. Bachcare is the only holiday home management company with a team dedicated to optimising your revenue, which takes away the guesswork of setting your base rate and adjusting the price to suit demand. With data from over 2000 homes, we know how to maximise revenue and occupancy based on the all-in-important demand and supply.
Research, compare and realistically assess your costs then reach out to one of our New Owner Advisors [link] who will guide you through an income projection for your property. To set you on the way, check out what you could be earning on our Income Calculator. [link]
Great photos will lift your listing above the crowd, instantly set the scene and tell the story of what a holiday at your place looks and feels like. So, if “a picture is worth a thousand words”, there’s good reason to ensure that your holiday home listing stands out with great pictures. Anticipation motivates, and the right visuals can help fuel that anticipation.
Industry experts agree that quality photos are worth the effort and investment.
“Photographs are the single most important factor for marketing a vacation property.” — Scott Shatford, Founder AirDnA [link to AirDnA]
You may even want to consider professional photography as, according to Airbnb [ALT: as Airbnb data shows], professionally photographed homes get booked twice as often. [link to Airbnb] Better still, when you join Bachcare, we can take care of those professional photos so that your place looks its best. OR Join Bachcare and we can take care of those professional photos so that your place looks its best.
Make the most of a sunny day to take high quality images, depicting the best of your property and surroundings — at least 20 so there’s a choice for your listing.
When it comes to booking accommodation, the bedding configuration is super important. If you offer a flexible solution that accommodates a range of guests, your booking potential will increase.
Rather than single bunks, consider a double / single bunk combo (double on bottom, single on top). Consider a split-king bed instead of a queen for second and third bedrooms, allowing for a couple or twin share bedroom.
Make the most of your outdoor entertaining areas because that’s what your potential guests are looking for — a pleasant space to spread out into, put their feet up, eat and play together. Attractive outdoor areas with comfortable furniture are a significant plus for potential guests when it comes to deciding to book a holiday home.
Find inspiration on how to spruce up or create outdoor ambience at your place by browsing some of the best Bachcare listings.
If renting out your holiday home now feels like a viable option, the next typical roadblock is the time and stress of managing everything from listings, bookings and availability to ongoing maintenance. All that can seem overwhelming, even more so if you live an hour or more away from the property. Using a property manager like Bachcare removes the stress and hassle of the renting process for you.
You may need a specific holiday home insurance. You should advise your insurer of its use as a holiday rental, and ensure that you have the correct policy in place.
With over 2,300 homes in the Bachcare network, our onboarding team has a wealth of knowledge for getting your property ready to rent. Knowing how to set-up your bach as a rental and what essential things to include can make a real difference to your occupancy.
Your personal online owner portal allows you to block dates for personal use, view guest bookings, track performance, and chat with our support team. It’s always accessible from the palm of your hand, from wherever you may be.
We get your property in front of as many eyes as possible. All our properties are listed on our own site, as well as popular booking platforms such as Airbnb, Bookabach, & Booking.com at no extra cost to you. Doing this helps maximise your reach and bookings potential.
Our professionally trained, locally based managed service providers ensure your property is kept to the highest standard, clean and ready for when your next guests arrive.
Our centralised support office manages enquiries, bookings, payments, bonds and guest contracts, 365 days per year. Our friendly support team help over 150,000 guests find their happy place every year.
When you join Bachcare, our team helps make your property stand out from the crowd. Our new listings are crafted by our expert team with pictures taken by professional photographers showing off your happy place in its best light.
If you need any work done while your away simply get in contact with us and we will be happy to help. We have people available on the ground near your happy place that can arrange any property management tasks required for an additional fee.
