Marketing Summer Housing Without Cannibalizing Fall Leases

Summer is a bit of a different vibe when it comes to marketing your properties. There are plenty of people, such as students and travelers, who look specifically for summer housing and have other arrangements come fall. That being said, you don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket and then have nothing come fall. By devoting too much time and attention to your summer housing, you can cannibalize your fall leases and lose that money and revenue in the process.

There are plenty of great ways you can start marketing your summer housing without cannibalizing fall leases. Utilize these to get the most out of your summer and, in turn, your fall.

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Start Early

One of the best things you can do is start marketing your summer housing early. Students want to finish their semester already knowing where they’ll be staying during the summer, so it doesn’t have to add to their stress. While there will always be stragglers here and there who wait until the last minute, it is truly best that you start right away.

The sooner you start marketing your summer housing, the sooner you can fill up your summer leases and get that out of the way. Since this is already over, you can quickly start marketing your fall availability, and you won’t lose this opportunity. It gives you a head start on everything, not just the summer rentals themselves!

Communicate with Summer Tenants

Once you have summer tenants in place, ask them about their plans. If they have no desire or plan to extend their lease for whatever reason, then you can proceed with getting ready for the fall. Instead, if they express interest in extending their lease through the fall, you might want to hold off on showing the property to other potential tenants. You should still maintain an online presence if this does fall through, and it doesn’t leave you with no renters in the fall. Ask for their honesty so you can gauge your next steps.

If you would like to make things easier for yourself, either set a deadline to confirm they will renew and sign a following lease for the fall, or do not allow them to renew it. This way, you will not risk cannibalizing your fall leases by hoping something will come of your current summer housing.

Short Term Leases

Take this opportunity to promote your short-term leases for the summer! Even if you’re used to year-long leases, people are on the go in the summer. They might have long trips planned and don’t want to sign a lease knowing they won’t be there for a large chunk of the time. Offer summer-specific leases as either a monthly or a simple three-month lease to include June, July, and August. Every town might have different needs based on tourism and school schedules, so devote some time to researching what leases work best in the summer for your area.

When you offer short-term leases for just the summer, you don’t have to worry about cannibalizing or giving up on fall leases. You can operate on and market both since you know when the apartment will be free in the summer and again in the fall.

Take Great Photos

Attractive listings with great photos are very important to people looking for short-term rentals. Many landlords, property managers, and hosts report that the better their photos are, the more money they earn. A picture truly does say a thousand words. Maybe it is time to hire a professional photographer, knowing it can lead to an increase in interest and profits.

Showcase Amenities 

Renters want somewhere nice to relax and spend the summer. If you have lovely amenities that make the summer a little more comfortable in high temperatures, show them off to potential summer tenants! The amenities people look for the most during the summer are well-maintained pools, patios or barbecue and picnic areas, and of course, working air conditioning. Showcasing these amenities will intrigue people looking for somewhere luxurious to spend the summer–when they’re not out enjoying the weather, at least!

It is easy to use social media and your online presence to promote these amenities to bring in other people. You never know when your video will go viral or who it will reach!

You have a great property where people can come and relax to spend their summer–but it’s only three months out of the year! By starting early, offering short-term leases, and showcasing your summer amenities, all with great photos on your listing, you will be able to quickly sign off your summer housing, further allowing you to focus on fall. You can focus on the two separately so that one does not take all of your attention, and you get the most out of your property.