How to give a free night??

[Lindsay572]

I want to give out a free night (in exchange for things like services or photography, local fundraisers, or silent auctions we've been asked to be apart of. ) I cannot find a clear answer on the best way to do this. Do I have them book first then refund them? Does that look bad for my account giving them a random refund with no issues. Do I need to give them a discounted rate? I wasn’t able to find a way to do more than 90%. Is there any other way I’m not thinking of??  

[Debbie1192]

I would handle it just like I do when I block nights for family or friends who are visiting... go into your calendar and block those nights.

The other option would be for them to reserve the date on the AirBnB app, then you send them a "special offer" through the app. I did this at first when I started so I could do a soft opening and also get reviews from trusted friends or family members.

Hope that's helpful. 

[Sarina46]

Unfortunately doing that is against the Airbnb terms of service. We are not allowed to rent to friends and family to seed reviews, so you might want to take that comment down!

[Lindsay572]

When you block off the nights for friends or family, are they just staying there without booking it through Airbnb then? 

[Lindsay572]

I would like to still go through the app for airbnbs coverage policy, since it’s not people I know personally. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Lindsay572 

You may also wish the recipient to know your house rules ...some of them could be quite important. Attaching my house rules to a fundraising presentation might seem a bit off-putting. There are also the issues around offering my space to locals, which could be tricky for any number of reasons.

I haven't figured out how to do this gracefully either, other than to present an Airbnb gift card to the silent auction. 

I'm glad you brought this up for discussion !

[Kathy1371]

If they send an inquiry, you can send a offer.