Completely new to Airbnb!

[Saige4]

Good afternoon y’all,

I am about to host my first airbnb and have so many questions. I have read much and seen videos and yet some questions remain unanswered.

Now I live 4 hours way from where the property is located so it gets me wondering.

what services are we required to have for the guests? The bare minimum? As in towels, sheets, coffee, tvs, ect. What is required to have a post? I ask because due to the distance that is stuff that has to be refilled and or cleaned etc. Does that mean I add fees to hire someone?

next taxes, how does that work? Is it local taxes deducted from the gross pay of the stay? Is this dealt with during tax time as I have a tax preparer. 

any hints or tips for the best experience? With of course minimal travel time to the property. 

it is a 30 foot sailboat.

thank you.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@Saige4  These are the essential amenities required for every Airbnb listing:

• Toilet paper
• Soap (for hands and body)
• One towel per guest
• One pillow per guest
• Linens for each guest bed

TVs, coffee, kitchen facilities etc are optional. Obviously the rental unit and all of the linens must be fully sanitized between guests, but it's up to you whether you travel 4 hours for each changeover or hire a local as a co-host. As with any business, you should account for all your costs in the label price. Customers don't want to see your maintenance costs tacked on as extra fees.

My understanding is that boats can be rented on Airbnb as long as they don't leave the dock. 

Taxes:  there are a few locations that require Airbnb to collect taxes at the point of sale, but the majority of hosts worldwide have to file their taxes separately. You'll have to research the tax situation specific to your location or consult your accountant about this.

[Helen3]

It sounds like you would benefit from having a local co-host who can manage things on the ground @Saige4 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Saige4 You also need to check if there are any local taxes from the local authorities that you need to collect. I don't see a listing under your profile so it is not clear where the listing is.

[Fiona256]

Is a 30' yacht big enough that someone would pay to sleep in its cramped berths? How many are you planning on accommodating?

If you have a co-host, it would be best to use someone who understands boats and their systems, like the heads and holding tanks, gas safety, battery maintenance etc. There is a lot that could go wrong.

[Saige4]

Awesome thank you guys!! That was very informative. The boat won’t leave its slip. Definitely thinking of a co host. Where do you find one?

[Anonymous]

@Saige4  Traditionally, Airbnb rentals have been in a location where the host either lives or has some roots, whcih means they have social connections in the area that they can draw from to recruit a co-host - relatives, friends, colleagues and so forth. These days, a lot of listings are just investment properties that the owner has barely even visited, so I guess it's becoming increasingly common to just outsource all of the hospitality. I don't see much benefit in that for guests, but there you go. You could reach out to local hosts on social media, as their listings and reviews show you the quality of their work. Or if you'd rather be totally hands-off about it and just collect the income, you could contract with a property manager to run the entire listing.

Apart from providing the boat and collecting the payouts, what role do you actually see yourself playing in this enterprise? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Saige4 see if there is a local Airbnb Facebook group to help you find a co-host. Do make sure that you are the host so that you don't lose control of the listing.

[Saige4]

I see myself running all my posts. Just hiring someone to clean up. That’s it.

[Quincy]

Hi @Saige4! You could try  looking on the "Get Local" page to see if there are  any local groups that can help you out with finding a Co-Host. 

Good luck!

[Deb216]

@Saige4, If I may chime in...be sure your insurance company allows you to host your boat to short-term occupants without you being onboard with them the entire time, and make sure your marina allows you to have non-members/non-owners on their property BEFORE you advertise

[Saige4]

Of course. All of that is squared away. Appreciate it folks.