The Complete Guide to Renting Your Point Roberts Home

Why Point Roberts Is a Uniquely Strong STR Market

Point Roberts sits at the tip of a peninsula that juts south from British Columbia into Washington State. It's a geographic anomaly — accessible by land only through Canada, yet legally part of the United States. This isn't just a fun fact for trivia night. It's the single biggest reason Point Roberts works as a vacation rental market.

Canadian families from Tsawwassen, Delta, and Greater Vancouver have been coming here for decades. In summer, the beaches fill up, the marina comes alive, and the population swells from roughly 1,300 residents to thousands of visitors. The appeal is simple: a quiet, coastal American community with none of the crowds — about 35 minutes from downtown Vancouver, or just 15 from Tsawwassen.

For US visitors, Point Roberts offers something different: a tiny, self-contained coastal town that feels genuinely remote despite being an hour from Bellingham. Bald eagles, sunset views over Boundary Bay, Lighthouse Marine Park — it's a place that surprises people who've never heard of it.

The competitive landscape is still relatively thin. Unlike saturated STR markets like Whistler or the San Juan Islands, Point Roberts has a limited number of professionally managed listings. That means less competition for owners who invest in quality — and a real opportunity to stand out with better photography, better guest experience, and smarter pricing.

Zoning, Regulations & Compliance

Before you invest a dollar in furnishing or photography, make sure your property is legally eligible for short-term rental activity. Point Roberts falls under unincorporated Whatcom County, and the regulatory picture is nuanced — it's not as simple as 'get a permit and go.'

As of early 2026, Whatcom County does not have a blanket STR permit requirement for all properties. A 2023 proposal to broadly regulate short-term vacation rentals did not pass. However, zoning and location-specific rules still apply. Some overlay zones (such as the Lake Whatcom Watershed) require a Conditional Use Permit for vacation rental use, and your property's specific zoning designation determines what's allowed.

1. 1Verify your property's zoning designation with Whatcom County Planning & Development Services to confirm short-term rental use is permitted.
2. 2Check whether your property falls within any overlay zones that may require additional land-use approvals (e.g., conditional use permits).
3. 3Register for state and local lodging tax collection — this is required regardless of permit status. Your management company can handle remittance, but registration is your responsibility.
4. 4Install fire safety essentials: smoke detectors in every bedroom, a fire extinguisher on each level, and carbon monoxide detectors. These are best practices and may be required by your insurance.
5. 5Confirm there are no HOA, covenant, or deed restrictions that limit short-term rental activity on your specific property.

Beyond zoning, practical compliance areas include maximum occupancy limits (typically based on bedrooms and septic capacity), parking requirements, noise ordinances, and trash/recycling management. These aren't just bureaucratic boxes — they protect your relationship with neighbors and the community.

Preparing Your Property for Guests

First impressions drive bookings. Guests form opinions within seconds of viewing your listing photos — and again within seconds of walking through the front door. The gap between a "nice" listing and a "wow" listing isn't necessarily thousands of dollars. It's intentionality.

Start with professional photography. This is not optional. Listings with professional photos receive dramatically more views and convert browsers into bookers at a significantly higher rate. A good photographer will stage each room, maximize natural light, and capture the angles that make your space feel inviting. Budget $300–$600 for a thorough shoot — it's the single highest-ROI investment in your entire STR setup.

Beyond photography, think about the guest experience from the moment they arrive. A clean, well-lit entry. A kitchen stocked with basics (coffee, cooking oil, salt and pepper, dish soap). Quality linens — not luxury hotel grade, but noticeably better than "we bought whatever was on sale." Thoughtful touches like a welcome card, a local guidebook, and recommendations for nearby restaurants and beaches.

• Professional photography and, if budget allows, a 3D virtual tour (Matterport or similar)
• Quality mattresses and hotel-weight linens — guests notice and mention these in reviews
• Fully stocked kitchen with cookware, utensils, and basic pantry staples
• Welcome supplies: coffee, tea, a few snacks, toiletries, and a printed guest guide
• Reliable high-speed WiFi (at least 50 Mbps) — this is non-negotiable for modern travelers
• Outdoor living space setup: clean patio furniture, BBQ (if applicable), outdoor lighting
• Smart lock installed and tested — we'll cover this in the operations section
• Blackout curtains in bedrooms, extra blankets, and a fan or white noise machine

Pricing Strategy & Revenue Optimization

Static pricing — setting one nightly rate and leaving it there — is the most common mistake new hosts make. It guarantees you'll either underprice during peak season (leaving significant money on the table) or overprice during slow periods (resulting in empty nights that earn nothing).

Dynamic pricing tools like PriceLabs, Beyond, and Wheelhouse analyze comparable listings, local events, seasonal demand patterns, day-of-week trends, and booking velocity to adjust your nightly rate automatically. The result: higher revenue during high-demand periods and better occupancy during slower ones.

In Point Roberts, pricing follows a clear seasonal curve. July and August are peak — a well-positioned 3-bedroom home can command $300+ per night. June and September are strong shoulder months. Spring and fall weekends still perform, especially around holidays. Winter is the quietest period, but not dead — lower rates with longer minimum stays can attract remote workers, snowbirds, and extended-stay guests.

1. 1Use a dynamic pricing tool — the 10–15% revenue increase easily pays for the subscription cost.
2. 2Set a 3-night minimum during peak season to reduce turnover costs and maximize revenue per booking.
3. 3Allow 2-night stays during shoulder and off-peak periods to boost occupancy.
4. 4Adjust cleaning fees to reflect actual costs — don't inflate them (guests notice) and don't undercharge (it eats your margin).
5. 5Offer weekly and monthly discounts during winter — 15–20% off weekly, 30–40% off monthly is typical for the Point Roberts market.
6. 6Monitor your competition quarterly. Check comparable listings' pricing, photos, and reviews to ensure you're positioned correctly.

Operations & Day-to-Day Management

Running a vacation rental is a hospitality business, not passive income. That distinction matters. Guests expect rapid communication (platform algorithms reward response times under 1 hour), spotless cleanliness (the #1 factor in guest reviews), and a seamless check-in experience. Delivering on these consistently is what separates properties that earn 4.9 stars from properties stuck at 4.3.

The operational backbone of any well-run STR is the turnover process. After each checkout, the property needs to be cleaned to hotel standards, inspected, restocked, and confirmed ready for the next guest. In Point Roberts, where back-to-back bookings are common during summer, this needs to happen in a tight window — often 4–5 hours between checkout and the next check-in.

• Smart locks with unique per-guest codes that auto-expire at checkout — eliminates key logistics entirely
• Automated guest messaging for booking confirmation, check-in instructions, mid-stay check-in, and checkout reminders
• Photo-documented turnovers so you (and we) can verify quality before every check-in
• A preventive maintenance schedule — not just fixing things when they break, but proactively checking HVAC filters, water heaters, smoke detectors, and appliances on a regular cycle
• A local vendor network for plumbing, electrical, appliance repair, landscaping, and pest control — vetted and ready to respond quickly
• Guest screening using platform reviews, identity verification, and minimum-stay requirements to filter out problematic bookings

"The best vacation rental operations are invisible to the guest. Everything just works — the door opens, the house is perfect, the WiFi connects, and they never need to call anyone."

— Alexander Henn, STAY49

Understanding the Real Numbers

Let's talk money honestly. STR income can be meaningful — but it's not "set it and forget it" money. Understanding the real cost structure helps you set realistic expectations and make smarter decisions.

Here's a realistic breakdown for a typical 3-bedroom Point Roberts home managed by STAY49 on our Plus plan (25% management fee):

1. 1Gross rental revenue: $35,000–$55,000/year (varies significantly by property quality, location, and pricing strategy)
2. 2Platform fees (Airbnb/VRBO): ~3% of gross revenue ($1,050–$1,650)
3. 3Management fee (25%): $8,750–$13,750
4. 4Cleaning costs: $3,500–$5,000/year (depends on turnover frequency and property size)
5. 5Maintenance & repairs reserve: $1,500–$3,000/year
6. 6Supplies, linens, consumables: $800–$1,200/year
7. 7Insurance (STR-specific policy): $1,200–$2,000/year
8. 8Net owner income: roughly $18,000–$30,000/year before taxes and mortgage

The question most owners should ask isn't "how much will I make?" — it's "how does this compare to letting my home sit empty?" A home generating $20,000–$30,000 net per year while also being maintained, monitored, and kept in excellent condition is dramatically better than a home sitting vacant, slowly deteriorating, and costing you property taxes, insurance, and utilities with zero return.

Next Steps: Getting Started

If you've read this far, you're serious about exploring vacation rental management for your Point Roberts property. Here's what the path forward looks like — it's simpler than most people expect.

1. 1Request a free rental assessment — we'll evaluate your property, discuss your goals, and provide a realistic revenue estimate with no obligation.
2. 2If we're a good fit, we'll visit your property for a walk-through and develop a custom launch plan.
3. 3We handle the heavy lifting: professional photography, listing creation across all major platforms, smart lock installation, pricing configuration, and guest supply setup.
4. 4Your listings go live within 7–14 days of our walk-through. First bookings typically arrive within the first week or two.
5. 5From there, we manage everything — guest communication, turnovers, maintenance, pricing adjustments, reviews — and you receive monthly reports with full financial detail.

The entire process from "I'm interested" to "my first guest just checked in" typically takes 2–3 weeks. We've done this enough times to make it smooth, predictable, and completely stress-free for you.

"We started STAY49 because we believe Point Roberts deserves to thrive — and helping homeowners unlock the potential in their properties is how we get there. Every booking brings a new visitor, a new fan, and a little more life to this community."

— Tahzjuan Hawkins & Alexander Henn, STAY49 Founders