how difficult is it to sub-let?

[curry lady]

We are new to this game. If we buy a static we would want to accrue at least £1,000 back as we will be paying at least that extra from our current seasonal pitch and the oh is a little concerned its could be difficult to get people in.

We are also concerned about the van getting trashed which i am aware its not guaranteed when you have strangers in.

It occured to me it might be easier to let if on a bigger sight like haven but we would need to let it out much more due to fees being much higher. Its a chicken and egg sitution.:confused:

[Goldixpcx]

we sublet for the 1st time this year and let for 8 weeks and made around £2700 which was what we wanted to cover fees etc. We had no problems with lets was mostly immaculate when we arrived a couple of times not quite so sparkly clean but certainly not dirty. The worst damage we had was a broken bathroom cabinet catch and a bowl which they had replaced. One tip I did take from someone was to only advertise it for 4 people. Our dining area seats four and there are beds for 4 that means your lounge furniture doesn't get pulled about every night which can get damaged easily. Every let we had ended up being just a couple so only ever had one lot of bedding which was a bonus lol

will def being doing it again next year was a bit of hassle cleaning it and working it around us which we did, not around the lets, our time took priority after all thats why we bought it! But it really felt like money for nothing and it certainly helped a huge amount with costs. Would not let through a big park though I want to control my bookings and know who is in my van!!

[fontaine]

i agree
you dont have to let out a lot to quickly accrue the fees covered etc
even if you just rent out for the summer holidays
i would advise subletting as it does feel like money for nothing and if you dont use the van all the time it works well
just make sure your insurance covers you for subletting in case you have to make a claim
i also sublet a van in france and as i dont get out there too often i sublet through the office there and they take care of the changeover and cleaning etc
it works well as you know the van is being regularly maintained and cleaned etc. like having a maid service when youre not there and making money too
this sustains the van over there and i dont have to pay a penny extra as everything is covered and when i get over there i just walk into a nice clean , well maintained van in the sun
only damage between both vans this year was a slightly damaged door curtain, some ring marks on the coffee table and replace a worn rubber door stop
all in all i would reccomend sub letting

[Lazybum]

We started out not wanting to sub-let, however after my wife lost her part time job, we decided it would be a good way to cover costs. We had the same worries as you have - will anybody want to rent the van, will it get damaged etc. There are quite a few "free" sites to advertise your van on and of course E-Bay, but I did my own website and this year we have done just over 4k (on a site with no entertainment, swimming pool,pub etc) and lost count on the number of people we had to turn down as we were full. People do want peace and quiet, particularly retired couples.
In the 2 years we have been renting, we have had 1 problem family who caused annoyance to others more than anything.
For us, good internal photos of van has helped i.e. beds made and table set for dinner etc. and we only advertise for 4 people so dont attract couples with hoards of kids.
Dont forget insurance and of course a Gas Safety certificate.

[biddybayjulie]

we are on a park resorts site but we rent out privatley, we have done really well this season, the only 'damage' was some guests left the bedroom window open and it was raining hard and the wall got damp, all cleaned off nicely though. we pay a local cleaner to go and do the cleaning as we live 250 miles from the site ! she is brilliant, she texts me to say everything is ok with the van, then i give the guests their £50 deposit back. i don't supply bed linen as that keeps costs down, people are happy to bring their own

[Johnny Mac]

we are on a park resorts site but we rent out privatley, we have done really well this season, the only 'damage' was some guests left the bedroom window open and it was raining hard and the wall got damp, all cleaned off nicely though. we pay a local cleaner to go and do the cleaning as we live 250 miles from the site ! she is brilliant, she texts me to say everything is ok with the van, then i give the guests their £50 deposit back. i don't supply bed linen as that keeps costs down, people are happy to bring their own

Can I ask you how much your cleaner charges, and do you just ask her to go after a rental?

[JillyJane]

Because my mother hardly used hers due to health issues, I thought the best thing would be to rent it out during the season, rather than just have it sit there. We have been very lucky with our guests, the place was always left spotless. We tend to have the same families each year now. I find word of mouth/recommendation, goes a long way.

[parkandleisure]

Renting or sub-letting is all about advertising. Why not use www.gocaravanrentals.com also run by Darren the adminisrtator of this forum then you have a ready made advertising tool , costs about £30 a year great value.

[biddybayjulie]

Can I ask you how much your cleaner charges, and do you just ask her to go after a rental?

hiya, my cleaner charges £20 per visit and brings all her own cleaning stuff and hoover. i only ask her to go in after each visit and she then ring me to let me know all is well then i release the keys for the next guests xx