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How to Handle Construction Near Your Vacation Rental
by Robin Fowler

If you own a vacation rental property in a newer development, in a growing area, or in an area that has or could sustain damage from seasonal storms, then at some point you might have to contend with construction in the vicinity. Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to mean the end of your vacation rental business!

With so much growth and development, especially in coastal communities that are seeing an increase in interest for vacationers, it is inevitable that construction will become an issue for you. It could be new homes or condominiums being constructed around your vacation rental property, or it could be reconstruction due to hurricane damage. So, how should you handle it when it comes to potential renters of your property?

First of all, you should always be up front with potential renters in this situation. Make certain that you mention that there is construction next door, across the street, or near the rental property, and that noise and other factors might have some kind of an effect on their stay at your place. If you neglect to mention the construction, you will no doubt here the complaints from your renters after the fact, and you will likely lose a repeat customer!

If the construction is going on during the off-season, then you are lucky. Chances are, business will be down anyway, and so will your rates. To entice potential renters, try lowering the rates a little more. If the construction will be going on during the peak seasons, you might also have to lower your rates a bit more in order to attract renters.

More than likely, the construction noise and onslaught of trucks and workers won’t be too invasive to your guests. Most construction occurs between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day, and your guests will likely be out and about doing things away from the rental for most of that time.

The presence of construction vehicles not only means extra noise, but it could also mean that views, the views that help rent your property, might be blocked to your guests. Again, most construction jobs end around 3 p.m. each day, so this should only occur for part of each day, and might not be too much of an issue for some renters.

Another issue that could arise is that your guests might find themselves having to deal with rude workers, especially if your rental property is beachside. It might not be a bad idea to contact the construction company doing the work, and discuss any issues and concerns that you might have before they happen. Make sure that their workers are aware that there are people residing in the area, that they are on vacation, and that they will not appreciate any blatant disrespect. Rude comments cannot be tolerated by you, and they certainly should not be endured by your customers! Dealing with potential problems upfront is another way that you can reassure potential customers that the presence of construction workers and potential noise will be only a minor inconvenience, if one at all.

The likelihood of construction occurring near your vacation rental property at some point in time is pretty high. Whatever you do, don’t try to keep that kind of information from potential customers for the sake of renting your place. Be up front with them, and be accommodating. You will find that many people will still be able to have a wonderful vacation despite the minor inconvenience. Bottom line, honesty is always the best policy in vacation home ownership!