There has been alot of posts asking questions about monthly stays on Airbnb and potential scams (especially for new hosts). Below is Guide that contains information that might assist those Hosts who are considering monthly stays for their listings:
Understanding Airbnb Monthly Stays (28+days) – GUIDE
Long Term Stays – Important Cautions
Long term stays can be an option for Hosts and can be very successful. However, be sure you thoroughly familiarize yourself with Airbnb’s long term stay policies (and other OTA platform policies) before offering them and fully understand the additional risks. This will help you avoid some common (and costly) mistakes made by other hosts. Some hosts prefer not to offer long term stays, due to these issues. Below are some of Airbnb policies and things to consider:
New Hosts
Your goal is to obtain your first 3-5 bookings (and 5-star reviews) as quickly as possible during the “New Listing” period. Airbnb gives you a boost in search results rank for a limited time (about 4weeks). Don’t accept long term bookings during this period, as it will delay obtaining those 3-5 bookings and ultimately negatively affect your continued success on the platform. After you get 5 bookings, you might consider long term stays, but review the information below and be sure you are willing to accept the risks.
Monthly Stay Payouts May be Delayed for New Hosts
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/285
If you’re a new Host, Airbnb may hold your payouts for 30 days after your first reservation is confirmed.
Getting Started with Monthly Stays
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2729
Things to Consider Before Hosting Monthly Stays
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/805
Tenant Rights
In most states, if a guest stay is more than 28 days (sometimes less), they are now legally considered a “tenant” and not a guest. If they refuse to leave after their stay (squatter), you will have to go through court proceedings to get them evicted.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/805
Cancellations
Cancellations for long term stays override your short term stay standard cancellation policy. Be sure to set your long term stay cancellation policy on the Listing, before accepting monthly stays!
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/475
Guest Reservation Alterations
Guests can alter a long-term stay reservation without Host approval in some circumstances.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361
Payouts – Only Monthly
Payouts for long term stays are different than short-term stays. Guests pay monthly and don’t pay upfront for the entire reservation.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/285
Price Calculation Errors
Price errors occur more often with long-term stays. This requires the host to verify each one for accuracy (sometimes weekly or other discounts you have set are incorrectly applied to a long term stay). You might consider only using Special Offers for long term stays. Be sure you include all fees (cleaning, pet fees, etc.) in your calculation. Airbnb will add the Guest Service Fee and any taxes for you.
Scams - Long Term Stay Guest
Guests can ask for a steep discount in exchange for a 3-month stay for example. They know they will only stay one month, but want a larger discount. Then they either cancel the stay after one month, or cancel their credit card. Airbnb is not able to collect the next month’s payment from the guest and initiates the cancellation for the rest of the stay. The Host had their calendar blocked for 3 months (sometimes months in advance) and only got paid for one month at a very steep discount. Be aware the average discount for monthly stays is 20%.
Hopefully, this guide will help hosts decide whether they want to offer long-term stays to guests and provide strategies for managing potential risks.
