Group Offers Tips for Those Who Want to Rent Their Homes During the Eclipse 

The solar eclipse will darken the Vermont skies for only a few minutes, but Julie Marks, the founder and executive director of the Vermont Short-Term Rental Alliance, sees the potential for long-term dividends in the once-in-a-lifetime event.

Marks held a webinar February 12 with suggestions for Vermonters who are thinking of renting space in their homes during the April 8 astronomical event. Those stays, she hopes, will make a lasting impression on visitors who might not otherwise have considered a trip to the Green Mountain State. She hopes to help people get the hosting part right.

“We want to ensure guests have a good experience and don’t get turned away from the entire industry of short-term rentals because they showed up in a place that wasn’t used to hosting them,” Marks said.
The solar eclipse is a call to action for hospitality businesses, which normally suffer a slump during mud season. Although it's unclear whether there will be sunny skies for eclipse viewing, many visitors have already booked hotel rooms and stays in short-term rentals.

As of last week, 80 percent of short-term rentals in northern and central Vermont were booked for the eclipse, according to Marks. Last year, only 10 to 15 percent of short-term rentals were booked during the same period, she said. During foliage season, by contrast, 95 to 98 percent of the rentals are generally booked.

Burlington-area hotel rooms are in short supply, and those that remain available are going for as much as $1,000 a night, especially the ones in northern and northeastern Vermont that will experience the “path of totality,” where the moon completely covers the sun.

Many business owners see Vermont’s spot on the path as a tempting opportunity. In her webinar, Marks, who operates two vacation rentals at her home in Jericho and ski condos in Bolton and Stowe, told would-be hosts that it’s a good idea to supply guests with information about eclipse-related events, as well as the best places to be when totality begins, around 3:26 p.m.

Supplying NASA-approved eclipse glasses for safe viewing is also a plus. The shades are in high demand: The state purchased 130,000 pairs to give to towns and they've all been snapped up, according to Vermont Tourism Commissioner Heather Pelham.
Marks advised property owners to check their homeowners' insurance coverage and pay attention to hazards that could cause slips, trips and falls — the No. 1 reason for claims or lawsuits. Working fire extinguishers and hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential, and it’s illegal to operate a security camera or other recording device inside a rental unit, although external ones are allowed, Marks said.

Hosts should create some house rules for pets, kids, firearms, trash disposal and smoking. And they need to supply clear directions about their properties, especially quirky ones.

“I live on the end of a dirt road. I am checking with the potential bookings to say, ‘Do you have a high-clearance vehicle? Have you driven on mud before?’" Carin McCarthy, who runs a three-bedroom B&B and a guest house in Starksboro, told would-be hosts on the webinar. “We want to make sure people are opting in with full knowledge that this is a road with potential to do damage to your vehicle.”
The Vermont Department of Health, Department of Taxes and Division of Fire Safety have rules of their own for people who want to short-term rent, although not all apply to people who only plan a weekend-long foray into the market.

Marks recommended using a rental platform, such as Airbnb or Vrbo, that handles payment and insurance details. There’s also the locally owned stayclass.com, which offers 100 Vermont vacation rental listings. Site owner Palmer Lintz said nearly every property was booked for April 8. Most of the interest was in places on Lake Champlain or in the Northeast Kingdom.

Lintz, of Middletown Springs, has yet to hear from many people who want to list on his site and are just getting into the short-term rental market.

“Maybe they’re going to wait until the last minute,” he said.

The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington is trying to cash in. About 30 members of the 400-strong congregation are renting rooms in their homes as a fundraiser.

"It’s a stretch to open your home to a stranger. I think our congregants would not have said, 'Yes, let’s do this to make money for myself,'" Rev. Karen Johnston said on Monday. "But if it’s about making money for the congregation we love, we’ll do this."

McCarthy, who still has rooms available in her bed-and-breakfast, said she hopes that the brief flurry of interest in Vermont will translate into a new appreciation for the state's many offerings.

“It’s your responsibility to make sure they go home and tell all their friends what a wonderful time they had in Vermont and all the beautiful places they visited,” McCarthy told would-be hosts.