Steps for a new host with reservations

[Ernie--and-Lenora0]

Hi. I am a new host and have many reservations coming up and want to make sure I am doing all that I need so this goes smoothly for my guest. After someone makes a reservation is there anything I need to do on my part. I don't want to leave something out that would interrupt the process? Such as they have my address and contact info once the reservation is made correct? Just wanting to cover basis if there is anthing else I need to do.

[Barbara225]

The guest will receive your address once themreservation is accepted. I tend to send a quick message letting the guest know how happy we are to host, and let them know I am available to answer any questions they may have.

When I have been a guest, the host had a nice binder upon arrival on the coffee table with essential info, local menus, wifi info etc.

Hope this helps. I soon will have my first airbnb guests, (though we have hosted friends of friends) but my experience as a guest was helpful.

Good luck.

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

We started hosting July 1, 2016. What I wish I had known, I will share with you....

1. Many guests don't read messages on the Airbnb platform in a timely manner after you've accepted their reservation, so be sure to establish an effective way to stay in touch with your guests during their stay.

2. Many guests don't really read all the information in your listing and may select your place even if it's not a good match for their needs, so do dialogue with them about their expectations.

3. Common sense is not common, so make your house rules clear and readily available, such as in a binder in the home.

4. Explore the Airbnb website. There are some great videos that were produced by Airbnb that give insight into how to host effectively.

5. Read the profiles of your guests and their previous reviews to gain insight into what's important to them. Some guests want a lot of interaction with their hosts, others prefer to keep to themselves. Respect their boundaries and privacy, but do check-in frequently to make sure their needs are met.  I made the mistake of not giving enough attention to our first guest because I didn't want to intrude, and her review of her stay indicated I missed the mark. She was looking for a more involved host. Oops!

6. Have multiple sets of sheets and towels ready to go, so the make-ready between back-to-back bookings can be stress-free and quick.

7. Think about what your guests might not think of bringing with them (or forget to bring), but may need during their stay. I set aside on drawer to house such things as: sewing kit, extra toiletries, first aid kit, hairdryer, nail clippers, scissors, scotch tape, etc. I also have a small portable cooler with blue ice packs ready for guests to borrow when they explore the area for the day. Also, offer "outside towels" for outside adventuring, so your good ones stay at the house. One step further, offer rags or paper towels for cleaning up the really dirty stuff. Have some cleaning supplies readily available so guests may tidy up after themselves.

8. After a guest leaves, give the whole place a good look over and cleaning.  Check places like under couch seat cushions and behind doors. Make sure you put everything back in place, so you can easily see if anything is missing or damaged. Clean the light switches and door handles with disinfectant wipes. Do this for other surfaces as well, such as refrigerator shelves.

9. Take photos of everything in the home and how it looks prior to a guest stay. Keep the place uncluttered and clean. Do an inventory of possesions and supplies.

10. Celebrate your sucesses and learn from your mistakes. Be kind to yourself. 🙂

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

One week out from each guest arrival - use the Airbnb platform to message than and reconfirm checking time, directions to your place. As said already - don't assume they have read everything.

[C-C0]

Seems obvious, but check room for cobwebs.

Also, another host said check on your guests a lot--but every host/guest combo is different. I don't bother my guests at all after arrival. I tell them on check in what to do when they leave, so once they're set, they're good for the duration. Works for me and my particular guests, without fail. (That hands-off type of deal is disclosed in my listing, but people truly do not read, which means that the people who did read were down with it, and those who didn't were just as satisfied.)

[Deb29]

Ernie & Lenora

I try to communicate what's needed at a few different points:

1) Thank you for booking, just after they book
2) check-in details (how to get the keys, wifi details, parking, laundry, etc) a day or two before arrival
3) touch base to make sure things are going well a few days after arrival
4) booking extension (if there's a vacancy after the booking and things are going well with the reservation, I send out a request to the guest to offer an extension to the booking)
5) check-out details (how to handle excess food they purchased, reminder to do a final trash removal, check-out time, etc) the day before check-out
6) review request (a gentle reminder that Airbnb will ask them to write a review and short explanation of the importance of reviews to hosts) a few hours after check-out

Some may feel this is overkill, though we consistently get 5-star reviews for communication as a result.

Deb