GUIDELINES FOR CABIN RENTAL

If you're thinking for renting your vacation cabin or buying a cabin to rent, here are few quick and easy guidelines to help you to start.

Cabin Rental Do's

• Sign a cabin rental agreement. By an agreement you protect yourself and your renters. Agreement clearly states what is expected of both parties.

• Keep in mind sales tax requirements in your area. Cabin rental owners in your area may be required to collect and remit sales tax from rental guests. Contact your local, county, and state tax authorities for details.

• Get to know which amenities renters require. In many mountain cabin markets (like Gatlinburg, TN or the North Georgia Mountains), pool tables and hot tubs are essentials However, when searching for a lake cabin (like Big Bear, CA or Lake Tahoe) many renters look particularly for amenities like docks, paddle boats, and water toys.

• Get ready to accept pets. Travelers with pets often look for cabins to rent on vacation. Don't miss out that option by excluding them.

• Give top priority to your decor. Many travelers escape to a vacation cabin to get away from it all and admire rustic and cozy aesthetics like log furniture, quilts, and fishing decor.

Cabin Rental Don'ts

• Over-decorate. When equipping your mountain or lake cabin for rental, it's easy to go over-the-top with antlers, carved bears, and country décor. When it comes to rustic decorating, the less you décor the better it. Too much décor can be considered cluttered and many potential renters associate clutter with dirt.
• Underestimate the importance of photos. One of the biggest mistakes that cabin rental owners make is having poor photos of their vacation home on the Internet. When a renter is looking at cabins for rent, the quality of a property's photos is a very big factor in their decision making process.

• Forget to change your insurance policy. When you start to rent your lake or mountain cabin on a short-term basis, you likely will need to change your insurance coverage. Contact your insurance company for details, to avoid problems later on.

These are just a few tips to start. The key to success in any business is educating yourself before you begin. If you're thinking about renting your vacation cabin, then talk with other cabin rental owners in your area to have an idea of what to expect and to get advice pertaining to your area or region.