How to increase Airbnb occupancy in the UK without discounting

The UK market is incredibly competitive at the best of times, but you don’t have to sacrifice money in your pocket just to keep your bookings consistent. This is our comprehensive guide on how to increase holiday rental bookings without having to sell yourself (and your property) short.

If you’ve been noticing a decrease in bookings that seems unusual, or you’re not getting the amount of bookings you thought you would be, the first thing you should be doing is optimising your listing to make sure it stands out from the crowd.

There are a few things you should be doing to make your listing stand out in search results. You want to make sure you’re using clear, keyword-rich titles, you include your unique selling points, clearly state the proximity to major tourist attractions and use bullet points in the paragraphs to improve readability and user experience.

Oftentimes, potential guests will just skim holiday rental listings, so making sure all the most important and enticing information is clearly stated is key.

When potential guests are looking for a holiday rental property, the photos that you use can really make a world of difference. In order to secure more consistent bookings without offering discounts, you should be using high-quality, professional photos on your listing.

You want to shoot your property in natural light, show every room clearly and make your holiday rental feel as bright and spacious as possible. Including lifestyle shots that show how the space can be used (morning coffee on the balcony) can help your guest envision their time in your space.

It’s also important that you update your listing photos whenever there are changes to your property to ensure they are up-to-date and reflect the current state of your property.

When it comes to securing bookings, one of the main things you can do is to respond quickly and ensure clear, consistent communication with guests and potential guests regarding bookings.

You should be accepting booking requests quickly, responding to enquiries as soon as possible and making sure you are updating your listing. Better response rates and more active property listings are more likely to show up higher on the Airbnb feed, making your property the most likely booking for guests.

There’s no shortage of Airbnb properties out there, so to make sure you’re beating the competition, you should be including high-demand amenities. These could include fast wifi, dedicated workspaces, a coffee machine, washers and dryers and family-friendly upgrades (like a cot) to appeal to the widest possible audience.

Guests are beginning to prioritise the amenities, and having better features than your competitors could lead to higher booking rates without having to change your pricing.

If you’re not able to keep up with your Airbnb listing and respond to enquiries promptly, it might be time to enlist the help of a professional property management team. Our team at Pass the Keys optimises your bookings, updates your images and responds to requests so that you can focus instead on enjoying the income from your property.

When it comes to securing bookings for your Airbnb without offering discounts, it can feel like a full-time job in itself. Instead, get in touch with our experienced team, and we can take care of securing you the maximum amount of bookings without you having to lift a finger!