Early Mistakes

[Michael6191]

Hi! On my very first attempt at being an Airbnb host, I made a serious blunder. To make a long story short, I published two listings with both smart pricing turned off...and instant book on. The listings were immediately snatched up at the low base price during a high demand period in our area. The two monthly rentals went for half of what I could have got...amounting to about a $4000 difference. It was a very expensive rookie mistake.

I know what I did wrong, and I know I'll most likely have to eat the difference as a lesson...but I thought I would share this to see if any of you out there could commiserate, and know of any options I might have. Thank you!

[Sarah977]

@Michael6191  Rather confusing. If you had smart pricing turned off, then where did the "base pricing" come into play?

If you don't use smart pricing (and I'd advise you not to) then the price per night will be whatever you have set, there won't be any base price.

Perhaps there are discounts set you aren't aware of? 20% discount is set by default on new listings. You have to turn it off. Also check that there aren't weekly or monthly discounts that you don't want turned on.

Discounts are cumulative, so if there is a 20% new listing discount and a monthly 30% discount, that will add up to 50%.

And you shouldn't take monthly rentals. Airbnb doesn't offer protections for that and a guest who stays a month ceases to be a "guest" and becomes a tenant under the law in most jurisdictions, meaning it will be diffucult for you to evict them if they stop paying the rent or prove to be objectionable.

And new hosts should probably not use Instant Book until they learn their way around the platform, and gain some experience in vetting and dealing with guests.

Also, your listings are quite incomplete. Your Pueblo listing says there are 3 bedrooms, yet you only have a photo of 1. Five photos for a 3 bedroom place isn't enough. You need to photograph the whole place. Same with the other listing.

And your descriptions are also scanty on information. Altogether, it seems that you listed before you were really ready to.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 Even with smart pricing switched off the SP base price is the price used as the default price per night as the calendar opens up. Quite useful as long as you set it high!

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  ??? My price has always been exactly what I have it set at. I've never even looked at smart pricing numbers.

However, I have never had different pricing for different dates, seasons, or weekends. Would that be what you are talking about? That it defaults to the lowest price the host has set?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 We have a rolling 6 months window for making dates available to book. As I often forget to go in and sort out the prices we rely on the smart pricing base price to populate our calendar until I go in and change the price to something more sensible. Hope this makes sense.

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  What do you mean you rely on the smart pricing base price? So you do have some setting on for smart pricing? I only open my calendar 3 months in advance, and regardless, as dates open up, they are exactly the price I have manually set.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 where do you set the price for a night as it opens up? Presumably you don't type it in every time a date opens up?

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Well, as I said, I charge the same price per night every day of the year. So I don't  "set" anything. My place just shows as the same price without me doing anything since I originally set the price.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 I see but where did you set that price? I would hazard a guess it is the base price in the smart pricing section immediately below where you will have smart pricing switched off.

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  I'll check. I set the price years ago, and have never changed it, so I can't remember.

[Colleen253]

@Michael6191 See below. Hosts do have some leeway to cancel IB reservations penalty free. You may want to try using up your allotment on these bookings. The worst that can happen is you will be denied. 

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2022/can-a-host-cancel-a-reservation-without-adverse-consequences?

[Sarah977]

@Michael6191  Didn't mean to sound harsh with my last line above. It's a not uncommon newbie error to put up a listing before reading all the help articles for hosts on the main site, reading all the policies re cancellations, penalties, refunds, reviews, etc., and looking through all your settings to familarize yourself with where everything is and make sure all is the way you want it.

Also to look through similar listings in your area to get an idea of how to write a comprehensive description, how to create a good photo gallery and so on.

The platform has gotten increasingly complex and often difficult to use over the years- it's a big learning curve.

[Michael6191]

I appreciate the input and your advice is well taken! Thank you!