Any STR hosts seeing a drastic drop off in bookings?

Question

Hey all!

Getting the sense that COVID is scaring off travel again -- after next week our bookings in our short-term rental are drastically lower than the rest of the summer. Is it COVID? Or is it school starting up again? We had 98% fill rate May - July so this certainly seems abrupt. (I'm based in Denver.)

What are you all seeing??

Avery Carl · Answer

We call this the September Scaries! It always drops off a bit in September and May. Right as school starts and then right before it lets out. You're ok!

Luke Carl · Answer

Late august and September are always a bit slow. School.

Paul Sandhu · Answer

@John Underwood leave a roll of extra wide aluminum foil and some clean release painters tape.  They'll cover up the windows.  Leave a butt bucket on the porch too.

Richard Perrin · Answer

@Katie Miller its probably school starting. I have one in a resort area and mine is empty after 3rd week in Aug.

Steven Mcnutt · Answer

Hi,

First year of operating and we're seeing something similar.  Our Western NC cabin has been 90% occupied since we started renting in June.  Booked solid through the third week of August, then just a single booking from the last week of August to the first week of October.

Bookings filling in for October/November though.  Has to be the kids going back to school thing.

Katie Miller · Answer

I was hoping you'd help me out @Avery Carl!

John Underwood · Answer

Paul you'll appreciate this. We have a nearby Nuclear power plant on the lake above ours. We always get people wanting to rent for shutdown work at the power plant but we are usually already  booked for some dates in the fall due to Clemson football games and other reasons. This year they asked far enough in advance that the  3.5 weeks they needed in November and early December were available.

I told them that since Thanksgiving and 2 Clemson Home games were in their dates I would discount it to 5k for their 25 or so days.

So I have an offsite contract with some Duke Power workers. My neighbor has rented to shutdown workers in the past and said they just sleep and work and said it has always worked out well for him.

Fingers crossed.

John Underwood · Answer

We are still running at full steam.

It usually slows down some when school starts back l, but it hasn't slowed down any so far this year.

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

No changes here. All full for a couple months out, even some into November.

Lots of difference factors at play here though.....

Paul Sandhu · Answer

Last year I went from 73 tenants (at one time) in January to just 1 tenant in May.  Currently seeing an increase in tenants doing government infrastructure work (soil remediation, fiber optic networks underground, windfarms).

Any STR hosts seeing a drastic drop off in bookings?

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