Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, vacation rental industry folks (alongside, well, everyone else) have asked what has become the question of our times: when will things get back to “normal”?
Almost a year into the pandemic, vacation rental owners and managers have rolled with countless punches, in some cases seeing record-busting bookings and in other cases, wondering if it’s time to shutter entirely. With time, we’re realizing that some things may never return to what they were… and that we may need to start coming to terms with a new normal.
It’s a sobering thought, but it’s not all bad. Below, we outline some of the pandemic-driven changes that we think will stick around long after the pandemic has passed, and how you can stay on the right course into the future.
Keyless Entry
Before COVID-19, keyless entry was already becoming a standard feature at many vacation rentals. Digital door locks allow greater flexibility for both guests and property owners/managers, eliminating the need for perfectly timed key exchanges. No more misplaced keys. No more getting out of bed to drive keys to late-arriving guests.
The pandemic only expedited the trend. Now, keyless locks give guests and owners/managers the peace-of-mind of knowing they can carry out the check-in process without potential exposure to the virus. Though there is much to be said about face-to-face hospitality, the reality is that modern guests prefer to get their vacation started without waiting for a busy property manager to arrive, and that’s only more true with the virus added to the mix.
Whether a property owner chooses to go with a pin pad or an app controlled by smartphone, many keyless entry systems can track what time the door is opened and closed. This is a handy feature in case of an emergency, and may give you a heads up for potential parties at your rental—a problem in normal times, and an even bigger problem during the time of bans on large group gatherings.
As a trend, keyless entry is likely here to stay. Also keep an eye on technologies like Ring door alarms and other entryway cameras to further stop parties before they start.
Higher Standards for Property Cleanliness
COVID-19 raised the industry’s cleanliness standards significantly. Visitors now expect extra cleaning protocols like surface sanitization and buffer dates between stays, and will often go out of their way to ask about what you’re doing to keep them safe.
Professional owners and managers were already well-aware of the importance of a spotless space, but now, your cleaning protocols could mean the difference between guests booking a stay with you… or looking elsewhere. Further, to ease the fears of potential guests, some OTAs have created set-in-stone rules for cleaning that owners and managers must adhere to. We don’t see those rules going away anytime soon.
Adopting New Technologies
(Source: PointCentral 2021 Survey)
Along with digital door locks, owners and managers are adding other technology to streamline the entire rental process. Digitally signed property damage waivers and digital payments. Fast WiFi for the inevitable Zoom calls. User-friendly thermostats. Digital welcome books (like the GuestView Guide, a gorgeous, wall-mounted screen with a guide to the area and property) are key to a smooth connection with your guests. Leaving behind a paper booklet or flyer about your property is often seen as doing the minimum: although in these days guests typically don’t want to handle paper property guidebooks.
These new technologies further limit the need for face-to-face interactions and onsite troubleshooting. The conveniences technology affords are quite alluring — pandemic or not — so we see this trend sticking around and expanding in the future as new technologies hit the market.
Vacation Rentals Over Hotels
We told you it wasn’t all bad!
Since the pandemic began, vacation rentals have become the preferred option for many travelers. According to vacation rental data aggregator AirDNA, the worst weeks of the pandemic hit the hotel industry much harder than vacation rentals. Not only that, they report that average daily rates at vacation rentals were higher in July 2020 than July 2019 in several countries around the world, including the US.
We can speculate on the reasons for the vacation rental bump, including: ease of social distancing at rentals and more home-like spaces for work/school from home and cooking full meals in the kitchen. Not to mention the desire many have to escape to more-remote places with natural beauty and social-distancing-friendly outdoor activities.
With work-from-home becoming a permanent reality for many employees, and the already upward-trend of vacation rentals before the pandemic, we don’t see this trend changing in the years to come. Look out, hotels.
Flexible Cancellation Policies
Once the pandemic hit, airlines were forced to drop their change fee policies for the sake of timid travelers, and most expect that dropped fee to be permanent. Similarly, more flexible cancellation policies for the accommodations industry—vacation rentals and hotels alike—had to be implemented in order to coax people into traveling at all. Vacations are expensive, and knowing you could be out thousands of dollars during an unpredictable pandemic surely kept many from booking.
Now that cancellation policies are under a microscope, it’s likely that more-flexible policies will be favored by travelers—and could be another difference-maker for bookings. It’s a thorn in the side of many owners and managers who understandably want an accurate picture of their future cash flow. But, for better or worse, we see flexible cancellation policies as another trend that’s here to stay.
Weathering The Future
Overall, many of the changes made during the pandemic can be carried over without a total disruption of day-to-day business. In fact, some of the changes are better in the long run, offering more time, freedom, and efficiency to guests and vacation rental managers.
One thing is for sure: vacation rental industry folks are a resilient bunch, and we will find our way to the light at the end of the tunnel.
