Lay My Hat

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Notes on how to use the forum, whether you just want to read it or contribute too. If you have never used an online forum, this is the best place to start.

How to support Lay My Hat
You can help with the cost of this site when you buy things online, and it won't cost you anything.

OTAs: Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking, Tripadvisor, etc.
OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.

Listing sites
Sites that are not OTAs - meaning they put you in touch with renters but do not take the payment

Social media
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, TikTok, etc.

Personal websites
Everything to do with using your own website to advertise your rental property. Design, usability, hosting, getting listed on the search engines, optimising your site, pay-per-click, etc, etc.

Bookings
Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.

Handling rental enquiries
How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.

Scam email enquiries
Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.

Non-internet marketing
Using press and magazine advertising, brochures, mailings - old hat or still cost-effective?

Website reviews
Get some feedback on your site or ad from other rental owners and techies. Also a library of online resources so you can make DIY improvements to your web presence.

Managing your property
Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>

Managing your guests
From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.

Managing your garden and pool
For anything to do with the garden and pool

Just starting out
If you are planning to buy a rental home, or you're thinking about what to do with one you have just acquired, this is the place for any questions about starting out in the rentals business.

Buying/selling your home
If you're buying or selling, tell others about it here. Or ask other owners for advice.

B&Bs
For everything specific to B&Bs as opposed to holiday rentals.

UK & Ireland
For topics that are specific to the UK and Ireland, please go here

France
For topics that are specific to France, please go here.

Spain
For topics that are specific to Spain, please go here.

Italy
For topics that are specific to Italy, please go here.

Portugal
For topics that are specific to Portugal, please go here.

Turkey
For topics that are specific to Turkey, please go here.

Greece
For topics that are specific to Greece, please go here.

USA
For topics that are specific to the USA, please go here.

Alpine
For topics that are specific to mountain locations, please go here.

Rest of World
For topics that are specific to a country not covered above, please go here.

Rental home exchanges
Swap weeks with your fellow rental owners - stay for free anywhere in the world.<br>

Suggestions and technical problems
To suggest improvements and additions to the forum, or ask about technical difficulties using the forum.

The Cafe
Come for a relaxed chat about anything at all and meet your fellow rental owners.

The Workshop
The place to discuss anything to do with computers, software, hardware, no matter how basic or technical. We all use this stuff, but we don't always understand it!

Owner-to-Owner
Services offered by owners that are relevant to the business of rentals.