Having second thoughts about being a host

[Terri292]

I have read so many comments from very unhappy hosts here that I am seriously considering pulling my listing, which I can do right? I may go with another company. Do any of you have suggestions on who it is better to host through? VRBO? Home away? I’m sad this isn’t going to work out as I just listed for the first time last night and was excited, but airbnb sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I need to do with the one reservation I got today if I’m removing my listing?

[Optimal0]

Just stick with it @Terri292  because you will come out the other side stronger and there will be far less competition than before COVID19 hit the STR market. Yes its a dark, uncertain time but Airbnb still remains the no1 option from so many perspectives! Best of luck to you and stay strong! 

[Robbie54]

@Optimal0 you can seriously provide higher visibility on Airbnb's website? Really? 

[Optimal0]

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[Emilia42]

@Terri292 I come here to read the horror stories and bad experiences. I then usually put in practice the opposite strategy of what that host did or didn't do and then I hope for the best. So far so good.

[Helen3]

Why do you think Airbnb sounds a nightmare because a few people complain on forums out of the thousands and thousands  that are hosting? @Terri292 

Why do you feel it would be any easier using another listing company?

Issues in the main relate to how you run your listing, not which company you use.

Running an STR business is like running any other business you need to put system in place to minimise risk - in the case of CCTV, strict house rules, vetting guests effectively to ensure a good fit, using a local co-host if you list remotely etc.

If you set up and manage your listing properly your risks are minimised.

I have been running STRs for five years, hundreds of guests - never had a damage claim, never had a problem with noise, never had a problem with additional guests coming in who haven't booked.

You've chose difficult times to set up your STR business. If you don't like how Airbnb operates do a google for similar properties in your area and see what other local, national and international platforms they are using to advertise and also look at marketing directly through your own channels.

[Emilia42]

"Why do you think [insert X here] sounds a nightmare because a few people complain on forums out of the thousands and thousands that are [insert X here]?"

Well isn't that 2020 in a nutshell.

[Russell49]

I have had a total of over 300+ guests stay here. Around 95% have been good people.

AirBnB have been on my side most of the time, but there were a few times they weren't due to their standards-or lack of. AirBnB used to be better. Now it is viewed as a cheap place to stay, so ensure your prices are high enough and out of reach for sketchy people but attainable by those who are worth the time and effort. Never sell yourself cheap or you will be treated as such. This is what I have gathered from my experience.

[Robbie54]

@Russell49 

"so ensure your prices are high enough and out of reach for sketchy people but attainable by those who are worth the time and effort. " "Sketchy people" are just as likely to pay slightly higher prices as anyone else, there's no discrimination on that front. The worry is pricing yourself out of the local market by upping the rate, one which I'd hesitate to do. And how can anyone truly tell if guests are worth the time and effort until they turn up? In my experience some guests who sound delightful before their visit end up being disrespectful guests when they turn up.  And with instant book vetting is an impossibility. 

[Russell49]

@Robbie54Look, I don't care if I am isolating the budget guests. I would rather have 3 guests a week and make the same as 5 guests at a cheaper rate. That is just me.

Yes, there are exceptions to the rule. Sometimes rude people will pay higher prices as well, but in my experience you filter out the "sketchy" people with pricing. Now I am not going to debate about how PC this doesn't sound as I don't beat around the bush. I prefer to be assertive and direct-this is my home that I bought and it is up to me to get the right type of guests in. This involves brainstorming, but I tell you what don't take my word for it, just lower your prices and count the poor experiences you will have. Again, you are bound to get exceptions to the rule in any situation but with prices that are  cheap, you will bring in the undesirables more often than not.

If you are worried about "pricing yourself out" then that's on you. If I was to do statistics however, almost all of my terrible guests have been the ones where I lowered prices just to fill the calendar. I will never do this again. Look at it as a price to reflect your service.

[Robbie54]

@Russell49 It's great you don't beat around the bush, however you seem to be threatened by opposing views for some reason. I was merely giving an opinion on my experiences, nothing more. If your pricing works for you then great, but I'd see it as a problem with my property🙂 

[Russell49]

Where did I say I have a problem with an opposing opinion? I seen you try to look valiant by attempting to control language (eg: my use of the term sketchy people). My point is, if you think lowering your price does better in the long run-have at it. In reality, you need to market to the people you want. I raise prices because it's a compensation for my time, expenses and hosting. I don't really need to do this AirBnB gig 7 days a week and I guess I feel bad for those of you that are stuck in that situation.😂

[Ann72]

@Terri292  To answer your question about other platforms, I have one listing on VRBO and it gets very few bookings.  HomeAway recently became VRBO.

Like Russell my experiences have been positive more than 95% of the time - I would even say 99%.  I recently made a positive post to reflect the experiences of hosts who have mostly good experiences https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Nothing-to-complain-about/td-p/1316988

Take pride in your offering, put the guests first, and turn off pricing suggestions (Account -> Notifications -> Promotions and Tips).  They will make you feel you have to constantly lower your price and that's simply not true.  As @Russell49 inferred, cheap prices attract much worse guests than higher prices.

[Mark116]

@Ann72  The problem with airbnb is that once they decide your listing is no longer desirable, and they push it down in search results, there is nothing you can do.  We're now on page 8 of 15, have not gotten an inquiry since March, despite that we signed on to offer our apartment for first responders, despite that we signed on to the crazy cleaning protocol, despite having 97% acceptance rate and 4.9 super host rating for many quarters, and despite having tried back in Feb/March, where already out calendar was almost empty for the first time since we listed, by changing the photos.  I have no idea why our listing dropped and of course when I called airbnb had nothing to add or could give any reason why.  So, basically, despite having mostly good guests, despite being one of the few owner occupied/whole apartment airbnbs in Jersey City, meaning that soon most of the listings ahead of us will be illegal...none of that matters, we no longer have a viable airbnb business thanks only to airbnbs bizarre algo. 

[Ann72]

@Mark116  That is just incredibly disheartening!  I hope you can hang on until the other listings become illegal.  Though I'm sure those hosts will do everything possible to sneak through.

I discovered something really weird.  Changing the photos and even rewriting every single caption does not update your listing!  Yet, if you change ONE WORD of your listing description, that updates it.

I have a sentence in each of my listings that says "One hour to Acadia/Bar Harbor."  So I go in - sometimes every day! - and change "One" to "1."  Then I go back the next day and change "1" to "One."  Every time I do that, the listing shows as "last modified a few seconds ago"!

It's ridiculous, but frequently updating your listing is one of the algo factors, so why not give it a try.

[Katrina79]

@Mark116 I just checked out your place and the front garden looks lovely! I love the character and charm in your place and it looks very comfortable and roomy! I’m not sure I would change anything, maybe some other hosts on here can check out your listing and offer suggestions...that is if you want any! Lol 😂