I really don't know what's going on here but it's making me SICK.
I've been renting out my room on AirBnB for 3 years now.
The first 2 years were comparably busy month by month with a steady stream of bookings throughout the year.
This year I'm down almost half the bookings for the same period.
So what's changed?
I've updated the photos on my profile, I've added a security deposit, I've insisted a clear face photo on all profiles, I had to rebook 2 guests.
Security deposit: I saw a documentary recently on the horrific experiences that AirBnB Hosts have had and AirBnB have done absolutely nothing to support the Hosts. It made me think VERY VERY carefully about why or even if I should carry on using AirBnB at all. So the security deposit was my way of covering my ass - just in case.
Is this putting people off?
Customer Photos: I've seen too many profiles with photos of cats, or a scenic views or anything BUT of what the person looks like.
Firstly, it's MY home, I want to know who is going to be in my home not a photo of your pet/child/holiday etc.
Is this too much to ask?
Rebooking Guests: I had a major leak in my property and had to cancel 2 reservations and I booked them into a local hotel (at my cost) as compensation and not to ruin the guests' visit.
I couldn't get in touch with AirBnB, because it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to get in touch with anyone, even by email to explain the situation and to hopefully not suffer any penalties. Now it shows that I've cancelled bookings on my profile.
So bearing the above in mind, bookings have been significantly down over the last 6 months.
While I guess on the surface, this would all potentially contribute to the reduced bookings and to make matters worse, I keep getting notifications about Smart Pricing and it suggesting I drop my prices between £/$10-15 per night. I don't charge a lot in the first place so to drop my prices by that much would mean I charge £/$20 per night.
That is just giving the completely wrong idea about the place I'm renting out. Those sort of prices are hostel prices and my house is far far from a hostel!
Not only am I suffering a significant drop in bookings but to drop my prices that low is, quite frankly upsetting.
Has anyone else seen a significant drop in bookings lately?
Thanks
Dan
