Hello everyone,
It's been a while since we have been able to get the Spotlight up because hosting has been more than difficult thanks to covid-19. However, we are happy to share this one from our German Community.
Introducing… Markus!
How long have you been a host and why did you start?
Perhaps, I’ll answer the more complicated part of the question first - why I started with short-term rentals and AirBnB:
The property in which the two AirBnB apartments are located is a relatively large residential and commercial building with a total area of approx. 1300m². In a part of the first floor we had an unused area of about 150m² for about 10 years, which was originally used as office and commercial space. Letting it as commercial and office space would not have been promising, as the property is located in the pedestrian zone and we only have 3 parking spaces for commercial tenants, so that such rental space would only be of limited use to tenants with higher customer frequencies. The use of the property as an apartment for long-term rental was not possible because the investment costs were so high due to a complete lack of infrastructure in this part of the building that the investments would not have paid off even after 20 years. In Austria, older buildings are subject to a rent cap for residential rents that may not be exceeded.
After long research and consideration of alternatives, it was finally decided that two high-quality and fully equipped business apartments should be created, mainly for short and medium-term professional stays, directly to larger companies in the region and on rental platforms. As I have over 12 years of experience in the rental business and have worked in other cultural areas for a longer period of time, I felt confident that I would be able to manage this successfully.
For many people this story and the motives may not sound very romantic. In our letting concepts, I have to make sure that, at least in the medium and long term, they not only cover their construction and refurbishment costs, but can also make an additional contribution to the maintenance and further development of the building.
Another very important aspect of this concept for me was the fact that I also enjoy personal contact and interaction with people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.
After an intensive planning and implementation period of a little more than a year, including the official approval procedures, the first of the two apartments was offered by me for the first time on AirBnB in May 2018. The second apartment was completed in May 2019 and has also been offered on AirBnB since then.
Describe your home
The two AirBnB apartments are located on the first floor of a 3-storey residential and commercial building in the centre of Dornbirn, the largest city of Vorarlberg in Western Austria. My sister Birgit and I grew up in this house and it is in our private ownership. However, neither of us has lived in this house for more than 30 years.
The two AirBnB apartments have been completely rebuilt by us for the purpose of short-term rental only and have been furnished to a very high standard. There is a 2-room apartment with about 57m² of floor space, which is furnished in a Nordic style and a 3-room apartment with about 78m², which is furnished in a modern Alpine style.
Since when are you part of the Community Center? What made you decide to join?
About 10 months before I first rented via AirBnB I started researching the internet to find out about apartment rentals on platforms. This was completely new territory for me at that time, as I had no previous experience of short-term rentals. I quickly found my way to the AirBnB Community Center, where I learned a lot and took a lot of tips with me, which influenced the design and furnishing of the apartments.
At first I was only a passive reader, I only made my first posts when I rented through AirBnB myself.
With all the information I received on the CC itself, it was very important for me to be able to pass on tips from my own experience to others.
What do you like best about the Community Center and what would you improve?
I find the discussion climate in the CC very pleasant and productive. There are many contributions from members of the CC, which are especially helpful for newcomers and on special topics or questions. I also find the different opinions on a problem or topic very inspiring to form your own opinion or to develop a solution for a problem.
I understand the CC as a forum for the exchange of knowledge, opinions, experiences and to discuss topics or innovations in AirBnB.
Many very good and constructive suggestions are made there about the platform itself, but I have not yet been able to find out whether and how such suggestions are going back from the CC to AirBnB. It is possible that there is still room for improvement in this area.
What are the most important things you have learned as a host?
Every guest is different, it is important to listen actively, to show appreciation for the guest and do everything possible to make guests feel at home.
To give the guest also the security that he gets help and answers quickly when he needs them - therefore I always pay attention to very fast response times within one hour.
A positive contact with the guests during their stay is very important, a small tip or a short inquiry if the guest needs anything during their stay is very much appreciated by the guests.
We also put great emphasis on a constant high standard of cleanliness in the apartments, so my wife Doris and I do the cleaning and maintenance of both apartments ourselves.
For me it is not enough if a review would only say "The apartment is exactly as described". To fulfil only the expectations of a guest is therefore not enough for me as a goal. It is important to me that the expectations of a guest are exceeded during their stay and that guests are enthusiastic about their stay. This can partly be achieved with little effort, e.g. a basket with some sweets/snacks, 2-3 free drinks, provided umbrellas, toiletries for free use etc.
But every host has to find his own style, this surely depends on the typical guest structure. I mainly have guests who are in the area on business, or guests visiting family or friends in the region. I have relatively few classic tourists staying with me.
Do you have special interests?
I am a passionate and ambitious hobby photographer, I like to go hiking in nature and I like to read.
If you could live somewhere else, where would you live and why?
Well, I would live in Australia. I lived in Melbourne with my family for 2 years and worked there as well. I like the relaxed lifestyle of the Australians. Me and my family felt very comfortable there.
Where would your dream holiday be?
Oh, there would be a whole list, I will limit myself to 3 holiday destinations - South Korea, Iceland and Canada.
If you could have lunch with a famous person (past or present), who would it be and why?
Albert Einstein - simply because he was a brilliant scientist and a genius in his time. I would certainly have many questions for him... 🙂
What is your favourite book / movie?
I love good science fiction books and movies. Avatar in 3D is an epic movie that I can watch over and over again…
Do you want to share anything else with the community?
Through the community I have matured into a good host, thanks to the many contributions, tips and support. For this I would like to say a big thank you to the many active members and administrators!
