Closing your rental year and planning 2027: a simple method

The rental year is drawing to a close. November and December are quieter in the calendar, and that is exactly the moment to look back. If you spend a few hours on an honest review now, you start 2027 with better decisions. If you put it off, you will decide out of habit in the rush of spring.

In this article you will find a fixed method in six steps. It takes little time and works for a single home or a small portfolio.

Step 1: gather your figures in one place

Start with an overview of the whole year. From your booking channels and your own records, take the same data per month: number of nights booked, average price per night, total rental income and your costs.

Keep it simple. A spreadsheet with twelve rows is enough. What matters is the patterns, not perfect figures. Look at the months that were unusually strong or weak and find a reason for each. A weak month because of a renovation is different from a weak month because of a price that was too high.

Do not forget the costs. Cleaning, linen, maintenance, energy, insurance and platform costs all belong in the overview. Without costs you only see turnover, and turnover is not what you keep.

Step 2: read what your guests say

Go through the reviews from the past year. Do not look for isolated complaints, but for remarks that keep coming back. If three guests write about the same broken chair, the same soft mattress or the same awkward parking, that is your agenda for the winter.

Look at guest messages during the stay as well. Which questions came up often? Any question asked ten times belongs in your listing or in your message before arrival. That saves you work and spares the guest uncertainty.

Also note what guests praised. Those are your strengths, and they deserve a place in your title, your description and your photos.

Step 3: review your prices by period

Now compare your prices with the outcome. Which periods filled up quickly? Your price was probably too low there. Which periods stayed empty or only filled at the last moment? Your price may have been too high, or your minimum stay too strict.

Look at the booking window too. Do guests book well ahead, or mostly shortly before arrival? That determines how early you should open your prices for 2027.

Do not draw conclusions too quickly from a single year. A cold spring, an event or roadworks can distort a period. Look for patterns that return across two or three periods.

Step 4: open your 2027 calendar and block with intent

Open the 2027 calendar so that guests who are already planning can book. Block what you want to use yourself, and do it now. If you only schedule your own stay in spring, you often miss a booking or have to disappoint a guest.

Add maintenance as well. Plan one or two quiet periods for larger jobs, such as painting, a deep clean, a heating check or replacing mattresses. The quiet weeks of winter suit this best.

Take next year's school holidays and long weekends into account. Always check the dates with the official sources before you fix them, because the calendars of the Flemish Community and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles differ.

Step 5: decide on investments using your figures

You now know what your guests miss and what your home earns. That makes investments simpler. Choose the improvement that comes up most often in reviews or that strengthens your listing the most.

Ask yourself questions like these:

• Which change removes a recurring complaint?
• Which change lets you ask a higher price in the weeks when you are already full?
• Which change saves time or money in operations, for example in cleaning or access?

Put the planned budget at the top of your overview and choose an order. One good improvement a year earns more than ten small ones without a plan. New photos are best taken after the work, otherwise your listing shows a home that no longer exists.

Step 6: put your administration in order

Make sure your paperwork is complete before the year ends. Keep invoices for maintenance, cleaning and purchases sorted per home. Collect the statements and payouts from the platforms and, if relevant, from your manager.

Also book an appointment with your accountant. Discuss how your rental went this year and whether anything changes. Tax rules for rentals change regularly, and only your accountant knows your full situation. If you book early, you avoid the spring rush.

Finally, check your insurance policy, your registration and your certificates. Are they still valid for 2027, and do the details still match the home? A certificate that expires in the middle of the season is an avoidable problem.

A realistic schedule for four weeks

You do not have to do everything at once. A realistic schedule looks like this:

• Week one: figures per month and costs laid out.
• Week two: read the reviews and note the three main points to improve.
• Week three: set prices, minimum stay and the 2027 calendar.
• Week four: schedule maintenance and book the appointment with your accountant.

Put these moments in your diary now. They are four short sessions. If you fix them, you will do them.

How YourDomi helps

Making a yearly review takes time, especially if you have several homes or do not live nearby. YourDomi adjusts prices daily based on market data and sends a monthly statement per property, so your figures are always ready. The rental always stays in your name, so reviews and reputation remain yours. Would you like to know what this could mean for your home? You can request a personal proposal.