Average holiday home occupied for 23 weeks a year: Stayz

The average holiday rental property is rented for an average weekly rate of $1,143 for 23 weeks a year, according to a new report from a holiday rental website.

The Stayz report says the average traveller takes two to three domestic holidays a year for an average of five nights at a time, with 53% of holiday makers traveling with their family.

According to Stayz marketing director David Dunstan, travelers may have used caravan parks or motels in the past, but are increasingly turning to holiday homes for accommodation.

“This is reaping rewards for property managers or private owners," said Dunstan.

"The average holiday home is netting over $1,000 a week with an average occupancy rate of 23 weeks per year. That’s not a bad return on investment!”

But according to Dunstan, fewer than half of holiday rental owners generate profits after maintenance and mortgage expenses. However, he does predict further growth for the sector.

Travelers tend to plan well in advance, a habit rental property owners should take into consideration, commented Dunstan.

“Stayz sees enquiries for summer holidays spike in July and August so property owners and managers need to make sure their holiday rentals are listed as early as six months in advance of peak season to make sure they capitalise on that.

“Word-of-mouth recommendations and personal experience are also important to building trust and we know that once people have a good experience, they are likely to return to the same property again in the future – sometimes multiple times.”

Dunstan said that some locations were more popular than others on the website, with a strong preference for beachside holidays.

“We have a reputation for being sun-lovers and our bookings bear that out,” he said.  

“Beach breaks are by far still the most popular holiday option for Australian travellers with floods of visitors descending on coastal towns like Surfers Paradise, Port Douglas, Terrigal, Lorne and Fremantle every year to enjoy the sun, sand and surf.”

The Stayz website sees about 14 million visitors each year.