OMG I finally got a booking!

[Huma0]

So, the Summer Release rolled out back in early May. Since then, my views have dived and I've barely gotten any enquiries, let alone booking requests, and I've had no bookings at all except for a couple from returning guests.

I have recently been in contact with CS about this. After a bit of back and forth, I was told that there was an engineering team working on fixing some of the glitches related to the Summer Release (this was vague, so I don't know which specific glitches they were referring to) but there was really nothing they could do in the meantime to help me. I am not knocking the CS Rep who, as it happens, was pretty decent compared to most I've dealt with in the last couple of years. It just wasn't within his control to do anything to help me.

Then, all of a sudden, I get an enquiry. No big deal, I hear you say, but it's the first one in a month and for a listing that used to be my most popular but that seemed to drop off the map completely after the Summer Release. Then, today, I got a booking request for that same room and, after a bit of back and forth, accepted it. That is literally the first booing in two months.

Maybe it's a complete coincidence, or maybe something has happened.

[Huma0]

Activity alert! 

Trying not to get any hopes up, but I've had more activity in my inbox in the past few days than in the past few months.

After that one single booking that prompted me to create this thread, there was nada. No other bookings, no booking requests and only two enquires (both from former guests) since mid-July. It was almost as if I had snoozed my listings. 

In the past week though, I got three bookings (one cancelled the next day with no explanation) and a couple of enquiries. Pre Summer Release, this would not have been unusual but I would have called it a good week, because I host long term guests so don't need a lot of bookings. 

So yes, it almost feels normal for the first time since early May. Again though, trying not to get excited and also crossing my fingers that the guest who booked today does not cancel. Meanwhile, views still appear to be shocking with one room getting only one view in the past month. That room did get a booking this week though, so either he was the only guest that looked or Airbnb's stats are off.

@Jennifer2682 @Robin4 @Z-2 @Suzanne302 @Wende2 @Mariann4 @Mark116 @David8879 @Sue853 @Amanda660 

and everyone else whose bookings plummeted...

Any signs of improvement for you?

[Mariann4]

 

I just finished my best season ever, moneywise, @Huma0 . Picture of last load to clean out the laundry basket. Or at least I thought so. In comes a last minute one-nighter for this coming week. My views are now going back to 1-5 a day. Except for the last three days with 10-15 all of a sudden...

So it did turn around for me and ended quite well. And I closed off all of July to enjoy some vacation myself.

I did however have only small groups this year. I can host 6 people. Most came as 2s. 

A strange season with full stop after the Summer Release. And then the trip to Paris were the starting point of a new boom. Maybe Airbnb thinks you have been to Paris lately? 🤣

I also saw a big decrease in listings in the beginning of the season. Now I see a massive increase in the area I live. A suburb to the city. Most family homes, which is a bit odd. I think to myself that it is due to the rise in cost and people are trying to gain income whereever they can to keep financing their lifestyle, mortgage etc. But that's just me making ideas. They seem to not book well though. So I might still be chosen. Maybe because I have reviews from 7 years...?

[Huma0]

@Mariann4 

That's great news. Interesting that you made more money with smaller groups. Do you charge a fixed price for the listing, rather than according to guest count?

You may be right about the new airbnbs. It seems like a logical explanation why so many new hosts are popping up. I am sure you are right also that guests will choose you with your track record over new, untested hosts, but then some guests will choose the cheapest place. That doesn't bother me though, because I prefer to avoid the bargain hunters if I can.

On the other hand, some new hosts start off with inflated prices because they haven't done their research and there's a common myth that you can make a fortune on airbnb without just about any kind of listing. I saw a host the other day had listed a completely empty, unconverted garage as a one bedroom, one bathroom. I don't know if she meant for guests to sleep in it or was renting it out as parking/storage, but I imagine it's pretty off putting when a guest comes across something like that in their search.

The guest who booked today said, "When I came across your listing i was shocked to see the price-quality ratio as people on airbnb tend to list the worst bit of real estate I’ve seen and charge £5000 a month for it." And he probably means £5,000 for a one-bedroom flat, as that's what he normally books, but I imagine that's a bit of an exaggeration. Still, I have had many guests who complained about the same thing. London is an oversaturated market, but there's not that much that offers decent quality for a reasonable cost.

That is why I always used to get bookings. Now, I'd still be getting those bookings, if only more guests could find me!

[Mariann4]

I charge a nightly rate for two then add for each up to 6, @Huma0 . I would have earned double if I had groups in stead of couples/two friends. But it is what it is 😊

I am struggling to decide wether I'm priced correctly. I think some come to me due to being cheap. This is Norway and EVERYTHING is expensive. But this year I got my third 4 in value from someone who were vocal about the Norwegian level of cost.

I raised my prices a bit this year. I want to be able to invite the young travellers on a budget, the single traveller and the family who usually have to pay for two hotelrooms. Yet I don't want to be chosen for being the cheapest. There are entire places cheaper than me. Not many. But their reviews are not on my level. When I get to interact with my guests I get glowing reviews to the point I'm feeling a bit embarrassed. But pricing is important to get the right people and making money on my efforts. Being in Norway makes this a hard balance. I believe it is the same in London as well?

[Huma0]

@Mariann4 

Yes, it is a tricky balance for sure. People always told me my listings were too cheap and I should raise my prices, which was probably true when I was hosting short stays, and is probably true now. 

However, I am trying to attract long term, solo travellers, and many of those are international students or people coming to London for internships, and one has to bear in mind how much they are paying on top in Airbnb fees over the duration of their stay. It's not that I feel responsible for subsidising the Airbnb fees, but they are there all the same. This is going to cost them much more than budget student accommodation, so these are people who are not looking for the 'cheapest'. Cost is not their only concern.

I also do not want to be the cheapest. I think it would attract the wrong type of guests. The discount hunters especially are the ones most likely to not appreciate the value and mark down. That is a risk when you price too low. The last one of those said she was very happy with her stay but left me 3* for value and overall because it was over her original budget! 

I try to have a look at other listings fairly often to sense check and there are a lot that are cheaper than mine, but not with what I offer, unless they are much further from the centre/not close to a tube station. 

You are aiming to attract a broader audience than me, so naturally you will have more competition. A lot of hosts do not accept long term stays, although I suspect this number might have increased due to the pandemic and Airbnb pushing it. 

I also raised my prices this year and I don't believe it stopped the bookings. Bookings were still coming in until the Summer Release, and I was still getting good ratings on value (there will always be the odd 4* for value once in a while, but that can't be helped).

Given the comments from the guest above, who by the way is a student and has stayed long term in other London airbnbs, I'm tempted to raise them again!

[Mariann4]

I live in a university city, @Huma0 . I already rent an apartment on my first (ground) floor to steady tenants. I follow the rental market closely to price competetively on this apartment. Therefore I know what I could get for a room for what I believe you call a lodger. The students wants to live in the city center, so that market is not too big for me. This is a smaller city than London so internships are not that common.

I see others in my area promoting rooms towards workers. They are frequently re-advertising and have a high turn-around. I have a high turn-around with Airbnbguests and make the same in one week (two nights if 6 guests) that I would in one month with someone long term in the room. And I see the Airbnbers less every day...

So I have come to the conclusion that I'm OK with being a seasonal host on Airbnb. But I then need to be busy during the season.

I raised my prices after the Summer Release, but before I knew about it. So I thought maybe that was the cause of the stop. But no. The way I became busy in August was confirming that my pricing was OK. I still wonder why only the small groups booked though... And I still wonder why you are not visible. Funny that the room not visible now have few views before enquiries. It shows that those who DO see it find it attractive...

[Huma0]

@Mariann4 

I think that for most locations, short stays are going to be more lucrative, even if there is more work involved. I just couldn't do it anymore because it was really interfering with my work and also, just got too stressful to have so many strangers constantly coming in and out of my house. A lot of them were great and I have generally fond memories of that time, but something had to give... Now I get less money for the same number of nights, but that's okay. If this was my full time business, or not my own home, I would approach it a completely different way! 

In London, rents for LTR are high. Now you have scarily high utility bills and other increased costs on top of that and, suddenly, using sites like Airbnb seems less lucrative that renting long term with tenants/lodgers paying their own bills and council tax (my council tax is also very high). But, I'd still prefer to stick with my current set up if I can get enough bookings. 

I don't know what the deal is with the views etc. I am starting to think that the stats Airbnb shows us are completely off whack. Sure, it's possible that only one guest in the last month looked at my listing and happened to book it (and he was very keen). But then, that would only go to show how Airbnb is preventing guests from finding what they want.

All the other recent activity has focused on another room that Airbnb had pretty much been hiding from guests the past few months. In the month predating the Summer Release, that room had over 2,000 views. In the month after, it had around 200 and then dwindled into almost no views at all. Now, suddenly people are seeing it again. Why? I haven't actually changed anything...

[Z-2]

@Huma0 Not good especially for my FL house. The NC house will going slower as it get into off season. But I didn’t expect I don’t have reservations for September at all for my FL house. So about 2 weeks before Labor Day (September 5th), I reduced my September rate to give 20% off. Then only rented the Labor Day long weekend for 4 days. Still no booking, then I reduced rate to 30%. Then there is a booking request for next day for 28 days. I didn’t find where I can message her, then I accepted her. I know I was taking a risk as she has no review (but thinking 4 weeks is a lot), Then she asked if she can check in same night. My cleaner has cleaned the house the day before. So I said okay if she can pay the extra $100 reduced rate and message me her ID. She did and I changed the reservation (didn’t change the dates but add $100). Her husband checked in the same evening and I didn’t get any of her messages. After he checked in the house about 1 hours, I got a message from Airbnb support told me she complained to Airbnb that my house has cleanness problems. I don’t believe my house had the cleanness problem as the FL cleaner is a real good one. My guests always told me how clean the house is. Anyway, I don’t want this trouble maker either as she will be there 28 days. So I told the Airbnb the guests has 3 choices: leave the house right now and I will refund all. 2. Give her cleaner fee back if she stay want to stay. 3. Send my cleaner back next day as it already 9Pm night time). #2 and #3 to show I make my best effort. In the very late that night, Airbnb canceled the booking and promised no penalty to me. I checked her ID carefully late (at the time, I didn’t really checked it), she is local and had drug related arrest. I am glad the booking is canceled. But still don’t understand why she booked and then complained to Airbnb.

then the next day at very later night, a request come in for the next day check in again for 3 day (our minimum), it’s almost 12AM. it woke me up and I was thinking the next day again? Then I checked her review and she had good reviews and then I tried to accept but she withdrew. Very strange. Anyway, wait another day and get a 4 day booking. Seems like when Airbnb canceled or guests canceled a booking, I always get a booking very quickly following that. Then, there is no more. I almost had no booking for September, October and November so far. But it’s okay. I am not really depends on this income. Just feel very strange why.

[Huma0]

@Z-2 

That is all very odd. It is disappointing to lose a long-term booking when things are slow, but you are right, it was good that this guest left. I imagine the guest was up to something dodgy and realised when she arrived that there was something about your listing that made that thing difficult or impossible. Cleanliness issues is an easy excuse because it's hard for you to prove the place was clean when she or her husband arrived. Or, the guest had some other issue that had nothing to do with your place.

I don't accept last minute bookings. I used to have a one day minimum and now I think I have a two day minimum. A couple of times, I had guests who wanted to come the same day, but I said no. They still booked and were fine. They just wanted a place sooner rather than later. But, I have heard so many bad stories on the CC about last minute bookings.

[Z-2]

@Huma0 I have 2 days advance. That’s why I got a request (I have instant booking on). Usually I will look at the reviews. If it’s all good reviews then okay. I took this one because my Sep and Oct is so empty. But anyway, better empty then bad guests.

[Huma0]

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@Z-2 wrote:

better empty then bad guests.

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Very true. Almost every time I had a bad gut feeling about a guest and ignored it, I regretted it.

[Huma0]

Mmm, and another enquiry just came in.

Apart from one, this are all guests enquiring/requesting the same room though, which was my busiest pre- Summer Release, and then got the fewest views after. I really have no clue how the new algorithm works. It makes no sense when it comes to my listings...

[Wende2]

@Huma0   I hope it keeps getting better.  I've had a handful since mid August, only one new for Oct.  Luckily most of my summer was booked by end of June.  I'm now anxious about Nov/Dec, they look empty, I'll really be screwed if things don't pick up, I have to have a $16,000 heat pump system paid in full by mid Dec.  I really hope to sell the place by next June/July, looking to down size, I'm on 2 acres with 3 apts.

[Huma0]

@Wende2 

Yes, like you, my summer was already booked up by reservations made prior to the Summer release and then autumn was looking dire for a long time. I hope it picks up for you soon!

[Jennifer2682]

@Huma0  I've now got a slow trickle going, Huma.  For me, I know the #1 factor in my drastic reduction in views/bookings is 100% the Summer Release.  #2 is the over-saturation of the market.  I'm hoping that both of these issues self-correct and I'm betting on my many years of experience, my great reviews, and my sheer love of hosting to see this through.  Fingers crossed.