8 Considerations Before Providing Recreational Vehicles With Your Vacation Rental

If you're looking to increase your vacation rental property's appeal, you have a lot of options. You could go luxe with furniture and linens, set up a designated office space, or create a more attractive, enjoyable outdoor space. Or you might consider adding some type of recreational vehicle for guests to use.

Putting the right recreational vehicles with the right property can be a big draw. But providing things like boats and jet skis raises more questions than buying some fancy sheets. So, let's look at a few things to consider if you're wondering whether you should provide recreational vehicles with your rental.

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Raising your rates is probably the most obvious incentive for adding recreational vehicles to your vacation rental property. Most vacation rental owners experienced a significant downturn at the height of the pandemic, and this could be a great way to earn back some of that lost income. Many guests will be willing to pay more for the opportunity to turn a nice place to stay into a memorable experience.

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Reducing vacancy is a crucial goal for vacation rental hosts to meet if they want to earn steady, reliable income from their properties. And fun recreational vehicles can be a fantastic way to make your property stand out from the competition and keep those bookings -- and that money -- coming in.

Ensuring an increase in return visits is a great way to reduce vacancy and raise your overall income, and providing recreational vehicles can be a great way to do that. If guests have an amazing experience playing on jet skis, ATVs, or with other toys, they may be more inclined to make note that your property is a special place to return to for a fun vacation time and time again.

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Most potential guests viewing your property online for the first time care about what prior guests have had to say about their own experiences. They're also likely interested in what friends have to say about properties they've been to.

And guests who have a positive experience beyond your average stay are more likely to write positive reviews of the fantastic experience they had. Of course, more great reviews and positive word of mouth can mean reduced vacancy and more money for you.

If you're wondering whether recreational vehicles could be a good fit for your vacation rental, you'll want to consider what might be a good fit for the property. If you offer guests a farm stay or a bit of acreage, a four-wheeler could be the perfect way for them to get around. A boat or jet skis could be a great fit if you're on the water.

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You'll also want to consider who's most often staying at your property. It may vary widely, but if your area does draw a certain demographic, that's well worth considering. If your location tends to attract families or older couples, a canoe or all-terrain golf cart could be preferable to a motor boat or four-wheeler. Whereas a spring break demographic might prefer faster toys like jet skis and four-wheelers.

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Prices for recreational vehicles are all over the map, depending on what you're looking for and whether you're buying new or used. While jet skis and various motor boats can cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, you can get a kayak or canoe starting at around just a few hundred dollars each.

The more expensive toys may be more worth investing in if you and your family also spend a significant amount of time at the property and would enjoy them. You'll also want to check on the cost of adding these vehicles to your insurance policy.

It's always a good idea to talk with an attorney when dealing with potential liability issues, but Attorney Andrew Maguire with McCausland Keen and Buckman has a little advice: He suggests that you may want to run a background check on the prospective renter if you're providing high-value vehicles. You'll also want to make sure the contract clearly states that the vehicles must be operated in accordance with applicable law (no underage drivers, etc.) and that the security deposit would cover you in case of loss or damage.

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If one or more recreational vehicles could be a great fit for your vacation rental, it may be worth considering the addition. This is especially true if you've had more space on your reservation calendar than you like or if you'd like to raise your rates but aren't sure you could maintain the same bookings at a higher rate. Transforming your guests' stays from a nice trip into a vacation experience worth talking about with recreational vehicles could be a worthwhile endeavor.

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