Creating our first Air Bnb Space !!

[Jeffrey643]

Hello everyone, we are new here to this sight and also brand new to the business as well. We are looking to convert our lower level spare bedroom room with attached bath and kitchenette into a rentable Airbnb space. Starting from scratch, any "Firsts"!!! suggestions? Who would you recommend for hosting? What would be a reasonable budget to dress up a 1 br / 1 ba? Are there permits that need to be acquired to operate Air bnb's from your Primary Residence? Any guidance would be appreciated. 

Warmest regards, 

Jeff (Newbie)

[Helen3]

1. Contact your local government to check to see if there are any STR regulations 

2. post on your local host group (normally on FB ) for recommendations for experienced local cohosts 

3. budget depends on what you need to do to the property . Look at similar superhost properties in your locations to get ideas on how you need to dress your property 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jeffrey643 adding to @Helen3 's list

1) Check with the local government that your changes comply with fire regulations and/or any other building regulations.

2) The budget will be determined by how creative/hard working you can be. You can furnish a complete house on Facebook Marketplace/Ebay for a relatively small amount and you can achieve a stylish result if you set off with a scheme in mind.

3) Check with your insurance company and mortgage company that you will be covered for Airbnb usage. This really ought to be number 1 as many will not allow you to. Also Aircover doesnt work as its (poor) coverage only applies when guests are there and the fact you are Airbnbing usually invalidates your existing policy even when guests are not there or have not caused the issue themselves.

[Paula]

Dear @Jeffrey643, Welcome to our Community Center and I wish you the best in your hosting journey.

It is great to see @Helen3 and @Mike-And-Jane0's suggestions. I'm sure this information is very useful for you. I also thought of sharing this article with you, which is related to how to create a business plan when starting as a host. You can find it here.

Paula

[Jeffrey643]

Good morning @Paula , 

Thanks for reaching out to me. We have an ideal space that would work great for air bnb. Its lower level with private entrance, bedroom, full bathroom. Thank you for sharing the article for business plan to get started. We definitely could use the guidance and direction. Are there any type of groups, sponsors, mentors available to help you get set up and learn the business? How many properties do you have Paula?

Sincerely, 

Jeffrey 

[Paula]

Hello @Jeffrey643 

@Till-and-Jutta0  had provided very useful resources. Please check them out, and we are looking forward to seeing how your start goes.

Paula

[Till-and-Jutta0 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jeffrey643 , you can join a local Host Club to share experiences and meet other hosts, online or at real meetups: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Local-Host-Clubs/ct-p/en_clubs

Airbnb has an official and free Superhost Ambassador program, which helps you to get your first guest! See https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3011

Marketing & Promotion: https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/t/marketing-promotion-10

Make your listing more competitive: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/431

Setting goals to improve your listing’s performance: https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/setting-goals-to-improve-your-listings-performance-...

Hope it helps - Happy Hosting!