How is December's STR Occupancy Looking?

[Robert Finn]

I own and operate 3 small single family short term rentals here in San Antonio Texas, and the last three months have been mediocre at best (our slower season). December is currently at 80% if all bookings show, how's everyone else doing out there? I'm marketing on Airbnb, VRBO, Furnished Finder, and Booking.com

[Luke Carl]

100% market dependent. 

[Eliott Elias]

I have one in Killeen, only one booking for Christmas so far 

[Lisa Graesser]

My homes in The Villages, Florida for December is  75% occupancy at this point

[Collin H.]

Smokies look fine this December.  

[Andrew Steffens]

21% in West Coast FL, but likely will end up around 60% when it is all said an done.  We just received 3 more bookings this morning for Xmas or New Years that is not even counted in that 21%.  I think people are booking more last minute this year

[Lyndsey Garza]

I am at 78% here in Galveston! 

[Travis Timmons]

Real quiet in coastal Maine. We have 6 nights booked, which does cover the monthly expenses. Nothing like those 3:48 PM sunsets and 20 degree high temps in December. 

[Michael Baum]

Zero right now for December. We should get a Christmas to New Year booking in the next few weeks. We do have a 13 day Thanksgiving stay going right now. Otherwise that is all we get in the deep winter. Not much to do here except watch the ice floe move back and forth on the lake or watch it freeze all the way across. :)

[Andrew Simms]

Sitting at 75% occupied for December - in Western NC

[Paul Sandhu]

Refinery contractors in a refinery town between Thanksgiving and Christmas, about 15-20 percent rented.  Nobody wants to work around the holidays.  Come January and February, there will be about 2000 people arriving for a big project.  Not all at the same time, their work is staggered.  I'll be beating off people with a stick that want to stay in one of my places.

[Brian Barch]

80% in north Georgia mountains

[John Morgan]

Busiest December in 8 years I’ve had at my cabin in Branson, MO.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Robert Finn:

I own and operate 3 small single family short term rentals here in San Antonio Texas, and the last three months have been mediocre at best (our slower season). December is currently at 80% if all bookings show, how's everyone else doing out there? I'm marketing on Airbnb, VRBO, Furnished Finder, and Booking.com

It's common for bookings to slow down in the fall/winter. Consider blocking those dates off and renting to longer-term tenants. My 4bed/2bath is rented for $2,350 a month to a single guy with a dog. After paying utilities, I'm still making more than I would with a typical long-term rental and the income is steady for six months. I convert it back to a short-term in May when my season opens back up again.

There are a lot of traveling nurses, people between homes, and other temporary renters willing to pay a little more for the flexibility of a month-to-month rental.

[Ruben Loredo]

I just hit the 65% threshold for December.  Mostly weekends with concerts & events at the AT&T center or folks needing a small place close to their family but don't want to stay with their family.  100% coming from AirBNB this month; struck out on VRBO.

[JD Martin]

My STR in Four Corners is fully booked for December except the first couple of days of the month, one long stay (17 nights) and two shorter ones (3 and 7).

[Alex Garcia]

What are you thoughts on STRs condo v SFH or Townhome in the San Antonio area? Do you think condos will be harder to book thank SFH, duplexes or townhomes?

I am thinking of buying a condo to operate as a STR in the San Antonio metro area but most listings I saw on airbnb are SFH or duplexes.

[Paul Duran]

Hey Alex, the main issue I'd see you running into doing a STR with a condo is the HOA. Most condos have an HOA monthly fee that may eat away at your potential profits. secondly, there are many condo HOAs that will not allow STR. When analyzing a condo deal that is the first thing I would check. Let me know if you need any assistance