The Ins and Outs of Renting Your Mobile Home Seasonally

Seasonal or short-term rentals are properties that house new guests more frequently than typical residential lettings. The seasonal rental option is becoming increasingly popular among manufactured home and community owners seeking to temporarily fill vacancies.

As September comes to a close, many people seek warm-weather housing options for the winter months. This demographic, often referred to as “snowbirds”, can be a great source of revenue for short-term mobile home rentals in markets like Florida, Alabama and Arizona.

But managing short-term rentals comes with a few challenges; here are some tips for marketing and managing your seasonal rentals. 

Marketing to Snowbirds

Reaching Different Climates to Rent Seasonally

There certainly is significant value to a strong local presence in your rental market. However, it is important to remember that snowbirds travel from a distance. Therefore, planning your strategy for national reach is key to attracting short-term renters.

Advertising through local papers in areas that expect harsh winters, and, of course, using mobile home listing sites like MHVillage, increases your exposure and the likelihood of securing one, or even multiple renters during the winter months.

It is recommended that you start this process early to allow time for proper documentation and completion of the approval process.

Describe Your Property (Honestly)

When entering the short-term rental market, it is important to provide details of your property thoroughly and to the best of your ability. And, keeping the listing updated, especially the availability, will prevent miscommunication with potential renters. 

Be clear about accessibility, pet policies, furnishings, nearby resources, and any problems with the property that may impact your resident’s stay. Often, communities will provide a local guide for short-term renters. This guide should provide community details, information on local attractions, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, or even hospitals.

Make sure to include unique selling points to help your manufactured home stand out. Does the community have any features that would encourage rentals? Have you recently upgraded appliances or remodeled?

Including well-lit, attractive photos that accentuate details in your home and community can be a huge selling point, especially for tenants who may not have the opportunity to inspect the property in-person. 

Managing Seasonal Mobile Home Rentals

Short-Term Rental By Owner 

Depending on local rules and community regulations, you may have the option to manage your own rental. This might require that you obtain permits and licensing, as requested by your municipality. If you decide to manage your rental, there are a few things to take into consideration prior to accepting a tenant, like application and screening process for prospective tenants. 

Other considerations include pricing, which should remain dynamic based on seasonal demand, market average, length of stay, and special local events. Seasonal rental durations can fluctuate from a few weeks to months or more. So pricing your rental at a weekly rate can save you time and allow you to rent seasonally to multiple parties.

Don’t be afraid to re-assess and adjust pricing for increased revenue. Tracking this data can improve year-over-year planning.

Choosing to manage your own listing means increased revenue. However, it does require your time, so plan accordingly!

Short-Term Rental Management Companies

Another option is to hire a short-term rental management company. Hiring a short-term rental company to manage your seasonal listing can ensure that your property is maintained. This is a great option if you are renting multiple properties at once as a management company can increase responsiveness to tenants, and fulfill maintenance and other requests.

A management fee will be assessed depending on the length of stay and the number of rentals you possess. Often, you can negotiate a price that both parties agree on.

Also, it is standard that a contract is issued to you. This should detail the scope of work and is instilled to protect your property and the company.

Short-term rental management is a good option for the owner who has multiple homes, plans to travel or visits a second home during the lease period.

How to Get Started

MHVillage’s Seasonal Rental Listing Feature

Our short-term rental listing feature allows community owners to set pricing, an availability calendar and leave a detailed description of the property for the prospective renter. This feature can be turned on or off at any time, allowing you to quickly manage and update your listing as needed.

Interested renters can browse listings with the option to filter for seasonal rentals. 

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to set up a tour with one of our representatives!