Slow season pricing: why I check the booking window before I cut a single rate

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Slow season pricing: why I check the booking window before I cut a single rate

John RacinePro Member
Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes

November is the time I look at slow season and make calls on how to manage it.

What I see a lot: The first two weeks of December look empty, so the host cuts the nightly rate 25% across the board. Sometimes that works. A lot of the time it just gives away money on nights that would have booked anyway.

Here's how I handle the slow season across my own units and the ones I co-host. I use PriceLabs, but the thinking works with any pricing tool.

1. Know your market's booking window before you touch the rate.
Before I discount anything, I check the market's booking window in PriceLabs' Market Dashboards. If guests in that market usually book 3-7 days out, an empty calendar three weeks from now is normal. It isn't a problem yet. In a market like that I won't discount more than about 7 days out. Further out than that, I hold rate and watch how the market is pacing before I make a big change.

2. Let the tool drive, and only override with a purpose.
I let PriceLabs set rate and discounts. The only time I use Airbnb's custom discounts is for a specific goal. Example: a big discount on a 4-5 night stay that includes a slow Tuesday, so that Tuesday earns something instead of nothing. When hosts stack manual discounts on top of their pricing tool, they often lose track of what the guest is actually paying.

3. Try the non-refundable rate before a straight discount.
I offer Airbnb's non-refundable option (about 10% off) on my own and co-hosted listings. It has given me a small bump in revenue. And the booking it brings in is locked in, which a flat price cut doesn't give you.

4. Know which fees aren't levers.
My cleaning fees are pass-through. They're set by what the cleaner charges. So when a tool suggests "lower your cleaning fee to look cheaper," that doesn't apply to me. Before you "discount" a fee, check whether it's actually covering a fixed cost.

5. Slow season is where longer stays earn their keep.
Most of my units run as a mid-term/short-term hybrid. The calendar is set for 30-60 day minimums, and short stays only fill the gaps. In slower months, that 30+ day demand is what keeps the calendar steady. I've even had a snowbird book a smaller unit in a North Florida market through Airbnb. If your STR has the same dead stretch every year, test whether one monthly stay nets more than chasing 2-night bookings.

What's your rule for when you actually cut rate in the slow season: days out, occupancy, or gut feel? And is anyone using longer stays to cover their slow months?

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Lee Futcher
Technology · Vancouver, BC · Member since 2026 · 202 posts · 47 votes
1d

Hi @John Racine,

Thanks for sharing that, it's really useful. It makes sense that Airbnb wins when the listing is written for monthly guests from the start, because that's exactly where we look first when we're planning a longer stay.

Putting "30 day+" right in the headline is such a simple move, and I think it's smart. It tells the right guest straight away that the place is set up for them. Your Zillow idea for executive housing agents is a clever one too, since one good relationship there could send you repeat stays rather than a single booking.

Have a great week,
Lee

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  • Lee Futcher
    Technology · Vancouver, BC · Member since 2026 · 202 posts · 47 votes
    3d

    Hey @John Racine,

    Your point about the non-refundable rate is a smart one. It brings in a booking that actually stays booked, which a straight price cut doesn't do, and I also like that you check the booking window before deciding an empty calendar is a problem.

    To your second question, I can share the guest side. My wife and I have spent the past four years living mostly in short-term and monthly rentals, so in the slower months we're exactly the kind of booking you're describing. The listings we choose for a month or two usually make three things easy to see: a clear monthly price, a real place to work with the Wi-Fi speed listed, and laundry right in the unit.

    The other thing that wins a longer stay is how quickly the host answers when we ask, "Can we stay another two weeks?" When that reply comes back the same day with a price, we almost always extend, and that's a slow stretch the host never had to discount.

    Onward,
    Lee

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    • John RacinePro Member
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
      3d

      I love that @Lee Futcher

      Great point on the workspace and internet speed. Something so small but makes a major impact for people like you and your wife.

      Thanks!

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    • Lee Futcher
      Technology · Vancouver, BC · Member since 2026 · 202 posts · 47 votes
      2d

      Morning @John Racine,

      Thank you, John. It really is the small things that decide it for us. When we're choosing where to spend a month or two, a listing that shows a proper desk and the actual Wi-Fi speed tells us the host has really thought about what it's like to live and work there for a few weeks.

      I'm curious, with most of your units set to 30 to 60 day minimums, do your monthly guests tend to find you on Airbnb, or have you had more luck with other channels?

      Enjoy your Sunday,
      Lee

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    • John RacinePro Member
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
      2d

      Morning @Lee Futcher

      1Reply
    • John RacinePro Member
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
      1d

      Morning @Lee Futcher

      Mostly Airbnb, by a wide margin. It's almost 90% of my bookings, monthly stays included, which surprised me when I started. I put "30 day+" right in the headline and the description so the listing comes up for someone searching for a month-long stay.

      Furnished Finder has been more of a research tool than a booking channel for me. I landed a 90-day stay there in October, but it was my first booking in almost eight months on the platform. Zillow, Apartments.com and Redfin bring inquiries, mostly placement services, but I haven't closed a stay from them yet. I broke this down in more detail in a separate thread in the Medium-Term Rentals forum if you want the rest.

      @Matthew Tregoning shopping the listing for the exact dates is a great check. With long minimums like mine, a gap can look like a demand problem when guests just can't book it. That's why my minimum steps down as the open dates get closer. Otherwise those nights never actually open up.

      Lee, when you and your wife book a month or two, do you usually go through Airbnb too, or find places some other way?

      0Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    2d

    I see you are in FL but I find it interesting you said November is when you start looking at slow season - are you not slow in FL end of Aug, Sept and Oct?

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    • John RacinePro Member
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
      2d

      @Andrew Steffens Good catch. Late summer into October is slow here too, and you're right that November is late if that's the stretch you're planning for. Slow season should be worked months ahead, not days ahead. That's something I picked up working in hotels, where they plan multiple years out. That's a bit overkill for an STR or MTR, but the foresight carries over. The days-out stuff is just the last step.

      That's how I'd square it with the booking-window point in my post. The plan gets set months out: minimum stays, which stretches I want filled with 30+ day guests, and where my floors sit in PriceLabs. Those monthly guests book well ahead, so if the slow months aren't set up for them early, there's nothing left but discounting. Actual rate cuts only happen inside the market's booking window, once I can see how things are pacing.

      On the Tampa side, how far ahead do you start setting up for that late-summer dip?

      1Reply
  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 561 posts · 194 votes
    2d

    Before changing rates, I'd also shop the listing for the exact stay you're trying to fill. Can a guest actually book those dates with the current minimum stay, arrival restrictions and adjacent reservations? I use PriceLabs in the STR management side, but still want that guest-side check when an empty stretch looks odd. For an owner update, I'd show the dates at risk, what changed and when we'll review it again. That makes the pricing decision easier to follow than a calendar full of unexplained overrides.

    0Reply
  • Muyees Ayilara
    Lender · Boynton Beach, FL · Member since 2026 · 240 posts · 107 votes
    1d

    John, this is exactly what I see a lot of hosts get wrong in November. They panic because early December looks empty and just slash everything 25%. Your point on the booking window is the big one. If your market books 3-7 days out, an empty calendar 3 weeks out is normal. Cutting rate there is just giving money away. I like your take on the non-refundable rate too. I have seen that work better than a straight discount because at least the booking sticks. A flat cut just gets you a cheaper guest who can still cancel. And you are right on cleaning fees. That is not a lever, that is what the cleaner charges. Cutting it does not help anyone.

    For me, I do not cut rate until I am inside the real booking window and the pace is actually behind. If I am still outside it, I hold and watch. In slow months, those 30+ day stays are what save the calendar anyway. Way less turnover, way less stress. Good post, man. Appreciate you sharing how you actually run it.

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    • John RacinePro Member
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
      1d

      @Muyees Ayilara appreciate that. "Hold and watch" is the hard part for most hosts. An empty calendar three weeks out feels like a problem even when it's normal for that market. What keeps me from overreacting is watching how the market is pacing, not just my own calendar, before I make a big change.

      And agreed on the longer stays. In the slow months, one 30+ day guest does more for the calendar than chasing a string of 2-night bookings.

      From the lending side, do you see lenders treat 30+ day stay history any differently from nightly history when an STR owner refinances?

      0Reply
    • Muyees Ayilara
      Lender · Boynton Beach, FL · Member since 2026 · 240 posts · 107 votes
      1d

      John! Yeah, from the lending side we do see a difference. And honestly most hosts don't realize it until they try to refi. Nightly STR income can work, but a lot of lenders will haircut it or want more paperwork. They look at it as less stable because it moves so much month to month. 30+ day stays are easier. Lenders see that more like a regular rental. Steady payment, less turnover, less vacancy gaps. When I see a 12 month bank statement with those longer stays on it, the file just goes smoother. The DSCR is cleaner too because the income is not jumping up and down.

      It does not mean nightly history gets you denied, it just means the lender will dig more. They will want to see 12 months, not 3 months, and they will average it out. Some will use AirDNA, some will just use your actual deposits. Depends on the lender. That is why what you said makes sense. Those 30+ day stays in slow season do not just save the calendar, they also make your numbers look better if you ever refi that property.

      What do you see on your side, do the longer stays actually end up netting more after you factor in cleaning and turnover?

      0Reply
  • Rati Meskhishvili
    Tbilisi, Georgia (country) · Member since 2026 · 21 posts · 5 votes
    1d

    @John Racine I do not host myself, but here is the math I would want to see in front of me before that 25% cut. a 25% cut needs a third more booked nights just to earn the same (for example, 10 nights at USD 200 is USD 2k, and at USD 150 you will need 13.3 nights). The 10% non-refundable discount only needs about 11% more booked nightst. Per-night costs push both a bit higher. So the question isn't whether the cut brings bookings, it is whether it brings a third more. That's a high bar if some of those nights would have booked anyway, which is your point about the booking window.

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  • John RacinePro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
    1d

    @Muyees Ayilara that's helpful from the lending side. I hadn't thought about 12 months of deposits being part of the story when it's time to refi.

    On netting more: yes, on both counts. Across my units, mid-term has consistently come out ahead of a 12-month lease, even after utilities and the other costs a tenant would normally pick up. On the units where I've run both, a 30+ day month has also netted more than straight nightly once the turnovers and empty nights in between are counted. A monthly guest is one check-in, one checkout and one turnover. A string of short stays is that same cycle every few nights, and the dead nights between bookings never show up in the nightly rate.

    One thing that protects the margin: our MTR agreements include a utility cap. If someone wants to run the AC at 68 day and night all summer, the cap covers normal usage and the guest pays the overage. We keep a card on file for it. Without that, one hot Florida summer can eat a good chunk of what a monthly stay should net.

    All of that has to be built into the price: the utilities, the turnovers, the gaps and the length of stay. That's why I consider a pricing tool like PriceLabs a non-negotiable must-have. It lets me set the monthly rate with all of those costs in mind instead of guessing.

    @Rati Meskhishvili that's the math most hosts skip. A 25% cut needs a third more booked nights just to break even, and if some of those nights would have booked at full rate anyway, the bar gets even higher.

    0Reply
  • Lee Futcher
    Technology · Vancouver, BC · Member since 2026 · 202 posts · 47 votes
    1d

    Hi @John Racine,

    Thanks for sharing that, it's really useful. It makes sense that Airbnb wins when the listing is written for monthly guests from the start, because that's exactly where we look first when we're planning a longer stay.

    Putting "30 day+" right in the headline is such a simple move, and I think it's smart. It tells the right guest straight away that the place is set up for them. Your Zillow idea for executive housing agents is a clever one too, since one good relationship there could send you repeat stays rather than a single booking.

    Have a great week,
    Lee

    1Reply
  • Clifton HarrisBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Pigeon Forge, TN · Member since 2026 · 19 posts · 2 votes
    1d

    I agree with the idea of checking the booking window before making rate adjustments. I think it's also important to look at booking pace relative to the same period in previous years and what comparable properties are doing.

    One thing I'd add is that occupancy alone shouldn't drive pricing decisions. A booking at a heavily discounted rate isn't necessarily better than leaving the calendar open, especially when you factor in cleaning costs, additional wear and tear, and the possibility of attracting a longer or more profitable reservation.

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  • Melissa HaworthBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · The Panhandle | The Emerald Coast | Panama City Beach | Destin · Member since 2017 · 291 posts · 108 votes
    20h

    John, this matches a lot of what I hear from owners on the Emerald Coast. Early December is quiet here pretty much every year, then after the holidays the snowbirds start coming and a lot of them want a month or more. The owners in Destin and PCB who set their listings up for monthly winter guests ahead of time tend to have an easier January and February than the ones slashing nightly rates in December. Totally agree on trying the non-refundable rate first too. Curious, did your North Florida snowbird book way out or pretty last minute?

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    • John RacinePro Member
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 188 posts · 99 votes
      20h

      Thanks Melissa. To answer your question: they booked almost 4 months ahead, through Airbnb.

      What you're seeing in Destin and PCB is the same reason I'd rather set up for monthly winter guests early than chase December with rate cuts. A quiet couple of weeks on the calendar doesn't tell you much until you know how far out that market usually books. If the monthly demand shows up in January, cutting nightly rates in December just leaves money on the table.

      0Reply
  • Aleena Merilien
    Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 0 votes
    4h

    John, the booking window point is the one most owners miss. I'd add that the empty weeks are also a good time to look at the listing itself before touching price. Check whether your minimum stay, check-in days, and cancellation policy are keeping off-peak guests away, since a small tweak there can fill nights without any discount. I also like looking at what is already booked for the holidays, because if the weeks around the gap are strong, a short stay minimum drop can bridge it. If you do cut rates, I'd do it in steps and tie it to how close the date is, rather than one big drop weeks out. Then compare the same weeks year over year so you're judging the change and not just the feeling of an empty calendar. Disclosure: I work with Guest Haus Company, a resource for owners on listing, pricing, and guest communications.

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  • Daniel Jung
    Member since 2026 · 81 posts · 28 votes
    now

    John, this is a good framework, and the booking window point is the one most hosts skip. An empty first two weeks of December is not a problem yet in most markets, it is just how those guests book. Cutting 25 percent gives away money on nights that would have booked at full rate.

    I check how far ahead guests in this market usually book, and whether the pace is actually behind last year for the same dates. If the pace is behind and I am inside the real booking window, I try the smaller levers first: a non-refundable rate, a shorter minimum stay, or a discount on just the gap nights between bookings.

    In a slow stretch, one 30 day booking beats chasing two night stays, because every turnover costs cleaning, laundry, and a gap night. I would rather hold the rate and win the longer stay.

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