If you are planning to rent your property for the first time you might like to read the following  article which broadly covers most topics of renting, including preparing the property, insurance, handling enquiries and much more.

Renting your property can offset running costs, help pay the mortgage and even make a profit.
Before you decide to go ahead and rent your property spend some time and cast a critical eye on it.
1) Preparing the property:
You know that feeling you get when you walk into someone’s home for the first time?
”This is lovely”
You should be aiming to give your clients that feeling.

Ask the following questions in every room: Does it need painting? Is the furniture in good condition? Does everything work? Are all electrical items working and are safe?

Remember once your bookings are coming in you may not have the time to re-decorate or get the new washing machine. Invest the time and money before you start renting that way your property is right for your first clients.
2) A safe place:
Most owner/renters do spend some time at their own property and obviously have things that they would hate to have damaged or stolen. If you don’t have a storage room one suggestion is to fit locks to a wardrobe or cupboard and keep your prized possessions in there. Your three bedroom property could be rented as a two bedroom, with the third bedroom with your private possessions safely locked inside.
3) Linen:
You need at least 2 complete sets of bed linen so one set can be at the laundry while one is being used. Pillow- cases seem to get the most wear so try and get spares that match at the same time if you are buying new.

Towels look really nice in plain light or dark colours but can show stains too easily, so go for patterned ones.
Bath towels particularly, do not skimp on the size. In summer a smaller towel is OK but in the cooler months a big bath towel is brilliant.
Again at least 2 full sets are needed. There is nothing worse than running out of dry towels.
Keep linen not to be used by clients locked away. Some people will use all the towels.
4) The Kitchen & outside:
Most people these days expect a microwave, as well as oven & hob, kettle & toaster and a fridge with ice maker or freezer section. There should be sufficient crockery and pots and pans to cook and serve a meal for the number of guests your property sleeps
Make sure if you say that your property says sleeps x then make sure there is sufficient of everything for that number of guests.

If you are considering longer lets a washing machine is a must as well as a clothes airer/dryer and an iron & board.
Patio/Terrace
Obviously there should be seating and a table and if space allows, sun-loungers.
Plastic patio furniture is fine, but sitting on a bare plastic chair gets uncomfortable after a while. Cushions will transform them.
Optional extras that cost very little but add a lot
Barbecue
Reading material: paperbacks, magazines
Board games & playing cards
Radio
If you have a  DVD player then a selection of DVD’s makes sense. (Sunday flea market is a good source for all these things)
If your property gets uncomfortably hot in the summer, floor-standing fans are a much easier alternative to ceiling fans, as you don’t have to fit them!
Cots can be hired locally but remember in July and August demand will outstrip supply
5) The risks:
At some time you will probably get things broken or worse still stolen, so if there are things that have sentimental value or are of great value, move them to your safe place.
Consider asking for a deposit to be held against breakages or damage.
Your 2-bedroom apartment that sleeps 4 might find itself with 8 teenagers annoying the neighbours.
Use your booking form to ask for the names and age groups of all guests.
You also must get your insurers to amend your house insurance so you are covered for holiday rentals.
Keys will also get lost, so make sure you have spares.

Cancellations and no shows
That booking taken in October for July next year may cancel, so have a clear policy on cancellations.
6) Handling enquiries
Most people will contact you by e-mail rather than by telephone or writing (it is perceived as being without risk or obligation and also at no cost) Remember you must respond very quickly to all enquiries as it is pretty much guaranteed that the enquirer has more than one property enquiry pending. A quick response from you shows you care.
Checking your e-mails once a week is just not good enough. Also remember to check your spam/junk mail folder for enquiries.
Some enquiries may seem to be strange/stupid/blunt/rude but it may be that the person enquiring is not familiar with using e-mail. Be polite in your replies.
7) Accepting bookings
Think through the booking process you are going to use and stick to it.
Use a booking form that you can e-mail to the client, they print it and fill it in and then post it to you with the deposit. This becomes the contract with the client.
Be prepared to take cheques in foreign currencies (most banks do make charge for this service, so find out what it is)
Longer lets
Winter prices need to be lower to attract clients, we can all rent our properties in July and August but what about low season, be prepared to offer a discount for long term rentals. With long term renting there is no cleaning until the end of the rental period.
Hire Dates:
High season most rent Sat to Sat, but people now offer mid week arrivalsto take advantage of clients looking for cheaper flights.
How do you want your money?
Some ask for percentage of the amount at the time of booking and the balance say 6 to 8 weeks before the arrival date. This way the client does not have to pay the full amount all at once.
Some ask for the balance on arrival either cash or a cheque.
Be clear in stating what your terms are and what currency you accept.
Set up a paypal account, people can pay you instantly.
Late bookings can be a bonus but as you cannot get the money before the client arrives you need to minimise the risk of ‘no shows’
Get a full name and address, telephone number, flight number and arrival time.
How do clients find your property?
Some people meet their clients personally or simply send the keys, with directions in the post. Some people have somewhere in town where clients can collect keys and directions such as a petrol station or bar/hotel (a five euros “gift” to the location owner is usual)
Make sure your directions are very clear, a map showing your properties location as well as the full address will help if you choose this option.
Problems when clients are here.
You need to provide a local telephone number that clients can call if they have a problem while staying in your place.
Advertising your property
In the long term, word of mouth advertising is extremely powerful, but you need to have had your first satisfied clients before you can benefit from them. The same goes for repeat business. You need your first year under your belt!
Tell all your friends that you have a property for rent, maybe even offer a small discount or commission for any bookings you get from them.
Newspapers and magazines are an option to consider, and for years were the only place other than Travel Agents where you could find holiday accommodation, but can be very expensive.
The Internet is the one media that has lent itself perfectly for holidays. Millions of people regularly use the Internet to book their accommodation and holiday flights. There are dozens of web sites that will happily take your money for an advert. Before you decide which one to use do a little homework, ask friends and compare prices.
Your advert:
The description you use should be honest and informative. Two paragraphs are usually sufficient, the first about the location of the property and the second about the property itself.

Make sure you have covered any questions that might be asked, such as how far is the beach/town/shop/pool/bars/restaurants.  Get your wording right and you should be handling booking enquiries rather than questions, but try not to be boring.
This is going to take some time to get right, but you only have to do it once.
Offer a guide or small brochure with places you recommend and even places to avoid!
Leave a guest book for visitors to sign and leave comments in.

Photographs are extremely important, so they need to be as good as you can get them. Unless your bathroom is unbelievably special the photo will show a bath/shower and maybe the toilet. The same goes for bedrooms. Switch all lights and lamps on before you take photographs.
Most web sites will allow you to have four photographs in their basic package; more photographs will cost you more money. Use the photographs that show your property at it’s best, if there is not a good view but you have great communal gardens/pool then show them.
Some properties obviously will vary, but here is a general guideline of photographs in order of importance.
View or Swimming pool
Terrace/Patio/Garden
Lounge/Dining room
Kitchen
Bedroom
The cost of having someone take the photographs for you is money well spent. Few of us have a camera with a wide-angle lens, but the difference especially for indoor photographs taken using one is huge.
9) Prices
Over the last few of years rental prices across the board have risen, but right now I see a trend that has summer prices increasing slightly over last year, but low season prices have fallen significantly.
This is because there are now more rental properties available and the low season demand has not risen.
Compare what prices are being charged for similar properties in your area and be realistic.
If your prices are too high you get less bookings.
High season prices are the easiest to work out because your profit margins are widest, but for lowest season prices you need to work out what your running costs are, cleaning laundry etc. Don’t forget that if you have electric radiators then in the colder months they will be switched on and probably left on, so your electricity bills can be significantly higher.  Build this into your low season prices.

Contact information
The vast majority of people looking at your advert on the Internet will contact you by e-mail, but a telephone number is very useful particularly for last minute bookings.
Include the name of the contact person in your advert, people like the personal touch.

Good luck and good renting.
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