How things were for you when you first began your AIRBNB

[Eileen462]

Hello Hosts!

Please tell me how things were for you when you first began your AIRBNB?  

[Title updated by Community Manager for relevancy]

[Courtney584]

Thank you for the feedback @Kitty-and-Creek0 . Do you only book via booking requests? We have a nearby friend with a STR who only books through requests but were fearful our booking rate will decline considerably. 

Our property is a glamping site. So we have a campfire area and guests are asked to use a provided bear box for food.  We make it incredibly easy to be safe and to put out the fire and have guidelines posted everywhere but some guest still leave the property and leave a fire going or open food setting about. It feels criminal to me that guests are so disrespectful and careless. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Courtney584 

We take requests, not IB. We have had no issues at all with any guests using requests. When we tried IB we learned that it was not the best choice for us in our situation. If our booking rate is lower, that's fine. We don't need the stress of guests who come here without a clue, and they don't need that potentially disappointing experience, either. We want all their surprises to be good ones. Our guests are respectful, and know exactly why they are coming here. We do not have to educate them, or police them. Whew! We communicate with them during the entire process, and make sure that any questions or concerns are expressed and addressed. We are happy to suggest activities and destinations to them, based on what they tell us their goals are for coming here. Our reservations are all guest directed, by what they tell us. We love being hospitality professionals.  

[Lydia593]

I began hosting after finishing the renovations on a house I had purchased to flip and ended up deciding to keep/live in.  The space was my pride and joy, and I was only using 1 of the 3 bedrooms regularly.  I had always had hosting in the back of my mind, so it kind of evolved naturally once I had a space worth sharing.

It was hectic at first because I would literally mop myself out the door with my dog tucked under one arm and my weekender over the opposite shoulder.

It was also so fun to share what I had created with people and see them enjoy the house, too.

I then rented this house out to a steady tenant for a year, which allowed me to jump out on faith and purchase a second house to live in and renovate.  My goal at this point was to make house #2 the rental, so I could go back to having house #1 as my dedicated space.

Having just finished house #2, and opening it to guests in the last month, this hasn't happened quite yet; I need the revenue so am hosting at both properties currently.  I jump between the two and a friend's house, based on my bookings.  

This definitely isn't ideal, but it seems like what I have to do to build my business at this moment.  My goal would be to have both properties with high occupancy, for revenue purposes.  Then I will either purchase a third or if the revenue from one or the other can support the decision, go back to living in one of them and only hosting at the other.

I'm also doing all of the cleaning myself right now, in addition to working two jobs.  It is hectic, to say the least.  It's also exhilarating to be succeeding, despite the fact that it's terrifying to have the financial risk I do.  This is part of being an entrepreneur, though, and I believe in my heart it will pay off!

[Lorna170]

@Eileen462  You have posted a lot of questions to hosts on this forum -- good on you to ask questions and hopefully get answers that help you move forward as a host.

When we first started with AirBnB, it was after 15+ years on other platforms and a few years where we used a realty company to manage our property.  As we had found a professional, responsible couple to assist us in maintaining our property and presenting a good "face" to the guest, we went forward with AirBnB (in 2019) and self-management.

Our first two years on AirBnB saw lots of bookings -- about 50% came through AirBnB.  With the changes to the advertising and booking process on the platform since then we have seen a serious decline in the number of bookings coming from AirBnB.  We have to keep tweaking our listing in order to get it to show up when a guest is searching and checking that the programmers have not added features or amenities that we do not have (like kayaks) and that our AI category assignments are correct (most recently assigned Chef's kitchen which our cabin certainly does not qualify for).

Being an AirBnB host is an ongoing learning process.  Keep your eye on your local market and check your listing details regularly for programming changes.  Learn to have a thick skin when it comes to guest comments and reviews.  Keep asking questions!

[Dilshan5]

Hi there!😊

I'm thrilled to share my experience of starting out on Airbnb! Beginning my journey as a host was incredibly exciting for me. It felt like stepping into a whole new world, full of opportunities and wonderful guests to connect with.

One of the most memorable moments was when I was working with a photographer to capture the essence of my villa. I was so eager to showcase the genuine colors and surroundings to my future guests. It was a bit exhausting, but seeing the final photos reflecting the true beauty of my place made it all worthwhile.

Looking back, those initial days were filled with anticipation and a sense of adventure. Every booking brought a new story, a new friendship, and a chance to create unforgettable memories for my guests.

I'd love to share more details and tips with all of you! Feel free to ask anything specific, and I'm here to help. Happy hosting, everyone!🤗

[Gary1262]

Hi, price and demand was a concern. Turns out there was demand. I priced low to start and increased it as I got to know the environment better. 

[Marcia728]

Now I realize that I started too late. 🙂   My friends were telling me to do it for years because I live in a 3 bedroom townhouse, by myself.  I have 2 empty rooms because my kids moved out.  I was still hesitant, and took me over 2 years to decide.  I was a little concerned about who would come to my home.  When I finally decided to do it I saw that all the people I had so far were really nice, respectful and clean.  Most of my guests stayed at least 1 month.   I actually ended up becoming friends with 2 or 3 of my guests.  So, I am happy that i did.  🙂

[Kira357]

@Eileen462 When I had my first guest, my experience was quite literally perfect. In fact, she has already come back in only two months of being listed. I had several wonderful guest after that as well. Just AMAZING human beings.
Then things shifted and I had  a few really bad experiences in a row. I have shared this on the boards here now, and I’m hoping to get some good advice or encouragement.
the Airbnb customer service reps have been wonderful but they have very specific guidelines.
I’m thinking there is a learning curve and I’m in the midst of it. Just trying to decide if it would be easier to just lease the units like I did before… 

Also, I’m in the forest, so I think younger guests just aren’t reading the description or paying attention to any guidelines, which is incredibly frustrating. The forest doesn’t care what social media or UTube say about how things should be here. There are old roads, there are fire hazards, there are wind storms, there are reception issues, there are poisonous plants, there are critters. 
Hopefully others are not having the troubles I have had… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 

[Janet594]

I understand what you mean.  It is hard to deal with so many different personalities.  I have it pretty much figured out now though.  I have learned not to rent to anyone that has not been at an airbnb before.  I don't think management likes for me to turn down folks, but it is my property and I will not rent to anyone I feel uncomfortable about so I have in my listing I must have at least one positive review to book with me.  It has really paid off.  You can pretty much tell by their request why they are booking with you and if they don't have a 5 in their previous reviews, then they can't book with me. I am 83 and don't have resources to keep replacing and putting up with bad behavior.  I used to put in my write-ups to treat my place as if it were your own, but then realized I would not live like a lot of people do so had to change that wording.  Just list the things that you want people to say attention to at the first part of your write-up in a list rather than written story like.  People don't take time to read long write-ups.  Be sure and list what may be a problem so they don't come and find out your place is not what they want.  That naturally makes them upset to start with and it goes downhill from there.  also list good things that will attract,  For instance "nice hiking trails, watch out for critters".  They will like your honesty and if they are seasoned hikers will already know that but it makes your statement positive and still lets them know they need to be careful.  For instance I have people that come to my place and work from here.  That really bugs me.  This is a hotel situation, a place to eat and sleep but not an office.  When they get here they complain my wi-fi (which is expensive) isn't fast enough for them to do their business.  So now in my write-up I put I have adequate wi-fi for normal reading and sending emails, but if you are planning on heavy computer useage, you may want to check other venues.  I know it is a pain, but it works.  If someone sends a request that is a good time to send them back questions to see if they will be compatible for your situation.  I live in the house with my guests up front and I have saved myself a lot of frustration by telling them up front that I won't put up with noise or parties!  I have several friends now from this experience so it has paid off for the most part.  Hope this helps.  You can reply if you have any specific questions.

[Karen3592]

Hi Eileen, in the beginning it was a learning process. We opened in July of 2019. Then we closed in October due to a huge fire in our area.  We had to cancel many reservations. We reopened in the Early Spring of 2020 and had to again close due to Covid restrictions and the world shut down. Again we had to cancel reservations. It was frustrating. However during that beginning we realized that we needed to make our listing a two day minimum. The one nighter guests seemed to be disrespectful and careless with our property. We dealt with damage and disrespect. We reopened with a two day minimum and we feel it was a good choice for us on many levels. We also added a one night blocking between guests. This helps to reappoint our amenities and clean and maintain a pristine environment. Our home shares the property with our Airbnb cottage. It also allows us to use our own yard and personal space for our own needs in between guests. We did this to make sure we were Covid safe. So far we are happy with our decision. We have met many lovely guests and have made many  wonderful connections. We stay busy during tourist season and we shut down for the holidays. This helps so we don’t have burn out. We could make more money if it was needed, however our current plan is working for us. I hope this information is helpful to you. Thank you for asking the question. Karen 

[Janet594]

@Eileen462 It was a real learning experience and scary not knowing what to expect.  I have to keep tweeking my write-up to include rules I expect people to keep but I wonder if most people even read them.  I have the most problems with guests that have never been at an Airbnb before.  They don't have a clue on how to behave or treat my property so I have in my listing I must have at least one positive review to book with me.  Most people are really nice and respectful but every once in awhile you wonder if it is worth it when someone trashes your place.  However, I am 83 and have had over 100 guests in 2 years and have been a super host the whole time.  I have made many friends and have had several come back two or three times so that makes it all worthwhile.  You will never find this type of situation to be perfect when you are dealing with so many different personalities and cultures.  But for the most part, it has been worthwhile!

[Eileen462]

@Janet594   Hello Janet!  I think its amazing that your 80 and doing this and have had over 100 guests!  Your an inspiration!

[Jim-and-Barbara2]

@Eileen462 We are Jim and Barbara and live right next door to our Short Term Rental. Both of us worked in the hospitality industry much of our lives. We were very comfortable and knowledgeable in creating memorable moments so that is what we set out to do on our new venture. We did a lot of research while the house was being built. We were fortunate enough to be able to build it for easy cleans and comfort. We love being hosts and the greatest rewards are the reviews and meeting people who just love what we created!

[Greystone0]

Hi Eileen,

Greetings from beautiful Lake Placid where our vacation rental is located. Our initial experience as a host of a short term rental was mostly very positive.  We had previous experience with long term rentals and tenants and have had dozens of trips as a guest in vacation rental homes/condos or apartments, both of which helped give us some excellent insight into this business. Our market introduced strict community regulations that coincided with our start of business and so we were able to include all the 'new' measures in our practices versus others who really had to adjust.  Getting up to speed on the overall market and competition was very helpful in understanding demand and has continued to be important to us. We regularly tweak how we operate based on our direct experiences with guests and this has also proven important to help prevent a poor match with guests and poor guest antics in our home. At our outset, we consumed a lot of information (blog posts, instagram info, online info, etc) in this space and gleaned a lot of best practices to help hit the ground running and improve along the way.

[Esheen0]

We were very lucky. We were hoping for 50% booking. We were at around 90% booked for our first year.  It’s been a positive experience.