One of the more frequent questions that I get is just how important is a boat dock or boat slip when it comes to your vacation rental property at the Lake of the Ozarks? The answer to that question is best answered with another question, "How many vacation renters are bringing or renting a boat while they are vacationing at the Lake of the Ozarks?" Once you have the answer to that question, you will realize the true value of having a boat slip available for your rental guests.Boat Slips
These days, I usually don't accept a waterfront condo at the Lake of the Ozarks without a boat slip onto our rental program and I most definitely won't take a home without a dock. About 25% of all our renters that rent a condo and closer to 50% of those that rent a home bring a boat. So if your home or condo doesn't have a boat slip, you are reducing your pool of available renters by 25-50%! In addition, many of our guests rent a boat for a day or two and need a place to park it overnight.
Large Homes, More Slips
It is even more important that a rental home have a dock with a boat slip. And the bigger the waterfront home at the Lake of the Ozarks, the bigger your dock should be and the more boat slips you will need. Bigger homes are usually rented by a couple of families or a group of people that many times are bringing more than one boat. Our history shows that large homes with two or more slips rent better than those homes that only have one boat slip available.
The Size Factor
Size is also a factor. Most of the older homes and condos at the Lake of the Ozarks have boat slips in the 10x24 foot range. On today's lake that is pretty small, especially when the boats keep getting bigger and bigger. You can put a smaller boat in a big slip, but you cannot put a bigger boat in a small slip. I would recommend that you try to have a slip in the 12x32 or 12x36 range just to be safe and again to maximize your rental opportunities.
Boat Lifts
Another question I am frequently asked is if the slip should have a lift or not. The best answer is that you should avoid having a lift in the slip. Lifts are set up for a specific boat and unless the renter has the same size, weight and hull style, you could end up with damage to the lift or even the boat. Ensure that you have proper padding and tie downs while instructing your renter that a properly tied boat should be fine unless you have very, very rough water.
Russell Burdette is the owner/broker of Your Lake Vacation, a professional vacation rental management company at the Lake of the Ozarks since 1986. Russell has served as the vice-chairman of the Tri-County Lodging Association, is past president of the Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Rental Association, sits on the board of directors for the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Council and is currently president of the Lake Business Builders BNI chapter. Call 573-365-3367 or e-mail russell@yourlakevacation.com.
For more information please call us toll free at 1-877-284-0267!!
4571 Osage Beach Pkwy, Suite A
Osage Beach, MO 65065
Local - 573-365-3367
Fax - 573-365-5076
Osage Beach, MO 65065
Local - 573-365-3367
Fax - 573-365-5076
