Hosting in rural areas — what are your tips?

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

We’re looking for tips from hosts with listings outside of urban areas. Rural travel is becoming more and more popular to guests who are looking for unique, authentic experiences, or maybe just some peace and quiet.

Hosting off the beaten path however, does have its challenges, such as providing WiFi connectivity (or not), transportation and logistics, and the availability of amenities like grocery stores.

What’s your key advice to others hosting outside of urban areas? How do you attract guests, overcome the unique challenges of rural hosting, and use your location to your best advantage?

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Kim590]

We provide a map of the area and highlight the best route to get  to our place. You can't look it up on google maps because our address is not recognized by the postal service.  I inform them to print the map out and the information because there is no cellular service or wi-fi outside of our cabin.  We also include instuctions about how to do a proper sauna from The North American Sauna Society.

We  include places of interest in the area.

How they can utilize all the ammenities available to them.

We give them our contact information.

[Lizzie]

Sounds nice @Kim590. Do you find your guests like receiving your information and it helps to plan their visit?

@John1080, did you see Kim's response here? 🙂

[Kim590]

@ Lizzie,

Yes, It is helpful and most people appriciate the information

[John1080]

@Kim590 Sounds nice. Our address isn't recognized either, but fortunately when people enter it, it just reverts to the road name and points people to it, but I also tell them not to trust cell service and give detailed directions from different directions. So far, everyone has found it okay it seems, as we haven't heard any complaints. 

[Holly312]

I’m considering making my rural Colorado home into an airbnb. Thank you for he great tips! 

[Christina0]

I guess we could be considered rural. We are in an unincorporated county, but only 15 minutes from stores, movie theaters, groceries, etc. However, we and our guests do have to deal with "rural" type situations. We are on a well (please conserve water), we do have a septic system (don't dump trash in the toilet), and we do have a lot of wildlife (keep your dogs on a leash).

Guests love our peace and quiet, views of the mountains, wild horses and birds. What I think confuses them is that the country is not straight and narrow. I think many of them are used to suburban and urban roads, parking lots, driveways, yards, etc. Our two driveways (with clear directions down the one they should use) confuses them. The idea that they can head out into the mountains or the wildlife sanctuary frightens them, and our free-roaming chickens definitely make them think twice. 🙂 

I think as an Airbnb guest, you have to have a sense of adventure. Staying in a rural property will help some guests out of their comfort zones.

[John1080]

@Christina0 Some good points there, particularly about the well and septic, which we use as well. I have this posted in my pre-approval message, my pre-arrival message, on the listing and little signs in the bathrooms with regards to the septic tank. So far, no backups or clogs - keeping my fingers crossed! 

And yes, I think some guests who live in the city just aren't used to curvy gravel roads, turns and possibly wrong turns as well as distances to stores.

[Patti4]

Well and septic, rural agricultural — I can relate! John, I also notify them in a pre-approval message, pre-arrival message, printed house manual, and a sign in the bathroom. I have custom saved messages for Newbies vs Experienced guests to emphasize certain points. 

My listing description has this info as well as House Rules. This can be rather lengthy to read, but my aim is to manage expectations. My location is a 15-minute drive from the nearest city (50k pop) which is a college town, so not very remote.

I just had my septic system replaced (it was very old) and the contractor said there were a lot of condoms, definitely from guests! Sorry to be gross, but urban and suburban guests need to be explicitly cautioned at every opportunity how to treat waste and water in areas where basic municipal services do not exist. I have a Guest Guide in a notebook on the table when they arrive, describing everything thing from wildlife to water conservation. Whether they read it is not something I can not police. But I am on-site so I check in with them daily and inspect while they are out, which I tell them will happen.  

I also give distances to the nearest gas station, grocery, etc. Fortunately, WiFi is reliable on most networks here and guests can easily navigate with Wayz, Maps, etc.

Best,

Patti

[Lisa723]

My biggest challenge has been getting guests to understand that their mobile phone will not get them to us, or even necessarily have service, and they must follow our actual directions to avoid landing on our neighbors’ property.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Lizzie I believe all rural listings must be equip with a good generator so as to make sure electric is available 24/7. I would recommend solar panels and wind turbines for those who wants to be more ecological.Wifi is also very important so a satellite internet provider is a must where optical cables are unavailable.

[Mariann4]

Haha @Oomesh-Kumarsingh0!

My cabin does not have a generator and only a very small solar panel. Everything is based on candle and paraffin lights. No septic. Only a hole in the floor in the old barn where there used to be cows. A box with another hole has been put over the hole in the floor to let people sit down when doing their business. No indoor water. Not even a well. Just water floating to the surface of the ground from ground water. The sink is a plastic bucket and the water is heated on a gas flare or the fireplace. And people LOVE it! They want the REAL rural 🙂

No longer on Airbnb as it became too popular privately with returning guests 🙂

Can you see the water heater on top of the oven? 😉

Mariann 🙂

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Mariann4

Your post and pic reminded me of my grandparents' home......(in the 1980s) before they did major renovations/upgrades to "modernize" their home (my dad and uncles insisted~!)  They did have electricity and a well though 🙂

[Mariann4]

@Jessica-and-Henry0

My father turns 67 in September. He has had a journey of development throughout his life that none of my generation can imagine. This cabin was the summer farm when he was a child. Back then it was ONLY the one room in the picture. Three rooms have been added since then. Four people, one room. Kitchen outside. They stayed from late spring to early autumn. He walked to school from here. Lucky if he could catch a ride with a horse passing by. Down were they had the main farm they stayed in similar conditions until he was 14. Then they built a full house.

The area of the cabin has been electrified. We have this farm house for use as a cabin and a regular cabin built in the eighties only 200 meters apart. But we chose not to electrify them. We wanted them to be authentic. Also it was a matter of cost. The regular cabin has a solar panel, but you still have to go outside to do business. This cabin is a full time rental for a family that are friends of the family. They didn't want it electrified either.

Can you imagine waking up to sunrise and see out the window and seeing a moose standing outside? Who needs more power than that?? 😄

Mariann 🙂

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Mariann0 For those who are ready to experience the real rural they really should come and stay at your place 🙂 

[Mariann4]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0

Different people, different wishes 🙂

Mariann 🙂