Greetings - We've been an Airbnb Hosts since 2012 and maintain Superhost status contuously since 2014. We host approximately 250 completed trips per year with 5 rentals. 4 short term rentals and 1 long term rental all of which are listed on Airbnb.
If you are renting entire homes there are some steps you can take to improve the quality of your guests, reduce issues and the increase the safety of your property and guests.
Instant Book. We tried it and there are some issues that caused us to turn that feature off.
1. We recommend some communication with potential guests prior to accepting a reservation. You need to get a feel for who the guest is and why they are visiting your city. If there is more than one guest who are they and what are thier names?
2. If they are new to Airbnb, the date they joined will be displayed and they will not have any reviews. A large number of our guests are new to Airbnb. Ask them if they are new and if they have reviewed all the details on the listing. Let them know that reviews help a host decide whether to accept a reservation. You can draft a saved message for this to save time.
3. If you do not allow pets or are selective of the pets you do accept Instant Book does not address these issues. For instance, if you do not allow pets (some people don't read the details) and someone with a pet books on Instant Book you have a problem. Canceling the reservation is problematic in that case.
Keyless Locks.
1. We use Schlage Touchpad Connect locks controlled with a z-wave controller. By using these locks we can program a unique code for each guest. We use the last 4 digits of the guests phone number so they can easily remember it. We also keep the keys for each unit in a lock box in case the lock malfunctions or there is some other problem. Rarely have we needed guests use the keys but they are there just in case. Z-Wave is an RF signal that can be extended at full strength and is more reliable than WiFi locks.
2. You can progam the locks to active the unique code on a particular day and time for check-in so that there are no surprise early check-ins. This is particularly important if you have back-to-back reservations so that your cleaning people can schedule for cleaning. If an early check-in is requested you can either approve it or decline it based on the cleaning schedule. You can also program the lock to deactivate the code upon check-out so guests cannot check out later than expected without approval or reenter after checkout.
3. The software allows you to monitor door access activity so you can see when a person checked in and the activity during the stay. Also, you can monitor the status of each lock such as battery level and whether the door is locked or unlocked.
4. If you have repair, cleaning, or maintenance personnel needing access you can give them a unique code for entry. If they are charging by the hour you can see when they arrive and when they leave to keep them honest.
Video Cameras
1. We use the NetGear Arlo Wireless cameras on the exterior of our rentals. We have one camera pointed at the off street parking area to monitor vehicles and the people exiting them. We allow one vehicle per bedroom so we can monitor that. Only guests are allowed to use the off street parking spaces so if an unauthorized vehicle is parked on the property we can investigate an if necessary have it removed or towed.
2. We have another camera pointed at each entrance so we can see who and how many people are entering. If the reservation is for 2 guests and 3 people enter with luggage we can address that quickly.
3. In our situation we do not allow recreational equipment (bikes, skis, kayaks, golf clubs, etc.) inside our places to reduce the possibility of accidental damage. We have a locked storgae shed for those things. If someone loads in their bikes because the failed to read the house rules we can instruct them to remove them store them in the secure storage shed, outside or on, or in their vehicle/s.
NOTE: If you do choose to use video cameras be sure to mention that in your listing. If people know there are video cameras you can avoid problem guests and protect not only you property but your guests as well.
They key to having great host experiences and avoiding problems is communication and information. Before, during and after the stay.
Thanks for reading this and I hope it helps. Give it a thumbs up if you find this helpful.
Cheers - Stan