21 October 2021
Short term rental accommodation business, UnderTheDoormat, has published five top tips to address the most common concerns that homeowners have when they are considering renting out their home as a short term let.

1. Is it worth the hassle? – many homeowners, especially those with families, think that it is a major hassle preparing their property for letting. They often think that they have to hide everything away.

There’s no need to clear everything away! Guests are likely to be very similar to the homeowners themselves and want to enjoy a ‘home from home’ experience – so children’s toys just need to be tidy but accessible in a box, kitchen equipment such as blenders or smoothie makers can be left out as guests love to use them and access to things like bikes is loved.

2. Worried that a catastrophe could happen – people are most fearful of a major catastrophe like their house burning down or their home being flooded but these are things that are most unlikely things to happen.

UnderTheDoormat has never come across a home ever burning down when a guest was renting it. In most cases, having someone in the property can help prevent damage as there’s someone there to spot things like mystery leaks before they get worse.

3. Don’t like the idea of a stranger in their bed – some property owners say they feel uncomfortable about the concept of someone they don’t know sleeping in their bed.

Keep bed linen separate. People renting their home are likely to be very similar to the homeowners so they shouldn’t really worry. UnderTheDoormat provides professional quality linen, so homeowners’ sheets can be safely tucked away for their return.

4. Concerns about security – people can be worried about guests not being as aware of the need for security as they would be by leaving gates, doors and windows open when they are out.

UnderTheDoormat recommends that homeowners leave clear instructions of what to close and lock before leaving the property in both the pre-arrival confirmation and welcome pack. It also suggests that the installation of an alarm system, security locks on specific windows that cannot be opened and locking up things like sheds or outside storage with padlocks should go a long way to preventing any trespassing or break-ins.

An added benefit is that your home won’t be empty whilst you are away, which is especially important in the winter months when lights on in the house will make it appear as if someone is home.

5. Will it be worth the money? – homeowners often underestimate how much money they can actually earn, especially if they rent out their home regularly.

Get the help of a specialist short term letting company. Using a management company like UnderTheDoormat means they cover the costs for hotel quality bed linen, professional cleaning, insurance and marketing costs, so there are no additional costs for the homeowner. It often means they can upgrade their own holiday from the proceeds they earn from letting their home whilst they are away.

The demand for a ‘home-from-home’ experience for people on holiday or travelling for business has grown significantly, fuelled most recently by the COVID pandemic, which has focused people’s preferences towards non-shared, self-contained properties to rent.

Many more people are seeing this as a great opportunity to generate additional income by renting out their own homes whilst they themselves are away on business or holiday. Understandably, those who haven’t done this before often have some reservations before taking the plunge.

Annabelle Ottaway , Marketing Director, UnderTheDoormat, said, “We fully appreciate that making the decision to let out your home generates a number of concerns like the ones our customers have spoken about. Our experience in managing people’s properties as short term lets means that we know what issues are going to concern homeowners and can provide them with good advice.

“In the vast majority of cases, short term letting of your home goes off without a hitch. In actual fact, we often hear stories from homeowners who return to their premises to find it cleaner than when they left because guests have enjoyed it so much that they clean it thoroughly in the hope of being welcomed back!”

Homeowners who have properties in London that they would like to rent out on a short term basis from time to time can register their interest at UnderTheDoormat.