Days rental starts

[dublin13]

just wondering how flexible/rigid people are withe day they start rentals. We have our places down as saturday to saturday for rentals but have had a few enquiries that want to start on diffrent days. Is worth being flexible? sticking to your guns? or trying to decide on a different day of the week to start?

[kendalcottages]

I'm just starting out but plan on sticking to my guns. Well... people will be able to arrive on whatever day they like but the rent will run from the day that's specified. It'll be their choice if they want to come a day or two later.

For those owners who are using outsiders to help with cleaning, I think this is the best way forward as at least your staff will consistently know when they are needed.

[greenbarn]

We're on site, so being fairly flexible is relatively easy, although we need to avoid changeovers on all three units on the same day. Outside peak times it's fine, at peak times it could work against you with odd days to fill in a week that you'd otherwise have booked out as a full week. I know of some owners who offer Friday to Friday, Friday to Monday and Monday to Friday all for the same property, and it works for them.

One point - we realised in our first year that we weren't going to fill every week, and it seemed more important to get guests in and hence build up repeat and word of mouth business, so flexibility was a bonus (but not stupid discount levels, as we learnt fairly quickly.)

[pambon]

We are also on site with one property and are completely flexible; sometimes we have the odd day or two free and at other times it's back to back.

Personally I do not like to be told on what day I have to arrive so booked my break last summer in a rental that was flexible. Everyone has commitments so it's not always easy to arrive and depart on fixed days. And if flights are full for that particular day what do you do especially if you are working and have your days counted....?

No, most definitely flexible. I consider it part and parcel of the service offered to guests.

[dublin13]

thanks for the replies and good points. Going to go flexible on 2010 except for july and august as this is the first year were doing the lettings ourselves.

[Margaret]

Agree totally with Greenbarn and Pambon. We started off with the idea that we would do Friday to Friday but actually abandonned it almost immediately and have been totally flexible ever since, but we are on site. If you have flights on fixed dates or outside cleaners, you have different issues. We hate the skiing season because there are so many people booking Saturday to Saturday - we already have 3 x 3 bedroom apartments changing over on the same day.

[windrush]

Our lettings are Saturday to Saturday apart from Christmas and New Year, when we're more flexible. We've stuck to this since we first started letting in 2005, and although we do sometimes have to turn down requests for different start days and short breaks, we've filled the weeks anyway because there's no shortage of people looking for weekly lets with Saturday changeovers. Very few of our guests fly here though, the vast majority are from within the UK.

[Windy]

Friday and Monday changeovers only with a couple of exceptions over the 3 years (and with Xmas and new Year dates more flexible)

[pepsipuss]

The only time we stick to Saturday to Saturday is the first two weeks of August, which are always the first to go and are very easy to book from Saturday as that is when the Spanish and French clients who are our main market want to come
After that we like to do the second half from Sunday if possible in order to give a relaxed changeover and allow guests to stay later/arrive earlier than they can with a same-day change.
There is just too much to lose if we allow total flexibility in August
The rest of the year we are pretty flexible and flexibility is definitely appreciated

[Big Sis..]

Hi Dublin.
Im Sat-Sat in the summer months but flexible after that.
It does depend on flights etc but we are well served by airlines into Alicante or Murcia, so can choose really, and thats what Ive chosen .
It wouldnt work for everyone of course.

We have discussed this quite a lot, and here is one thread, but there are others.
viewtopic.php?t=7292&highlight=flexible+dates

[Musetta]

I'm totally flexible (although, in Italy, I always have to confirm with my housekeeper first if it is not a Sat. change-over, so I tend to take Sat.-Sat. July and August. I get almost all international guests who are dependent on flights, so I am very sympathetic!

[Marks]

I've been flexible since day 1 and even in July & August it has never caused me a problem with just 2 or 3 odd days not occupied. The plus side of this is it gives me the opportunity to put right any minor problems etc.

I can't remember that last time I had a Saturday to Saturday enquiry let alone a booking but then there are numerous flights daily to Alicante.