Owners and properties, are you ready for summer?
The Marbella fair has come to an end, and although we are still a little over a week away, we could say that summer has begun in Marbella. The temperatures rise and the sun begins to shine brighter through the typical Andalusian streets. With the imminent arrival of July and August on the Costa del Sol, many owners begin to think about rentals and those who are already prepared make final touches to their apartments, villas and townhouses for the summer rental season, bringing with it multiple tourists. If you belong to either of these two groups of properties / owners either veterans or novices, there are a number of recommendations that we would like to share. Seeking to offer the best possible service for the duration of the tenants stay in addition to improving the performance and efficiency for the high seasons with reservations, check-ins and check-outs.
The first thing we have to take into account when renting for short term summer rentals is to make sure our property is registered with the Andalusian Tourism Registry. Due to a steady increase of tourist properties, services have been put in place to regulate these homes and make sure they offer the best service and help for both for the tenants and the owners. It is quite simple; the Junta de Andalucía offers the possibility to register online or in person if that is more convenient. To do this, a series of minimum property requirements must be met in order to achieve the standard that a city such as Marbella should offer. Among these requirements will be for each property to own: an emergency kit, air conditioning machines, provide bedding and towels, have windows for natural ventilation, for the property to be clean both inside and out, and emergency number etc… Basically the properties have to offer a good basic standard that is as similar to a hotel standard as possible. Having all in order and once registered with the Junta de Andalucía they will assign a registration code to that property. In order to improve the control and security of rentals, a rental contract must be made for each rental along with a communication document attaching the passports or IDs of the occupants, to be handed over to the police (as is obligatory in each hotel), a copy is also to be kept in a guest registry book that should be available in the property. It is highly recommended to make sure all rental contracts are legal and suggest to request examples from the Junta de Andalucía or ask for help from specialists.
Marbella Unique Properties as a real estate agency would be delighted to help you with any questions with regard to rental contracts. If you live abroad or prefer to delegate your property services; we can help you by finding cleaning services, technicians and specialists, preparing inventories and check-in and out services.
The condition of the property is very important both before and during the rental. If we seek good rental return by booking as many weeks as possible and also give the best possible service to customers, the properties must be reviewed before the start of the high season. Checking air conditioning systems, electrical systems, pipes, kitchen appliances… are essential so that during the most demanding months of the year there are no unforeseen events that interrupt the guests stay. In addition to checking the property before the summer, we should keep the contact details of the different technicians and specialists so that if a small problem should arise, they already know the property and how each individual properties systems work.
In addition to the properties decoration and distribution we recommend including as many additional services as possible, as the extras help to make your home unique, without going overboard and not overloading the property. Revitalizing a home can be done very simply with a few basic tips. Giving a feel of spaciousness by clearing the property of unnecessary objects and offering a minimalist style, will also achieve a more luminous property. Renewing details that make the difference such as textiles, a new coat of paint with a summer colour, or renovating the terrace will also improve the visibility of the property on the market and help your property stand out from the rest.
When working with a real estate agency, you will gain more market exposure, giving you the opportunity to reach a greater number of clients, so the possibility of obtaining bookings will be greater. Also, if you are not resident in the city, an agency such as Marbella Unique Properties will help you along the way with all details; such as delivery and collection of keys with clients, contact with the technicians and property services, preparation and verification of the photo inventory etc… A fairly important detail to keep in mind is with fast connectivity that exists thanks to the internet, the booking season is usually quite agile, so one of the most important things is calendar management. If, for example, your property was exclusive to Marbella Unique Properties, there would be no problem to be able to manage and make the most of the rentals during the rental season. It can become more complicated when marketing a property with several agencies at the same time, as good customers can be lost due to lack of communication. We recommend owner to notify the agencies that they work with by email as each reservation is booked and confirmed, including when the owner is planning on staying or when other agencies book the property. We emphasize that this constant update is very important to be able to give accurate information to customers and obtain the greatest number of reservations and bookings. Another really useful option is to use a virtual calendar with username and password, and to distribute the key to those who manage property rentals.
We hope these tips will be useful, and we can offer the best of our services throughout the holiday season. A typical Spanish proverb that is ideal for this topic is: Fasten your swimsuits as the waves are on their way!