I’ve just stumbled upon this website, http://www.caravanrentalcompany.co.uk They will deliver a caravan to anywhere in the UK and then collect it again once you have finished using it. They will also take any unwanted or damaged caravans off your hands and either repair them or use them as spares.

The service is perfect for anyone that needs caravan rental for just a few days. You might need to take it to trade show or exhibition or maybe you just want a weekend away somewhere. IT makes sense for people that can’t buy a caravan of their own for any reason or don’t have a vehicle that is capable of towing a caravan.

I found this article on www.myholidaycaravan.com . It is quite handy for anybody who has a static caravan or is considering buying one to rent out.

A large number of UK owners choose to rent their van to subsidise the cost of ownership using the income to help towards costs such as site fees and insurance. Very few owners in the UK buy static caravans to make a profit.

The amount of rental income you will generate depends on a number of criteria unique to each different owner.

A key issue that will determine the amount of rental income will be related to the time you, family and friends wish to use your static caravan holiday home. For example those who wish to use their static during peak season holidays such as Easter, Summer School Holidays and October half term will derive much less rental income than those who sublet for these periods. They however may be making substantial savings on the cost of their holidays compared to renting directly for the holiday park at normal rates.

Before purchasing a static caravan holiday home a buyer should be clear on their priorities of lifestyle benefits verse cost of ownership.

Purchase Price & Specification

Initial purchase cost is a key factor when considering the role of rental income in your ownership plan.

Obviously a larger the static caravan e.g. 6 berth rather than 4 berth will have a higher purchase price but will offer larger rental incomes. The same is true when it comes to specification of the static caravan.

Always remember to include finance payments in your calculations if you are purchasing the static caravan on credit.

Marketing, Reservations & Maintenance

It is also important to consider how you intend to market your static caravan and deal with maintenance and cleaning requirements.

If you rent out your static caravan you will also need to ensure all legal requirements for subletting are fulfilled e.g. annual gas testing.

Many larger parks will offer inclusive rental schemes that will take care of bookings and maintenance requirements. These programmes offer convenience and time saving but will reduce actual income as a result of the commission or fees charged.

Some owners choose to coordinate such arrangements themselves to save money, excepting that they will have to invest time into dealing marketing, bookings, sub contractors or even completing cleaning themselves if they live locally.

Whilst increased rental time will in turn increase rental revenue it is also important to consider wear and tear costs on your static caravan. We have received feedback from owners that have reported that some people on holiday do not treat the static caravan with the same respect as the owner and have suffered increased maintenance bills and the stress of having damage to their much loved holiday home. Remember if you do not handle the bookings yourself you have no control over who uses your holiday home. It is generally considered that increased rental time will increase annual running costs due to higher maintenance costs and this should be considered in your calculations.

To help you understand the differences in usage and the resulting rental income we have compiled the following 3 example case studies;

User 1 – Young Family of 4

• Purchased a new luxury specification 6 berth static caravan
• Use Static Caravan in all peak season school holidays
• Lend to friends & family for 6 weeks per year
• Rent out sporadically off season to private individuals
• Have maintenance and rental contract via the holiday park group

Income from renting: Low

User 2 – Retired Couple

• Purchased a 3 year old 6 berth standard specification static caravans • Have a 2 week holiday with family & grandchildren in peak season
• Have numerous off season mid week short breaks
• Rent for remaining time
• Have maintenance and rental contract via the holiday park group

Income from renting: Medium

User 3 – Young Professional Couple

• Purchased a new 6 berth standard specification static caravan
• Rent static caravan throughout the off & peak season
• Only use for occasional weekends off season when visiting friends in the area only if no previous bookings are made
• Coordinate cleaning, maintenance, contractors directly
• Coordinate bookings via a website they had built

Income from renting: High

Here’s a quick checklist for those of you thinking of renting out your caravan for the 2010 season. I found it on the Australian website http://www.privatecaravanhire.com.au. Everything still holds up for people renting their caravans in the UK market.

Advice for Renting Your Caravan

• List your caravan and respond to any enquiries for hire as soon as possible

• Communicate clearly with prospective renters, being open and helpful and ensure people are clear about what they are getting

• Check compatibility of vehicle to tow your Caravan (if towing)

• Check suitability of renter or swapper and their ability to manage your vehicle

• Keep communicating back and forth, while you negotiate all the details until you are comfortable with the arrangements

• Organise insurance cover for hire,  you can incorporate this fee into your hire rate or as an additional charge

• Complete the hire agreement, once it has been signed and returned, the contract becomes active and official

• Organise deposit payment

• Contact hirer prior to pick up to ensure all arrangements are as agreed

• Check all the  equipment in the caravan is working well, gas compliance certificate is displayed

• Check the caravan is in good working order, lights working, tyres inflated, etc.

• Write up and inventory and go through it with any prospective customers to agree on everything.  Get it signed and dated.

If the customer is collecting the Caravan

• Advise the customer of any special conditions, no smoking etc

• Take balance of payment

• Take security bond, complete customer’s credit card details

• Supply the customer with your contact and road side assistant details

• Reinforce correct loading of the caravan, ensure correct and safe connections between tow vehicle and caravan and talk about towing and driving safely

• Pass on any caravanning tips which could improve the customer’s enjoyment of your caravan. A happy customer is likely to come back

I found an article from www.icaravans.com offering advice on how to reduce the caravan site fees you might encounter when renting out your caravan. It’s nearly a year old but is still relevant for those of you that are looking to rent out your caravan for the 2010 season.

Ok lets face it, everyone is a little bit strapped for cash these days and it is getting a little bit harder to justify spending on a luxury item such as a caravan right now. However don’t get all upset about it as there are people out there in a position to help you out here. The other thing to help with your purchase of a caravan is the fact that you aren’t the only one that is feeling the pinch and the caravan parks and holiday parks are really pushing for business. Lots of places are offering to waive you’re first year of site fees to get you on the site and possibly spending money in their pubs and shops. If you play you’re cards right and find a good priced static caravan, or a tourer with a seasonal pitch, you can save anywhere upto £3000 on the site fee’s and start making money as soon as the season starts. Looking around you could find a decent quality Atlas Mirage, or similar, for around £10,000 and have it sited and ready to go before the season starts. If you are wondering what to expect on a return for your investment well how does £400 a week for the 10 weeks of high season and then leveling off to more like £150-£200 a week low season. If you take into account that this is a relatively cheaper caravan that you will be hiring out and you will be able to get upwards of 7-8 years of service out of this can really be a good money spinner. Take advantage of these caravan parks generosity / desparation and snag a bargain for some cheap holidaying / money making.

Taken from www.icaravans.com

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