@Eileen462
Hello Eileen –
Thank you for your question! The short answer, starting to host on Airbnb is very exciting, and a bit challenging at the same time!
Now for the long answer...
My partner and I both come from a world of “hosting”. My parents ran a successful Bed and Breakfast on the coast of Maine, which I took part of during school breaks. My partner works in hospitality for a 5-start hotel in Los Angeles.
Even though we both have some experience, starting your own Airbnb business and hosting requires a lot of strategic planning, a good deal of common sense, lots of hard work and a leap of faith!
Our situation is unique. In 2019 we purchased a property in Oaxaca, Mexico with the intention of one day living there full time. The house had been abandoned and required tremendous amount of work before we could even spend the night at our own home.
After a year of repairs, it was a dream come true as we were able to call it home! We would travel from Los Angeles to Oaxaca for vacations and holidays to enjoy our property. We created a good team of trusted people watch over the house, and to tend the gardens.
Initially we had no intention of opening our home in Oaxaca to the public. But when we realized that the house just sat there empty for most of the year, it made sense for us to host our house on Airbnb.
We started the process by doing a lot of research, reading books and articles about Airbnb hosting. We talked with friends and others who were hosting. We asked a lot of questions. Based on all the information we had, we prepped the house, trained a Property Manager, and carefully created our Airbnb listing.
With a lot of factors, including the unique nature of our home, we were only interested in hosting for months at a time. We did not (and still don’t) allow instant booking as we wanted to make sure the guest is a good fit for our place.
Also, since we were first time hosts, we discounted our listing price, since it would be our “beta test”. While we believed we had done everything right, it was really our guests that really mattered, and we wanted honest feedback from our first guest for ways to improve their stay.
When we received our first request to book and made our first booking it was so exciting! We couldn’t believe it was really happening! Our first guest was incredible, providing us with invaluable honest feedback for a variety of improvements. That was over a year ago and we have been very fortunate as our home has been booked since.
Looking back these are a few of the things we have learned over the course of the year:
Your Listing
While we strived for our listing to be perfect from the get go, it takes time to get your title, listing description, and photos just right. We are always making small changes, allow yourself to make changes and learn what works from other hosts.
It’s Your Home
Always remember it is your home and your Airbnb business. While you want to accommodate guests, you decide what works for you and is best for your Airbnb business. Set good boundaries.
Use the Airbnb platform to communicate with guests
I recommend using the Airbnb platform to communicate with guests. Using their platform provides a record of your interactions. If there is ever a discrepancy with a guest, you are able to provide this record to Airbnb to assist in getting it resolved.
House Rules
House Rules are very important and set the tone for what you expect from guests. You will find that you may need to add additional rules after your first couple of guests to make sure the house runs properly. I suggest you make them part of the body of your listing description. In addition, before a guest books, confirm that they have read and will abide by them.
Encourage Honest Feedback
Develop professional relationships with your guests and encourage them to give you honest feedback. Encourage your guests to ask if they need assistance and let you know what works.
Trust Your Gut
When you are in the booking process, trust your gut instincts. If you think that a guest may not be a good fit for your home, trust your gut instincts. Read all of a potential guests’ prior reviews. I believe in second chances, but if other hosts had repeated issues with a guest, you might as well for the same reasons.
Your small things are their big things, and vice versa.
Remember something that may not seem like a big deal to you, may be a huge issue for a guest. And vice versa. Learn to be on the lookout for guests needs even though everything seems fine to you. Also, things you think might be a deal breaker for a guest, doesn’t bother them. Clear communication is important.
Airbnb Staff
I have found the Airbnb Staff to be very helpful, insightful, and supportive. When I have questions as to how to navigate my listing or how to handle a situation, I do not hesitate to contact Airbnb.
We have certainly learned a lot in just a year, and honestly it has been one of our best life experiences!
Wishing the same for you and all the best in your hosting experience!
John and Rodrigo
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/650711786712532742?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=de0da047-a657...
