Booking Your Vacation Rental
by Robin Fowler

When you get a call from someone that is interested in renting your vacation home, you might be tempted to reserve the dates even before they send you any money. Is this always a good idea though?

Starting a vacation rental business is hard. You might find it slow in booking guests at first, and you might feel obligated to give in to potential customers who want to “promise” you that they will send payment if you book certain dates for your vacation rental up front, just to get your business going. However, this practice can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and one big mess!

When you receive an inquiry on your vacation rental for a certain set of dates, it really should be your policy to NOT book those dates until you have received some money from the customer (such as a deposit or first night’s rent). While it might be very easy and tempting to be a nice guy (or gal) and hold your rental until the customer decides to commit with payment, blocking off dates too early can lead you to lose other customers, as well as money!

This policy might annoy potential customers who feel that their word should be good enough for you, but you are, after all, in business. Think about it this way, customers don’t get to take home merchandise (usually) if they merely promise to pay for it, right? There is an exchange that occurs in business: your product or service for their money!

It is in your best interest to let all inquires know that the applicable deposit amount is what holds a reservation, not a promise. This protects you from losing other customers who might call you, ready to pay for a reservation on the spot, for the same dates (which will inevitably happen to you at some point…it’s called Murphy’s Law!).

A good and polite practice for you to adopt might be to let the interested party know that while you cannot reserve the dates until you receive payment, you will call them immediately if someone else becomes interested in the rental property for the same dates. They will likely appreciate your candidness and honesty, and this will give them the idea that they are getting first choice on the rental! And if you do have to call them, and they are still indecisive or hard to reach, it is perfectly within your rights to book your vacation rental to the customer who is willing and able to pay! You have been up front all along with your customer, so there should be nothing for you to feel badly about!

An uncertain potential customer might have the best of intentions, but you can’t let their indecision (or procrastination in paying) keep you from running a moneymaking business! Use your instincts, and make exceptions when it feels right, but make it your general rule to never hold dates for your vacation rental property until your have received proper payment.