Capetonians are already booking out their homes for the holiday season

Short-term rental agents across the Cape are expecting a busy summer season.

This is according to according to Seeff’ shorstay teams in Cape Town, who note that the season usually starts from around September/October and lasts to April when the last foreign visitors leave, but bookings are already in full swing.

Jason Da Costa from Seeff Atlantic Seaboard says that Airbnb has also boosted the short-term rental sector in recent years, and although rates are under pressure due to the dip in visitors this year, agents are looking forward to a busy summer.

He added that prices tend to range from as little as R2,500/night on the Atlantic Seaboard, or you can live like a king in Clifton at R250,000/night.

Camps Bay and Clifton top the list of most sought-after areas, but there is demand across the city including Hout Bay and Llandudno, the Southern Suburbs and as far as Hermanus.

“The Atlantic Seaboard tends to attract the big spenders looking for a 5-star home-away-from-home experience,” he said.

“While the high season rates for apartments range from R2,500-R10,000/night, luxury villas for R20,000-R30,000/night and the most opulent homes, upwards of R50,000-R250,000/night.”

Llandudno – R25,000 a night

Clifton – R180,000 a night

Hout Bay, Llandudno and Southern Suburbs in demand

Hout Bay and Llandudno are also coastal hotspots over the summer, but we have year-round demand here and in the Southern Suburbs, said Janine van Heerden, Seeff’s rental manager for the areas.

Views are always a top choice, or as close to the beach as possible. Most holiday and short-let visitors require Wi-Fi and they often request a swimming pool in the summer months. These three areas also have easy access to the Constantia Wine Valley, another big draw-card, she said.

“The village is popular for its fabulous scenery, famous harbour and beautiful coastal drives – Chapman’s Peak on the one side leading to Noordhoek and on the Atlantic Seaboard side, Victoria Road which runs all the way past Camps Bay, Clifton and on to Bantry Bay.”

She added that it is usually families, couples or groups of friends who book in the self-catering sector of the market. It is also a hotspot for foreigners from the UK, Germany, America and Australia.

Peak season rates are around R2,400/night for a flat and for a house/villa R5,000-R13,500. Southern Suburbs rates range from R1,800-R2,500 for a flat and R3,300-R28,000 for a house/villa. Low season rates are about 30%-40% lower, depending on the time of year. Rates depend on the location and what is on offer.

Fresnaye – R110,000 a night

Bantry Bay – R180,000 a night

Hermanus also popular for its close proximity to Cape Town

Cisca De Vries from Seeff Hermanus says that the town benefits from its close proximity to Cape Town and the international airport. That means that up to 40% of our visitors are foreigners, mostly from the UK and USA.

A popular weekend getaway for people from the Cape and inland provinces and over the summer season, the town is packed with visitors.

As the whale capital of the country, it is also busy over the schools holidays, even during winter when you can spot the magnificent Southern Right Whales in Walker Bay. Festivals are another big attraction which brings more visitors to the town.

High season rates are around R1,650/night for a flat and R5,500/night for a house/villa. The closer to the beach you are, the more expensive, but it depends on the area and property, said De Vries . Low season rates are about 30%-50% cheaper.

Hermanus – R4,000 a night