Managing a holiday let can be quite the handful. From booking management and marketing to customer service and cleaning, finding prospective guests and ensuring they have a five-star experience is a time-consuming process.
But what if we told you that, with Dorset Cottage Holidays, it doesn’t have to be?
We understand that your property is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s part of your story, your investment, your second home. We know how important it is to get the letting experience right.
Dorset Cottage Holidays is the largest independent holiday letting agent in Dorset. We are family-run, and for the last 25 years, we’ve delivered a comprehensive letting experience to our portfolio of holiday cottage owners across the region.
We offer two levels of service – one for the property owner who is looking for a complete management service including maintenance and housekeeping management, and the other to manage bookings only.
Our booking-only service includes:
We will list your property on our website, alongside a thorough text description and both external and internal photographs so potential customers can access detailed information about your property and the surrounding area. Our website appears in the top five search results for the most frequently searched terms.
We have a comprehensive marketing strategy that works to engage potential customers with your property. We work with an external SEO agency to ensure our properties are visible in search, and our strategy encompasses social media, publicity and blog writing. We regularly update our content marketing plans in response to analytics, and to make sure we are meeting our KPIs.
We will arrange all advertising to generate enquiries both online and in many publications. This includes Google Ads, social media promotion and adverts in printed publications, both locally and nationally. We also advise the local Tourist Information Services as to availability in your property on a weekly basis.
We will handle all enquiries via email, telephone, mail and online. Our Corfe Castle offices are open six days a week, ensuring our expert holiday planners are on hand to help our customers find their perfect place to stay during peak booking times.
All guests pay a fee to protect your property from minor damages. If any damages do occur during a booking, then our team will help you find a quick, hassle-free resolution.
We deal with all customer payments, and you receive payment once the holiday has been completed. We release monthly payments to you, ten days after the month’s end. We have an online portal for all owners to use, which shows all past and incoming payments.
We will email directions to your guests along with instructions for access to your property via the key code box. Alternatively, owners can offer a meet-and-greet service to guests. Owners will provide a suitable point of contact for guests during their stay, and be responsible for arranging cleaning and maintenance issues.
Our fully managed service includes everything in our bookings-only service, with the addition of:
We will appoint a housekeeper to your property, who we instruct, pay and liaise with on your behalf.
During a stay, guests will be given our out-of-hours contact details to resolve any maintenance problems or queries.
We make sure your property is equipped with fresh linen and towels. Owners can either provide their own linen or opt to use our linen hire service.
We will inspect your cottage on a regular basis, and arrange gardening and window cleaning, as well as annual safety checks.
We will produce a welcome pack for your guests, including an information folder, and we can arrange welcome hampers at an additional cost.
“I joined Dorset Cottage Holidays over 5 years ago. As the dedicated property manager responsible for visiting and consulting with potential property owners like yourselves, I wanted to take a moment to extend a warm welcome and share a glimpse of what partnering with Dorset Cottage Holidays could mean for you.
“First and foremost, thank you for considering us as your trusted partner in the journey of holiday letting. We understand that your property is a cherished asset, and possibly even a slice of your personal history. That’s why we approach every consultation with the utmost respect, care, and attention to detail.
“When I visit your property, it’s not merely to assess its market potential or to discuss logistics. It’s an opportunity for me to understand your unique vision, preferences, and goals. Whether you’re seeking to maximise rental income or strike the perfect balance between personal use and letting, we’re here to listen, advise, and tailor our services to your needs.
“Beyond our suite of services, what truly sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to building genuine, long-lasting partnerships with our property owners. We believe in open communication, transparent collaboration, and a shared dedication to success.”
“I cannot think of how Dorset Cottage Holidays could have been more helpful or professional than they have. Us owners can be a bit fussy and unclear but they have met our (sometimes changeable) requirements promptly and without complaining. This coupled with a very professional approach to holidaymakers has meant that our cottage has always been left in an immaculate condition.
Although we had not intended to holiday let when we bought the cottage – the income that we have gained since we have used Dorset Cottage Holidays would be hard to give up! We thoroughly recommend them!”
“As an owner letting a holiday cottage for the first time I have found the support and advice of Dorset Cottage Holidays to be invaluable. There’s a surprising amount to consider and many decisions to be made, and I have felt expertly guided along the way by their friendly and personal service. On the eve of my first let, I can genuinely say – I don’t know what I would have done without them.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and gratitude for your very efficient service. We have been with you for 5 years and are very happy with your booking expertise. You deal with customers with courtesy and professionalism. Thank you,”
“DCH has been very professional in the way they have marketed my property since 2014. I have found all the staff very helpful and have responded to any situation quickly and efficiently. Looking forward to another good season ahead.”
“We have been with Dorset Cottage Holidays since 2007. We have found everyone there to be so friendly and helpful and they deal with everything in such a professional way. We get a large number of bookings each year and would definitely recommend renting your holiday home through them.”
“It was a big step for us renting out our holiday home. We chose DCH because we had first-hand experience renting a cottage with them and found them to be extremely friendly and professional. Based in the centre of the Purbecks, the team at DCH were on hand and we felt they knew each property extremely well.”
Our service operates on a commission-based rate per booking, ensuring that you only pay when you receive revenue from bookings.
We have a very low rate of incidence of damage – just 0.7% – with 97% of the damages covered by the security deposit we hold for each guest. There will be normal wear and tear to the property, yet most of this will be maintained by weekly cleans.
For the period of April to October, property owners may reserve a total of eight weeks, with two weeks maximum during the six-week summer holiday period. For the period of November to March, an owner may reserve a further eight weeks.
If you opt for our fully managed service, we will organise this for you with your dedicated, self-employed housekeeper. Should you require cleaning in between reservations, you may liaise directly with your housekeeper to arrange.
Often, changeover days are either Friday or Saturday, and we will happily advise you on which day your property will be most suited to. To encourage short stays in our properties, and to be flexible out of season, changeover days can vary.
Once we have appraised your property and are in receipt of agency agreements, you will be added to our website immediately. We are even able to include your property as ‘coming soon’ if you are not quite ready, allowing us to generate interest from an early stage.
Get in touch with our property managers using the contact form below. Once we receive your request, we will be in touch to arrange an in-person or virtual appointment. In this appointment, we will take a look at your property, and provide expert advice and more detail of our property letting service. Once you’re all set up, your property will go live on our site, and we can start taking bookings and generating income. We look forward to working with you.