Renting remotely

[Kyle111]

I am considering renting a condo through Airbnb, but I live 4 hours away.  Is it possible to do this with a lockbox access arrangement?

[Bryan10]

Hi Kyle - it's possible and lots of people do it. See this discussion for some thoughts and suggestions  https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Smart-Door-locks/m-p/324046#M74258

However you need to consider what to do when things go wrong. I had some difficult guests recently where, if I didn't live in the same house, they would have called me out several times a day for the smallest of things. Some people are better suited to hotels but you won't know until they arrive. Happy hosting. 

[Kyle111]

Thank You Bryan.  I appreciate the input and the smart lock info.  I am considering it in the future to make things easier.  For now, as a start, we have monitored access to the building and a lock box on the unit.  

[Madison17]

I agree with Bryan, I'd highly suggest a smart lock as the best and easiest way to go about managing an AirBNB you are not located in or close to.

We just got this new lock a couple months back and not only do we absolutely love it. It syncs directly to my AirBNB calendar, sends guests emails with key code and instructions as soon as they book a stay, disables codes at time of check out (and accurately lol), and auto updates itself for me. I don't have to do a thing or have to worry about keys or anything myself, it's awesome.

Here's a link to check it out:

https://www.amazon.com/AirLocking-Smart-Lock-for-AirBNB/dp/B0759NPC5Y/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=airloc...

[Kyle111]

Thanks Madison.  That is a great referral.  I have started shopping around and reliability seems to be a huge risk.  I appreciate he recommendation!

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Kyle111 Plan ahead.

Get your 24 hour plumber set up, do you need an AC guy? Set that up.

What maid service are you going to use?

What happens when the maid doesn’t show up on a back to back days?

The space has to be very well maintained for guest use or you will be pouring cash into projects.

Just plan ahead and expect to hear from guest and you will feel that “I gotta figure out something on the fly” feeling every time the phone rings or the message box dings. That’s when you get the hits for poor communication. 

Good luck.

’You know it’s hard out here for a Host’

[Kyle111]

Thank you.  We are used to most of those issues because we have owned (remotely) it for 6 years.  So, we are not there much.  Fortunately, it is a small, studio in a large, well-kept building.  There aren't many things in it to go wrong. 🙂  We are also spacing the reservations out so there are very few back-to-back guests and we have time to make corrections.  I appreciate the suggestions.  

Since I am new to ABNB as a host, and I have never rented, the communication and expectations of the guests are my biggest concern.  It will be a fast learning process.

Thanks again.