The Boat Shed in Tarawera, a winner in Bookabach's awards in 2020. Photo / supplied
The Boat Shed in Tarawera, a winner in Bookabach's awards in 2020. Photo / supplied
Short-term bach rentals were boosted by the Easter and Anzac long weekends but if you want popular areas like Queenstown or the Coromandel for Christmas, book by July.
That's according to this country's biggest holiday home manager.
Simone Scoppa of Expedia which runs Bookabach with 12,000-plus New Zealand short-stay rentals,said trade had picked up lately.
"Occupancy has been down compared to pre-pandemic due to the travel restrictions and low consumer confidence in booking travel, but we have seen a shift in occupancy numbers. At the Easter and Anzac long weekends, occupancy levels were back to 90 per cent for our most popular destinations," she said.
The average daily Bookabach rate rose 9 per cent annually and the average booking value was up 14 per cent, she said.
"On average, travellers stay 2.9 nights but this also changes depending on destination and time of year. In summer and winter we see longer stays. Autumn and spring see more weekend breaks," she said.
Traditionally bach bookers wanting Christmas didn't make arrangements until around September.
"But since the pandemic, July is now the peak month where people are booking their December breaks, five to six months ahead of stays. December bookings are in the top three stay dates that people are booking for, and it is only May," she said.
During the last 14 days the Waikato, Otago and Bay of Plenty were the top destinations for August, December and January stays.
Queenstown and Wanaka were the most popular for winter. Only 8 per cent of Bookabach properties were available for the first weekend of the upcoming school holidays in July, Scoppa said.
Ruapehu Retreat, a bach which was rented via Bachcare. Photo / supplied
Bachcare, which manages around 2300 places, said bookings had risen 4 per cent annually but 15 per cent on 2019.
Zaina Razzaq, Bachcare spokeswoman, says the holiday home rental industry contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to regional economies annually.
Average rent per booking rose 6 per cent annually, but 17 per cent compared to 2020, and 15 per cent compared to 2019, she said.
The most popular Bachcare areas are Abel Tasman/Nelson, Raglan, Wairarapa and Northland followed by the Coromandel, she said.
Areas with the highest income per booking were Hahei, Mt Maunganui, Whitianga, Waihi Beach, Pauanui, Matarangi and Mangawhai Heads.
One Mt Maunganui Bachcare property had generated $81,000/year for its owners, Razzaq said, after it was booked for 86 nights during the year. That wasn't one block booking but a number of guests booking it via separate deals, she explained.
That property is on the main beachfront of the Mount, so in a prime spot, commanding the top rent.
Sharon Cullwick, Property Investors Federation executive officer, said short-term accommodation was not controlled by the Residential Tenancies Act and properties did not have to comply with healthy homes standards.
"Often these places are paid for in advance, so the chances of being out of pocket for rent arrears are minimal. However, renting by this method can come with some risks. These properties have been known to be used as party houses or meth manufacturing," Cullwick said.
Insurance companies will sometimes only cover these properties via a commercial insurance policy which are much more expensive than a residential insurance policy.
"They need to be fully furnished, and this is an additional cost. Things can sometimes go missing," said Cullwick, who heads the landlords' lobby group.
