Winter 2024 - Southern Ontario Short Term Rental Update

Winter (2024) - Southern Ontario Short Term Rental Update

1/28/2025

1.5 Acre Vineyard View Estate in Niagara On The Lake, ON

As we settle into the winter season, it's time to reflect on the short term rental market’s performance compared to last year and identify opportunities to stay ahead in 2025. In this edition of Travelluxe’s Quarterly Market Update, we explore how the market has evolved compared to last year and highlight key strategies to enhance guest experience during the colder months.

Adding winter-friendly amenities such as hot tubs and saunas can significantly boost occupancy & revenue, while capturing seasonal photos ensures your listing stands out from others this time of the year. Additionally, the slower winter period presents the perfect opportunity to restock essential supplies and tackle renovations before the busy peak season arrives. Stay ahead of the curve with our expert insights on optimizing your rental this winter!

Q4 2024 Southern Ontario Market Update

The market for 2+ bedroom rentals in Niagara Falls to Burlington during Q4 2024 showed a mix of positive growth and minor setbacks compared to Q4 2023:

Occupancy: Average occupancy increased by 6.14%, reflecting a steady rise in demand during the final months of the year.
Revenue: Total revenue saw a slight decline of 3.50%, suggesting some shifts in booking patterns or traveler behavior.

This quarter highlights growing traveler interest in the region, with occupancy improving year-over-year. While revenue experienced a modest dip, the overall outlook remains positive as demand continues to strengthen.

Winter Amenities & Winter Listing Photos

For most of Southern Ontario; the winter season is considered to be the slower season or off peak season. Less people are travelling to the area than in the summer time so it is extra important to do everything you can to make your property stand out from the rest.

Adding winter amenities is a fantastic way to appear in more search results on booking platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. In many cases potential guests are searching for a place to stay using filters and only seeing properties that have the amenities that they’re looking for. Commonly searched for amenities include wireless internet, parking, washer & dryer, etc; however, in the winter season hot tubs and saunas become extremely desirable. At Travelluxe, we highly recommend adding these types of high end winter amenities to boost bookings and earn a lot more revenue!

Adding these amenities is only the first step. Once they are added it is crucial to ensure that you are showcasing and promoting them with professional seasonal photographs.

Capture the potential guests attention and make your listing stand out by including winter photos in your listing during this time or year. Seasonal photos are proven to increase both bookings and revenue during the off peak season.

Taking Advantage Of The Slower Winter Season

In the winter season we do not generally see as many back to back bookings as there are in the peak season. We recommend short term rental owners take advantage of the mid week down time and use this spare time to make updates to the home and property. This is the time of year to schedule updates, renovations, and additions so that you don’t have to block dates that are in high demand later in the year. This is also the perfect time of year to add new amenities to the property and ensure that your supply closet is fully restocked with extra sheets, towels, consumables, etc.

You can grab your copy of the Travelluxe Ultimate STR Supply List by clicking the button below. This list includes everything your short term rental should, could, and must have in order to operate efficiently and successfully. It even includes estimated prices, links to top suppliers, and suggested quantities.

Get Our Ultimate STR Supply List