Earlier this year, I wrote about our experience after the first month of renting our cottage in Port Franks, Ontario. At that point, we had only a handful of bookings behind us. We were still figuring out pricing, cleaning, minimum stays, guest expectations and whether the entire idea of combining a family cottage with a short-term rental actually made sense.

Now the first summer is over.

We deliberately approached 2026 differently than someone buying a cottage primarily for personal use. Our objective for the first year was to establish the property as a rental, build reviews and generate as much revenue as reasonably possible. We didn’t spend a single night there recreationally as a family during the rental season.

The result was just over $21,000 in rental revenue, 75 nights booked through Airbnb, and a much better understanding of both the potential and limitations of trying to make a cottage help pay for itself.

This is what our first full season actually looked like.

Continue reading →