I had a guest instant book for a checkin today. We have a st...
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I had a guest instant book for a checkin today. We have a strict 4pm checkin time & they showed up at 2:15 saying they chose ...
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Hi Airbnbers, I am a superhost here in Tucson AZ and I created a video about some important things to remember before publishing your Airbnb listing (the video can be found here). My channel is called Superhosting Tucson (found here) and it covers all sorts of topics about hosting on Airbnb. The script is below.
So we have gone over how to set up your space as well as how to take pictures and you are all set to make your space available for people to book on Airbnb, here are some things to keep in mind before making it live today on Superhosting Tucson.
Airbnb has a pretty good template to enter your information into on their website. They break everything down into sections regarding your space including the description, what kind of amenities that you offer, how you want to interact with your guests etc. Do you want to charge a cleaning fee or just have a flat rate? Do you need time in between bookings to prepare or is it okay for a guest to book the same day that another guest departs? What is the minimum duration for each booking and what kind of cancellation policy are you willing to accept? This information will all vary from host to host, but make sure to consider all of the options before making your Airbnb listing live. My suggestion is to be conservative when first staring out. Give yourself enough time to properly prepare for each guest by setting the preparation time to at least one day before the next guest arrives. It is also wise to check the other listings in your area and set your rate considerably lower to attract your first reservations. All of these formulas can be easily adjusted as you go, but there are 3 important things to consider before publishing your listing.
One of the most important things to take into consideration is the instant booking feature. Airbnb suggests that hosts let their guest book instantly meaning that guests don’t have to send a request message to the host asking permission to book. Instant booking allows anyone with the proper verifications determined by you to book your space without prior notification. I use this feature and find that it works, but I suggest that if you’re just starting out to not use this feature until you get a feel for hosting. Remember that once a booking is confirmed, it is set in stone and cancelling a guest due to the host’s error jeopardizes your standing in the Airbnb community.
Which leads me to the second point to consider before making your listing live and that is your availability. If you want people to book instantly, but are a little unsure about hosting, then I highly suggest only making a few months available for people to book and blocking out the rest of the time on your calendar for the rest of the year. Also block out any days that you might be out of town or days that you have family using the space for example. The last thing that you want after setting up your listing is to have a guest book the space the same weekend that you are going to be out of town. Again, this avoids cancelling guests which will ding your Airbnb reputation and make you ineligible to be a superhost for an entire year. The calendar can be adjusted at any time by the app and on your desktop, so if you decide that you enjoy hosting, or want to adjust your availability, it is very easy to make these days available again.
The final thing to not overlook before publishing your listing are your house rules. All guests have to acknowledge that they have read and agreed to your house rules before booking your listing. This is the place where you lay down some rules about your expectations. Some key things to keep in mind are no parties, what time is quiet time and if you allow pets, smoking etc. The house rules should be crystal clear because if the guests do not follow them, then their reservation can be canceled. Of the 175 guests that I have hosted, I’ve only had one guest that did not follow my house rules. After a call to Airbnb Support, they mediated a resolution with my guest which had to pay a small cleaning fee for smoking in one of the rooms.
And those are some things to consider before publishing your listing. The great thing is that it is very easy to make adjustments as you go, and you will eventually find the things that work for you. Now its on to my guidebook spotlight, Tumamoc Hill!
Tumamoc Hill is a very popular hiking spot near downtown that attracts many Tucsonans, young and old. It is a windy, 1.5 mile, 600 foot elevation gain climb that rewards its hikers with stunning 360 degree views at the top. Tumamoc is also an educational facility for the University of Arizona as well as a natural preserve. It is a perfect getaway for a short hike to socialize with friends and take in the sights. That’s it for today, click the like button to tell me how I am doing and subscribe to my channel to keep up with my adventures on superhosting Tucson!
