In the past there have been two main alternatives for booking. It has been performed through holiday property companies with conventional holiday leaflets and mailing lists or through local tourist information. The property owner actually pays about ten percent of the rental cost in commission and even more if cleaning; key provision and management are provided as well.

Since the introduction of the internet things have changed in all spheres of business and activities.  Online advertising had a negative impact on larger holiday companies. People who set up their own vacation property website have prospered if they are well-ordered. Nowadays it is very easy to create your own website and have an automatic online availability booking calendar where customers can make a booking. You will receive an e-mail and an SMS text on the instant. So, you can reply very quickly to confirm and get the payment by credit card. The acceptance of the bookings is the special thing here.

The most important issue that vacation property owners should cope with is to provide a simple way for customers to obtain the information they need for their final decision. This requires a proper advertisement and easy process of checking availability. Remember that speed is very important to prevent customers from proceeding to the next alternative. Bearing in mind that there are websites that supply all necessary information, it will be a serious disadvantage if you reply to an email inquiry on the next day. Some big sites have online booking systems that generate immediate reply to the customers’ demands. If your resources and technical knowledge is insufficient, you won’t have any chances of success against these competitors.   
The present article gives some advices on how you can rent your vacation property with availability booking calendar.

Availability booking calendar gives information about free dates and has the ability to supply other services as well – instant availability check, online booking, invoicing, payment through PayPal, various other payment options, immediate email messages to booker and owner. A good benefit for busy and travelling owners is the option to receive an SMS text on their mobile phone that will inform them about every new booking.

Availability booking calendar software is getting more and more advanced. The new calendars are available through a web browser in order to be accessed from all parts of the world, provided that there is an Internet connection.

The users that visit your site and check for the property you offer for renting are enthusiastic and trustful. They want to find an exhaustive and true description on your site. It you provide accurate and sufficient data, you can be sure that you will really benefit from you rent. Otherwise, you will do yourself an ill turn and have problems in the future. You can find below some helpful recommendations that will help your make more profit through a property availability booking calendar:

- Availability booking calendar should be updated following every new booking.  
- You always have to respond to inquiries very quickly. Out of office email should also be set up.
- Don’t confirm bookings before you get the advance payment.
- Try booking your own property.
- Always settle your relationships with the renter via a contract in which you specify the dates when the property is booked, the check-up dates, as well as other specific issues that you consider necessary to include.

Services that renters should pay for:
- Investigate the market to check what your competitors include in their prices.
- Bear in mind that it will be better for you, if the prices are higher during the peak season and school holidays.
- Your terms and conditions should specify the fee for cancellation.

There is a possibility that you will manage to resell the period to make up for your losses. You can call previous renters or mention a discount into your advertisement.  
- The fee should include all services like cleaner and utility bills. Thus, you will avoid any unpleasant surprises when clients check out.
- All your expenses should be included in the fee as well.
- You have to cope with all inquires timely and professionally.
- Quicker replies can only be an advantage to your business.   
- Bear in mind that you may need someone to assist you with changeover days.
- There are always tricky inquiries and renters that will try to cheat you.

The most essential point in handling your bookings is the contract establishing the terms and conditions of the rental. Your contract should include at least the following items:
- Date and time of check-in and check-out
- Names of the renters
- Contacts details of both occupants and you 
- Payment conditions – they should be clearly and briefly stated and include deposits for retaining the property, payment completion, handling damages, etc.  
- You should also keep a visitor’s book where renters can sign and make comments.

Contemporary web users want to find quickly updated information. That is why there should be a professional availability booking calendar on your website showing current availability. Spending more resources will make more people know about your property. Of course, you should fix a limit to yourself. Online availability booking calendar is the most powerful existing marketing instrument that will make your vacation property visible and accessible on the global market.