Capitals of most countries in the world already have oversaturated short-term rental markets, but Canada is one of the very few exceptions. The hospitality industry in Ottawa has been stagnating for years, but it has started to grow rapidly after the country recovered from the pandemic damages.
It seems to be the perfect timing for launching an airbnb enterprise, as hundreds of freshly opened short-term vacation rentals in the city are performing extremely well. Compared to most other cities in Canada, Ottawa has a market with a higher potential and a lower risk.
Benefits of Launching an Airbnb Business in Ottawa
The first benefit was already stated in the introduction. The short-term rental market in Ottawa is growing steadily, and the performance of recently launched Airbnbs clearly indicates there is room for more entrepreneurs.
The market is already fairly large, as there are currently more than 2,100 active listings available in the city. This enables investors to analyze data of active properties and make accurate estimations, since the data sample is huge.
High revenues are another massive benefit Ottawa offers to those who intend to launch new Airbnbs there. An average property generates $36,100 a year here, which is significantly higher than in most other cities of Canada. It is not as huge as in Toronto, but the competition is also less intense and the risks are lower in Ottawa.
The next advantage the investors will be able to benefit from is the developed business infrastructure. The entrepreneurs in Ottawa that are willing to take over the majority of chores and responsibilities related to managing an Airbnb, have access to all business automation tools and services of companies like https://hearthomes.ca/airbnb-management-in-ottawa/.
Last but not least, it is now the perfect timing for launching an Airbnb in Ottawa. As mentioned, the market is growing and it has not reached its cap yet. It will happen eventually, making it incredibly hard for new entrepreneurs to enter. At the same time, the investors who decide to establish their businesses in the upcoming months will have enough time to build a positive reputation and will have sustainable enterprises by the time the market becomes oversaturated.
Things to Keep in Mind when Starting a Business in Ottawa
The first factor entrepreneurs should keep in mind before launching an Airbnb in Ottawa is the seasonal effect on short-term rental businesses in this city. The seasonal effect here is not as severe as in some other cities of Canada, but the demand is still noticeably higher in summer than in winter. To be specific, the average Occupancy Rates of Airbnbs here were 69% in June and only 45% in January this year.
Speaking of Occupancy Rates, they are another aspect that should be taken into account. The annual average Occupancy Rate of short-term rentals in Ottawa is 60%, so entrepreneurs should not expect their properties to be booked out every single day. This is especially true for freshly established Airbnbs that have not yet earned enough positive reviews, as these listings usually perform worse than average.
Of course, investors should also research the legal aspects of business properly before entering the market. It is vital to understand how licenses for short-term vacation rentals work, which laws apply to Airbnb, and which taxes have to be paid by an owner of a property that is being actively rented out. It is also necessary to mind the zoning regulations, as not all properties are eligible for becoming short-term vacation rentals in Ottawa.
The last aspect the investors should keep in mind is the exact location of launching an Airbnb. Ottawa has many neighborhoods, and some of them are significantly more in demand than others. At the same time, the most popular neighborhoods in the city are already densely packed with rentals and have intense levels of competition in them. The entrepreneurs should look for a balanced location.
Ideally, the real estate prices should be reasonable, the demand should be higher than average, and the competition should be manageable. It is impossible to give specific suggestions here, as the market conditions are constantly changing, and the decision should be based on real estate offers available at the moment.
Tips for Launching a Successful Airbnb
The main tip regarding launching a successful Airbnb in Ottawa is to have a good start. In some other industries, it is acceptable to launch a company in a mediocre state and steadily improve the service or the product over the course of months or even years. Unfortunately, it is not the case in the short-term rental industry, as the launch can make or break a freshly launched Airbnb. A listing that gets negative reviews, in the beginning, will hardly attract any guests.
One option of ensuring a successful launch relates to using the services of an Airbnb management company. These companies are willing to take over most responsibilities starting with guest communication and ending with property maintenance. It is a viable option to turn a vacation rental into a source of passive income, but with fresh Airbnbs, it also ensures the high quality of service delivered to first guests.
Once the rental is launched and the business processes are streamlined, the investors should also consider using automation software for some of the tasks. With modern technology, it is possible to automate a variety of time-consuming chores.
First of all, the software is capable of automatically updating booking calendars on multiple platforms. It will also automatically reply to messages by potential guests, leave positive reviews to guests who have already checked out, and even adjust the price according to current market conditions. Moreover, it is possible to configure the software to automatically assign tasks to cleaners and other staff when the guests check out.
