We’re thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Back...
Latest reply
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Back in January, we asked for your input on the topics you’d like to ...
Latest reply
Hi Janet, and welcome to the Airbnb community centre. I have good news and not so good news but it all helped me when I started out a decade ago.
Let's have the good news first!
Hosting with Airbnb has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done! I have met beautiful people from all round the world. I have had almost quarter of a million dollars deposited in my bank account, I have had some wonderful experiences here and have formed a number of lovely friendships with both guests and hosts.
My life is so much richer for having been an Airbnb host.
A few do's and don'ts!
1/......Hosting is not as simple as deciding you are going to do it. Firstly, before doing anything positive make sure you have local government approval to short term rent (STR). Most local authorities have certain requirements and restrictions with regard to STR, Some limit the number of nights you can rent, some have taxes to be paid, some will require licencing.
Make sure your local council is fully informed as to what you propose to do and get a list of requirements in order to host.
If your property is leased or rented make sure you have the landlords approval to host and that the landlords insurance will cover STR in the property.
Many HOA developments will prohibit STR in the complex even though you may own the Condo/unit. The reason for this is because by renting you alter the terms of insurance the insurance company agreed to when they issued development cover and as soon as they find out STR is taking place in their insured space they will cancel their policy and you will face consequences.
OK you have done all the right things, you have established there are no legal barriers to STR, now comes the time to set your property up for renting.
2/......When I decided to Airbnb a wise person said to me...."Don't put anything out there you are not prepared to lose"! You have to remember, what is in your listing is obvious to you, it's your turf. To a guest it will be all strange, unfamiliar. Keep it utilitarian, reliable but functional. No guest is going to compliment you on supplying a high end floor rug that may end up with a cigarette burn or fancy ornaments that can get knocked over and broken. Make your listing id*ot proof!
Best to ask an acquaintance, (not a family member but someone you just know) to look over your listing for ideas on what they liked and what they felt uncomfortable with. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect with guests.
Next do your listing description. make it descriptive but, keep it brief. Guests get bored quickly and tend to skim through what they regard as trivialities. They are really only interested in the photos and the price.
Stay away from professional photography! Professional photos give an unrealistic impression of what the guest can expect. Wide angle lenses make the space look much larger, much more inviting. This screenshot illustrates what can happen with paid photography. The top photo is from the hosts listing photos, the bottom one is what the guest actually got.......
Obviously a complaint was lodged and the guest got a refund.
Any phone these days will take pictures of good enough quality. Let the photos tell a story, Start with one of the front of the property and then through from room to room finishing with a few of local area attractions. 25 photos should be seen as a maximum, keep the guest's interest.
List your House Rules in bullet points rather than a long description. That way guests will take notice of them.
3/...... When pricing your listing use a spreadsheet to work out all your costs so you can establish whether you are going to make money or lose it.
Here is the profit and loss statement I was using 6 years ago. I have updated it a number of times along the way but it will give you an idea of where to start when setting a nightly price......
Many hosts have no idea whether they are making money or losing it because they don't take into account their relevant costs.
You will learn after a while to attend to finer details like pricing for additional guests, pet fees, cleaning fee, but you need to get a few hostings behind you and gain some confidence before start experimenting with price.
I would suggest do not offer up-front discounts, they are open to abuse. If I am going to offer a discount I will do it at the end of the stay when I can accurately assess what discount might be appropriate and I will offer it in the form of a refund.
Guests never remember you gave them an upfront discount but, they sure do remember you gave them some money back at the end of the stay and that will be reflected in their review.
As far as fees are concerned Airbnb's basic fee structure is, the guest pays around 15% and Airbnb takes 3% from the hosts payout. The payout from every stay is released to the host the day after the guest arrives. Airbnb do not pay the host upfront, but guest payouts are reliable, you don't have to chase them.
Once you go live and that first booking comes analyse ever word of it. Guests fall into 2 categories.....Passive/Complimentary, or Aggressive/Demanding! Someone either likes what they see in your description, names themselves, gives you a reason for their stay and asks nothing of you, or they want to jerk you around with question after question, most of which would have been answered if they had read your house rules.
There is a golden rule in hosting.....never deal with a haggler!
When to stay has concluded!
Once the stay has concluded you will be prompted to review the guest. The review system is incredibly important because that is where your future business will come from.
Never write a review in anger, always be diplomatic, after all you don't want to be seen as a brittle antagonistic host. Almost all reviews will be straight forward......the guest enjoyed their stay and you enjoyed hosting them. Nothing needs to be said about that.
Some guests however will tax you in some way. They may have broken your house rules, not communicated well, left a mess or damaged something. Be brief, something like....."We love our hosting, unfortunately this was not one of our better experiences! I wish ***** all the best for the future but would decline the opportunity to host them again"!
And the not so good part!
If something does get broken or taken don't rely on support from Airbnb! You may get some but support is heavily stacked in the guests favour.....Guests bring Airbnb money, hosts cost Airbnb money. You are running a business it's up to you to protect yourself.
I build a few dollars into my listing amount to cover any minor losses and that money goes straight into a damage fund. If something get damaged or goes missing I don't hassle the guest or Airbnb, I just pull the money out of the damage fund, put things right and get on with hosting the next guest.
Don't expect Airbnb to be your fairy godmother, take control of your hosting.
Sorry this is so long Janet but you asked a complicated question. Every hosting is different, in over 1,000 guests stays here I rarely get 2 the same, but by the same token there is less than a handful I would not like to see walk up my driveway again.
All I can do is wish you luck and, if you need any help, we are always here. All the best.
Cheers.......Rob.
