Rule No. 1 for new hosts!!

[Isabel203]

Do not accept your first booking until youKnow how to contact AIrBnB customer service. FYI you can contact them directly from a tab on the booking confirmation. But also make sure you have the phone number for your area and have it programmed into your phone.

I mean it. This is easiest and most important thing you can do to ensure that you have a good experience as a host. Seriously.

There are so many panicked posts on the boards here, from hosts who have encountered a pressing problem and have only THEN realized that they don't know where to go for help!

PS, in case you haven't already heard: Rule No. 2 is NEVER cancel a confirmed booking without talking to AIrBnB first. How? See rule no. 1

🙂

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Rubina4

If it were me, I'd probably just NOT allow kitchen access - if guests can make tea/coffee and they have a microwave (and a mini-fridge) I think this would be more than enough for most people. Of course, it would depend on the type of guests you get and average length of stay as well.I host a private room in my home, and although I include use of my kitchen, only one of my guests did any sort of cooking on the stove (mostly eggs or one-pot-pasta) I live in an area with tons of places to eat and also great food delivery service so even Henry and I rarely cook 🙂 If you absolutely have to allow kitchen use, you could limit the time the kitchen is available to guests (like only between 6:30pm~8:00pm AND only if requested in advance) - this way people who might need to do very light cooking once or twice might be fine but people expecting cook and have all their meals at home while they stay with you may think twice. Hope this helps~

[Fred13]

Jessica, smart suggestion.

@Rubina4Remember 'nothing has to be', when you think about it. Perhaps supplying minimum amenities in the guest's area will do, and give you back your kitchen and total privacy.

[Rubina4]

You've all been so helpful, that I need to ask another question:

Do we necessarily have to give a review for each guest who has stayed? Although we have learnt a lot from our previous guest stay, like making our downstairs more self-suffficient, our guest left all air-con going full bore and was not very sensitive to our privacy etc.

But then we had not made the place (as we are now doing) totally self sufficient either. We are now in the process of adding a bar fridge and garden furniture etc.

Look forward to your thoughts. Many thanks in advance.

[Isabel203]

Hey @Rubina4, You don't HAVE to review every guest. Keep in mind that other hosts do rely on the feedback they get through reviews to decide who to accept or decline as guests. As a community, hosts really appreciate it when another host has taken the time to provide an accurate description of the guests strengths and foibles, even when this is difficult. And NOT having reviews on record can put good guests at an unfair DISadvantage in booking. For example, I don't allow guests to IB my place if they do not have previous positive reviews. There is lots of advice on the discussion boards here about how to write a difficult review. In general, the advice is keep it short, specific, and direct; stick to describing behaviour rather than making judgments about character, and describe both the good and the bad. For example, you mentioned that the guest was not very sensitive to your privacy: can you briefly state what they DID that led you to make that judgment? E.g., did they walk around with no clothes on? Listen in on private conversations? enter the bathroom without knocking...? You get the idea 🙂

[Rubina4]

Heyy thanks very much Isabel! that is very useful :0)

Much appreciated.

[Donna213]

Hello!

I am totally new at AirBnB.  I don't even know what a host is.  I'm a home owner and want to rent out my ENTIRE condo.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? 

[MariaElena33]

Donna, like you, I was new to AirBnB, except I had used their service as a Guest.  I have a second home that I don't use on a regular basis, so decided to offer my home for rent. I visited with the County office and my accountant as to how to go about renting it.  This helped, as well as reading other hosts' comments.  I searched for other AirBnB rentals in my area and contacted some of them to ask for their help.  Thankfully, I'm in an area where almost everybody knows each other, so I was able to get some ideas as to how to proceed.  After that, I cleaned the house and took all personal items out of the house, cleaned it up and then took my  own photos of each room and the exterior as well.  When you sign up, ABB has a series of points/topics that you fill out to describe your place and you become a Host.  I went on in October and have been very pleased with this venture.  AirBnB takes care of vetting each potential guest and also collects the rental fees from the guests.  ABB also collects state Hotel Occupancy taxes and submits them to the State.  I only have to pay the local taxes.  So far, so good.  Read up on other hosts' remarks and you'll learn quite a bit from those.  Hope this helps and Good luck!