The internet has changed the vacation rental business on Hilton Head Island.  We have listed some ideas below including our newest website HiltonHeadInternetRentals.com.  One of our owners said , “I just wanted to let you know that I think this is a GREAT idea! We no longer own rental property but you and Jane certainly were a blessing to us by sending renters our way when we owned our SC Villa. We were listed on other websites, but your office referrals were more successful. I think it is a great service.”

Are you satisfied with your rental income on Hilton Head?

Rental companies typically rent a property on Hilton Head 12 weeks in the summer, 6 weeks in the spring and 6 weeks in the fall. The typical owner than occupies their rental property an additional 4 weeks. Under this scenario, there are 26 weeks that are opportunities to generate  income with a minimal amount of work.

Increase your rentals on Hilton Head with your rental company!

Some rental companies allow the owner to rent direct and collect the income, others will let owners rent, but will only reduce the commission. The best scenario is to find a rental company (or negotiate with your current rental company) to allow you to rent your property direct filling in those empty weeks. The perfect rental company will allow you to rent your own property and they will handle the keys, the passes for your rental, any emergencies and will charge you a reasonable fee for the checkin and cleanup.

Steps to take to increase your rentals on Hilton Head Island:

  1. Set up your property on our newest website www.HiltonHeadInternetRentals.com.  While the site has an annual fee and set up fee, we will waive this for the time being.  All you need to do is register on the site, add your property, photos and you will be good to go.  We will use this site in our email campaigns going forward.  Please let us know how we are doing or if you have any difficulties contact us via email or call us at (843)842-o805.
  2. Set up a “free” posterous blog for your property. Use this as your main page for your rental property. Posterous is a free blog that allows you to post photos and information about your rental property. Just pick a great name and go. It also uploads to your Facebook, Linkin and your website very easily.
  3. Set up a VRBO rental website. The website will walk you through the process for setup. The fee for this setup is $349 per year and will pay for itself with the first rental. Be sure to set up your rental calendar with a link through your posterous blog.

A system that works for your Hilton Head Rental Property.

Once you have the rental websites in place and you have updated your rental calendar by checking in with your rental company, it is time to get ready for business. The initial contacts will send you an email and reply time is crucial. Assign this task to someone that is on their computer throughout the day.

  1. The first email will inquire about availability, location to the beach, pool location and other specific requirements the rental guest may have. Prior to recieving this email, set up a draft e-mail that includes a few additional photos of your property, beach and pool information. Simply check availability before responding.
  2. The second email will ask you how much you charge and will you take less? Set your rental at the same rate as the rental company as it makes it far less confusing. We suggest paying for cleaning and taxes from the total, giving the renter approximately a 10% savings which you can explain in your email as most renters pay these in addition to the rental fee.
  3. The third and final email, ask for the order! Your final email let’s them know that if they are interested you would put it on hold and send out the rental agreement. (Ask for 50% with the reservation and the remaining 50% approximately 30 days prior to their arrival.)Once you have a rental guest that has made the commitment, simply call your rental company and block that time(be sure to change your rental calendar to reflect this.) Send out the rental agreement with two postage paid envelopes for the deposit, the 30 day final payment and the agreement. This is a good time to include directions maps.google.com to the rental company and your property.

We are at your service on Hilton Head Island!

As you work through the steps above, we are here to help. We offer a service that is available to help you set these up if you are interested! E-mail us at islandrealtor@hargray.com or call us at 800-932-3652 as we will help you get these programs up and running before the rental season of 2012.