Travelers rate cleanliness as one of the most important qualities when choosing a short-term rental property. Find out what else catches their eye.
Family walking up to vacation rental house
©kupicoo - Getty Images

Short-term rentals are in demand as an alternative to hotels for travel stays. Travelers ranked price and location as top considerations for where and what to book, but the cleanliness of the accommodation outranked convenience and size, according to a new study of more than 1,000 consumers on short-term rentals by Cinch Home Services.

Property owners may want to make sure they promote the cleanliness of their short-term property listings, particularly during the pandemic. More than half of respondents said that enhanced cleaning features and clearly displayed COVID-19 policies increased the likelihood of them booking a certain rental.

A graphic of charts and figures showing important renter considerations and areas of attention for short-term rental landlords.
A list of percentages showing features that may increase booking likelihoods as well as desired rental locations.

Meanwhile, the top five gripes about short-term rentals from tenants:

  • Poor internet connection: 39%
  • Disrepair and poor maintenance: 38%
  • Lack of cleanliness: 33%
  • Limited or bad parking: 23%
  • Difficult landlord: 23%

Short-term rentals have grown more appealing over the past year. According to the Cinch Home Service survey, 45% of respondents said they were more interested in vacationing in a privately owned rental than they had been before the pandemic began. Also, 35% of respondents said they were looking to get away for longer with their travel, making a short-term rental more appealing.

Advertisement