6 Maintenance Tips For Your Unoccupied Vacation Rental Home

Get your vacation rental in top shape with these 6 maintenance tips for your unoccupied home. When the slow season hits and your occupancy rate drops, it’s the perfect time to focus on maintenance and prepare for an influx of bookings. Discover simple yet effective ways to keep your vacant home pristine, including the essential service of professional house cleaning. Maximize your rental’s appeal with these easy steps! 

1. Deep-clean while no one is around 

Even if no one is living in your vacation rental home, we recommend a deep cleaning once or twice a year. In fact, you will find cleaning an unoccupied space more practical. Make sure to clean the carpets, launder the curtains, vacuum the mattress, and clean every spot that you usually left out when tenants were coming and going—like air conditioner vents. You could even add a coat of paint to the walls to cover small stains.

2. Assess appliances and furniture

On a vacation rental home, guests and tenants expect you to provide essential furnishings. Do a walk-through to inspect if furniture and appliances are working correctly. Inspect light bulbs and light fixtures. If you contribute cookware, cutlery, glassware, and dishware, check if something is missing—or broken. If something needs maintenance or replacing, now it’s time to get everything ready for the busy season.

3. Prevent pests and dust from crawling in

If you don’t take precautions, you might find out your home was taken by uninvited guests, like mice, spiders, and bugs. You can prevent this by getting rid of all food and organic material and using some pest control products. Cover all your furniture with sheets and store rugs and mats so they won’t get covered with dust. When leaving, make sure your rental home is secured by locking all windows and doors. 

4. Keep fresh air in the home

The air on a closed home goes stale after a couple of months—even weeks! Deep cleaning your vacation rental will prevent lingering smells, but doors and windows need to be opened from time to time to freshen the air. If you want to keep a pleasant aroma in your rental home, you could use an air diffuser with essential oils or sprinkle baking soda on the furniture and carpets to maintain that they are odor-free.

5. Take care of the landscape

The front yard is likely the last place that you will attend when keeping up the maintenance. On the other hand, it’s the first thing your potential tenants will notice. You can make your vacation rental more appealing by changing the front door, getting new patio furniture, or transforming your front yard completely—these investments could lead to more bookings.

6. Make an unexpected upgrade

You need to go beyond maintenance if you want to stand out from other vacation rentals and give your guests happy memories—not to mention all the positive reviews they will give your place! You could add some fancy smart devices, install a bathtub or a ventless fireplace. Please consider who your potential guests are and go the extra mile to impress them!

Knowing how to maintain your vacation homes in top shape will lead to happier guests and more bookings; it’s a win-win! Some housekeeping tasks could be challenging; we always recommend evaluating if you can do the job yourself or if it’s better to call a professional. If you need help with the cleaning, let Eloise’s Cleaning Services help you. We are cleaners with experience in vacation rental homes. Reach us on our webpage and get your quote now!