How To Clear Out The Bad Apples In The Vacation Rental Barrel

Vacation rental clients have higher expectations than ever before, and property owners should be giving this trend the attention it deserves.

I recently saw a couple of photos submitted to a listing site that clearly showed the message is not getting across. Why would anyone find a photo of an unmade bed attractive?  Who is going to get excited about staying in a cottage with a kitchen littered with unwashed dishes?  And would you be fired up with excitement at a picture of a toilet with a raised lid, and a half finished roll of paper hanging off the holder?  Not me.  In fact if I was a first time renter considering this type of vacation, these pictures could create such a negative impact I’d be changing my mind pretty quickly and heading back to the ‘safety’ of a hotel or resort.

It raised the question of how much responsibility a listing site has, to educate and inform their advertising clients on what is acceptable and what is not.  Should site owners reject the type of image that reflects badly on the rental business, and refuse to list a poorly presented and obviously sub-standard property?

There’s an attitude among some people that renting out a property is an easy way of making a few extra bucks and all that’s required is a cheap or free listing with a couple of grainy photos, and the renters will come. If the rental rate is low enough, it’s possible they will, but the complete lack of respect shown by owners who advertise in this way can affect more than the unsuspecting rental population. There is a knock-on effect on responsible and caring property owners who are working hard to grow the reputation of a vacation rental as a great alternative to conventional holiday accommodation.

What are your views?  Is it possible to clear out the bad apples?  Is it a matter of education and information for new owners or do you think there will always an element of a lack of integrity amongst a few?

Image by J K Poon on Flickr