Rates in Washington, DC Winter 2017-2018

[Daniela-And-Jamie0]

We've been hosting for nearly three years now around the Atlas District in DC.  Our rates have never been this low, and bookings come in very infrequently.  Have any other hosts been experiencing this in the area?  Past years have always seen a big drop in Nov-Jan, but never this slow with rates so low.  Curious to hear others' experiences.

[Jann3]

FYI: *I am NOT being "anti-anyone" in this post!*

This entire post is generic and does not matter who is in the White House.

The first year of a new administration is really difficult to predict as far as people coming in to stay in DC. I know, I lived there during administration changes - many of them in the hotel business - and we'd pull our hair out the year right after inauguration trying to forsee bookings during the holiday season. How many people would come to stay with their friends in DC that worked for the administration, etc. How many people wanted to come simply cos "their side won," etc!

The big thing now could be that the government shutdown was threatened and people simply didn't book...

So, here's my suggestion. If you have AirBnB's auto-pricing tool turned on, turn it off. Set your price as what you think it should be. Don't let the market pull you down to nothing... it'll hurt you in the long run as people will see that the average price in your area is low...

That's just my two cents...ride it out if you can.

Jann

[Zoe34]

Trump Slump.

I do agree with Jann above, keep your price as is - I have found that in the winter slow months, lowering prices to what Airbnb's auto-pricing tool says you should just ends up with cheaper, pickier guests.  All of my lower reviews have come from guests paying as little as $60/night in a college town! 

[Jen49]

I am in Frederick and have very few bookings for January, last January was much better. As I look around at similar properties they don't seem to be doing much better. 

[Victoria80]

I've been renting a vacation rental apt. for 12 years and Jan. & Feb. is always slow.  So I look for people wanting to rent for a month or more at $1,500.00.   AirBnb doesn't make this easy, you have to just fiddle with the percentage discount until you get close.  But I have better luck by posting on Craigslist under "sublet and temporary."  (Booked 2 one-month stays for this year through CL.)