Introduction

[Bethel12]

Hi,

I'm brand new to hosting at airbnb. I have both a large old house where I live that I rent a room in, and a vacation home 3.5 hours away that I'm beginning to rent this summer. I'll be on here occasionally looking for advice, thanks in advance!

[Sarah-Kezia0]

@Bethel12 

Hello Bethel12

i am Sarah. First of all congratulations and welcome to Airbnb. 
My first advice will be for the cleanliness, make sure your closet and wastafel/sink as white as snow. And everything in the toilet is clean. Make sure the smell in every room is fresh. 
the second advice will be the communication, fast response and clear direction. Communicate honestly about your property, the good and the bad. 
Good luck!! 

Cheers,

Sarah

[Reydon0]

@Bethel12 

Hey Bethel, Welcome to the Airbnb Host family! My one recommendation would be to remain attentive to your guests. You may not be able to satisfy every need but constant communication is key! Wish you every success!!

Happy Hosting!

Reydon

[Roshunda1]

@Bethel12 

Congrats on your new Airbnb listing! Hosting is fun, and I’ve found that a few small touches can really make a difference for your guests and your reviews.

A great tip is to always leave something for your guests, whether it’s a small welcome basket, some snacks, or essentials for making coffee or tea. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it helps create a warm and welcoming experience.

Also, make sure your listing photos are high-quality and showcase your space well. Guests rely on them when booking, so good lighting and clear, inviting shots go a long way. And when listing amenities or describing the space, try to be as accurate as possible; setting the right expectations leads to happier guests and better reviews.

Wishing you lots of bookings and great experiences as a host! 

Happy Hosting!

Roshunda

[Rolf160 · Accepted solution]

@Bethel12 

Hi Bethel,

Welcome to the community.

I would like to give you some important advises for your renting :

1. Make sure your announcement is complete, correct, precise, understandable and as detailed as possible. Setup clear houserules. If necessary make some written guidelines of how you expect your guests to treat your property and equipment. Describe what they are allowed to do and what not.

Make sure your prices and fees are well defined over a whole year and all seasons.

2. Top requirement is cleanliness throughout your whole property especially kitchen an bathroom/toilets.

3. Make sure that all your equipment is working well.

4. Set up clear check-in/out procedures.

5. If necessary, organise your personnel in case you cannot take care of your guests or property yourself. For example : a gardener, a housekeeper, a pool specialist. Various specialist in case of emergency : electrician, plumber, etc...

6. Establish a communication to your guests before and during their stay at your property. Define and agree the communication Media beforehand in order to assist quickly in case of unexpected problems. Always respond  asap in case you get contacted.

You can always contact me if you wish to know more....

Best regards and enjoy

Rolf

[Rhiannon67]

@Bethel12 

Hi Bethel. My advice is to really edit down the information you share. It can be tempting to go into too much detail with things like driving directions, or instructions on recycling, or local area guides, but people don't have the headspace to read it and will just ignore it. It's worth spending a bit of time finding the sweet spot between giving enough detail to make your guest's stay a happy, smooth one but not giving so much information they feel overloaded. I now give my guests What3Words location info instead of long-winded driving directions (so many people ignored them and got lost), I give a short cheat sheet on the local area rather than listing every great coffee spot in town (but change it/ update it regularly) and I've accepted that, with the recycling, it works better if I put one bin out instead of three and just do the sorting myself at the end of my guests' stay. Happy hosting! Rhiannon

[Rolf160]

@Rhiannon67 

hi Rhiannon,

well, acc. to my experiences I would say it really depends on how large, small or how complex your property looks like which you rent out. I am used to rent out whole properties meaning whole houses including all rooms , equipment, garden , pool etc.,... etc... and I am  not present myself.  I have also experience what kind of ideas my guests can get with different things e.g. a fireplace which they used to prepare food and so on which is nothing but misuse of installations which in the end could lead to dangerous situations or damages ...  So, In my case it really needs different and detailed instructions or guidelines etc... . Regarding handling of waste : Requirements are coming more and more from the public services where they dictate how to handle waste and garbage. All this is becoming relevant for my guests as well which they strictly have to follow AND they really produce lots of waste which I do not like to sort out myself in the end of their stay 🙂

regards

Rolf

[Shumin1]

Hi @Bethel12 ,

Welcome to the Airbnb hosting community! It’s great to have you here. Starting as a new host can feel overwhelming, but it’s also such an exciting journey. Renting out a room in your home and managing a vacation property sounds like a wonderful opportunity, though I’m sure it comes with its own set of challenges, especially with the distance between the two properties.

One thing that many hosts find incredibly helpful is streamlining cleaning and turnover tasks. For your vacation home, in particular, having a reliable system in place can make a huge difference. I recently came across a tool called Soyhome (https://www.soyhome.app/ )that helps automate cleaning tasks, scheduling, and team coordination. It might be worth checking out to save time and ensure your properties are always guest-ready, even from afar.

Feel free to ask any questions as you get started—this community is full of experienced hosts who are happy to share advice and tips. Wishing you all the best as you begin your hosting journey!

Happy hosting,

Shumin1

[Quincy]

Hi @Rhiannon67 @Rolf160 @Roshunda1 @Reydon0 @Sarah-Kezia0, I've added a tag to your comments with @Bethel12's name.

To tag someone, tap "@" and select the host's username from the dropdown menu or type the host's name😊 This way they will get notified. 

What's one thing you wish you knew before you started hosting? I think that would be some great advice.

[Robin1432]

There is a learning curve to becoming a great host. Just relax and know you will not get everything right immediately.  

[Rohini19]

Hi @Bethel12 , Congratulations on becoming a new host. I live in Redmond, WA and have listings in Lynnwood and Bellevue too.

There is a facebook community for Seattle based Airbnb hosts which is very lively and useful. Please feel free to join that. https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattleairbnbhosts/

Please feel free to direct message me too. I have helped quite a few local hosts to setup their homes/decor/photography and host communications.

All the very best and may you find great success in this new endeavor!

[Bethel12]

Thanks! checking it out now @Rohini19 

[Joan2709]

Welcome @Bethel12 

Some great tips already provided! Here is a Guide for New Hosts that has some addl info:

Guide for New Hosts

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Community-Guides/A-Guide-For-New-Hosts/td-p/2073093