Introduction In the world of short-term rentals, filling calendar gaps—often called “orphan days”—can make a significant difference in revenue and occupancy rates. Orphan days are unbooked nights that sit between reservations, commonly created by guest checkout and check-in patterns. These isolated openings can be challenging to fill due to their proximity to other bookings, but with a proactive marketing strategy, they represent an ideal opportunity to drive additional revenue. Why Orphan Days Matter Orphan days reduce overall occupancy and can chip away at your earnings potential, especially if left unaddressed over time. By targeting guests with exclusive offers for these in-between days, you can boost revenue and help ensure a steady occupancy rate. Using built-in triggers in property management systems like OwnerRez makes it easy to automate these targeted offers and keep your calendar filled. Setting Up Your Triggers Most property management systems, including OwnerRez, allow you to set marketing triggers to target orphan days. In our setup, we create a series of scheduled triggers that send out automated discounts at intervals based on how far out the orphan day is from the current booking: • Four Weeks Before Booking: We offer 15% off on adjacent orphan days to guests booked close to these dates. • Two Weeks Before Booking: We increase the offer to 30% off. • Five Days Before Booking: As the date nears, we increase the discount to 50% to maximize the chances of filling the spot. These triggers can be sent through both OTA channels and direct booking emails, expanding reach and increasing the chances of a booking. Example Templates for Orphan Day Offers Here’s the copy we use, which you can easily tailor for your own properties. Four Weeks Before Booking Hi [Guest’s Name], Hope you’re looking forward to your stay at [Property Name]! We just noticed that the night before (arriving [Date]) and night after (departing [Date]) your reservation is still open. Would you like to stay an additional night for 15% off? Two Weeks Before Booking Hi [Guest’s Name], Hope you’re excited about your upcoming stay at [Property Name]! I checked the calendar again and saw that the night before (arriving [Date]) and night after (departing [Date]) your reservation is still available. If you’d like to extend your stay for 30% off, let me know. Five Days Before Booking Hi [Guest’s Name], I wanted to give you a heads up that we still have the night before (arriving [Date]) and night after (departing [Date]) open and are offering 50% off—if those dates fit your schedule! By implementing this approach, you can maximize bookings, increase revenue, and reduce the impact of orphan days on your occupancy. Closing Thoughts Taking a proactive approach to orphan days doesn’t require a complex setup, but it does require strategic use of your property management software. With these templates and a simple trigger setup, you’re well on your way to maintaining a full calendar and improving your bottom line.