Seasonal Strategies for Point Roberts Rentals

Understanding Point Roberts' Seasonal Demand

Point Roberts' rental market follows a clear seasonal pattern driven by its unique cross-border geography and the vacation habits of Greater Vancouver residents. Understanding this pattern — and building a strategy around it — is the difference between a good year and a great year.

The demand curve isn't a gentle wave; it's a sharp peak. July and August dominate, with June and September as strong shoulders. The rest of the year is significantly quieter but not without opportunity. Here's how revenue typically distributes across the calendar:

• Peak (July–August): Highest rates, highest occupancy. Back-to-back bookings are common. This is where you make the majority of your annual income.
• Strong shoulder (June, September): 70–85% of peak rates. Still strong demand, especially weekends and holiday periods.
• Soft shoulder (May, October): 50–65% of peak rates. Weekends perform well; weekdays need creative strategies.
• Off-peak (November–April): 30–50% of peak rates. Extended stays and monthly rentals are the primary revenue drivers.

Peak Summer Strategy (July–August)

These two months are your money months. Every night matters. A single unbooked night in July costs you more than an unbooked week in February. Your peak season strategy should be aggressive, operationally tight, and laser-focused on maximizing revenue.

1. 1Premium pricing: Let your dynamic pricing tool push rates to their natural ceiling. A 3-bedroom in a good location can command $300–$400+ per night during peak weekends. Don't cap yourself with conservative maximum prices.
2. 23–4 night minimum stay: This reduces turnover frequency (and costs), maximizes revenue per booking, and attracts families planning real vacations rather than one-night stays.
3. 3Tight turnovers: With back-to-back bookings, your cleaning team needs to execute flawlessly in a 4–5 hour window between checkout (10–11 AM) and check-in (3–4 PM). Reliability is everything.
4. 4No gaps: Monitor your calendar daily for 1–2 night gaps between bookings. Drop your minimum stay for orphan nights to fill them — a discounted night is better than an empty one.
5. 5Maximize your listing: Update your first photo to a summer-specific hero shot. Mention beach access, BBQ season, long evenings. Your listing description should feel like summer in Point Roberts.

Shoulder Season Strategy (May–June, September–October)

Shoulder seasons are where operational savvy separates average STR operators from excellent ones. Demand is real but less intense — your strategy needs to be more nuanced than peak season's "price high and let it book."

1. 1Lower minimum stays: Drop to 2-night minimums (from 3–4 in peak) to capture more bookings. Weekend warriors who want a quick Point Roberts escape are your primary audience.
2. 2Targeted marketing: Highlight fall colors, quiet beaches, fewer crowds, and the appeal of Point Roberts as a shoulder-season escape. Update your listing photos if you have autumn shots.
3. 3Canadian Thanksgiving: Mid-October in Canada. This long weekend drives strong cross-border demand. Price it like a mini-peak event.
4. 4Victoria Day (late May): The unofficial start of summer in Canada. Demand spikes for the long weekend. Price accordingly.
5. 5Extended weekend pricing: Friday and Saturday nights in shoulder season still command 75–85% of peak rates. Weekdays are softer — consider midweek discounts to fill Monday–Thursday gaps.
6. 6Pet-friendly advantage: If your property allows pets, shoulder season is when this pays off most. Families with dogs are looking for quieter, less crowded getaways.

The shoulder season revenue goal is to fill 60–75% of available nights at moderate rates. Don't chase peak pricing during shoulder months — the demand isn't there. But don't give nights away either. Dynamic pricing handles this balance well if calibrated correctly.

Winter & Off-Peak Strategy (November–April)

Winter in Point Roberts is quiet. The population thins out, the beach empties, and short-stay demand drops significantly. But writing off five months of the year means leaving meaningful revenue on the table.

The key to winter revenue is shifting from short stays to extended stays. Different guests, different pricing, different expectations.

• Monthly rates: Offer significant discounts for 28+ night stays — typically 30–40% below your average nightly rate. A 3-bedroom at $100/night (monthly rate) still generates $3,000/month.
• Target audience: Remote workers, snowbirds (Canadians escaping to… slightly less cold Point Roberts), and people between housing situations. These guests are quiet, low-maintenance, and reliable.
• Minimum 7-night stays: For non-monthly bookings in winter, require at least a week. Short winter stays are operationally painful (cold house, heating costs, cleaning in bad weather) and rarely worth the effort.
• Winterization: If you choose not to rent in winter, properly winterize the property — drain pipes, set thermostats to prevent freezing, and schedule periodic checks. Even unrented, the property needs attention.
• Holiday bumps: Thanksgiving (US), Christmas, and New Year's generate short spikes in demand. Price these at shoulder-season rates and drop your minimum stay to capture holiday travelers.

Year-Round Calendar Optimization

Beyond seasonal strategy, a few cross-cutting practices maximize your annual revenue regardless of time of year:

• Block personal use dates early: If you plan to use your property in summer, block those dates by January. This prevents lost revenue from last-minute calendar changes during peak season.
• Review your minimum-stay rules quarterly: What works in July doesn't work in October. Adjust minimum stays as seasons shift.
• Update listing photos seasonally: Summer photos in December feel stale. If you have shoulder-season and winter photos, rotate them in to keep your listing feeling current and relevant.
• Respond to every inquiry within 1 hour: Platform algorithms heavily favor responsive hosts. Fast response rates improve your search ranking, which improves bookings across all seasons.
• Collect and respond to every review: Reviews build trust and improve search ranking. Thank positive reviewers. Address negative feedback constructively and publicly. Never leave a review response empty.
• Annual property refresh: Use the slow season (January–March) for updates — fresh paint, new linens, minor repairs, deep cleaning. Enter peak season with your property looking its best.

The owners who earn the most aren't just optimizing one season — they're building a year-round system that compounds small advantages into significantly higher annual revenue.