What have you learnt that you wish you’d known from the start?

[Stephanie]

Hello everyone,

The benefit of the experiences of the more experienced Hosts is something many new members of the Community Center gratefully explore. This can be tips on specifically property or listings types, Airbnb products and cleaning, but also can be helpful in avoiding pitfalls or costly setbacks.

The great thing about the CC is that pretty much every type of stay imaginable has been shared here, you need only search! However, I thought it would be great to have a topic where our wonderful experience Hosts share their top learnings. So, without further ado:

Share your most valuable learning from your hosting journey!

This can be good or bad, up or down, recent or old… so long as are comfortable in sharing, you can guarantee someone will benefit from your story.

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Linda3273]

Bravo @Dee1153 and welcome to the club.

I have a refresh on my machines which is wonderful and also using the dryer with a bounce sheet for 10 minutes is also a nice touch.

Continued success on your journey as a Host.

Ciao 

[Pablo1226]

I now have small  black towels that say ‘Makeup’ in the bathroom.  that helped reduce  the black spots on the large white towels. And then, if necessary I use Oxiclean for other spots.

here is the link for the towels I use . Hope that was helpful!

Arkwright Makeup Remover Towels (13x13, 6 Pack) Soft Cotton Washcloths With Makeup Embroidery, Perfect Holiday Gift for Women (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBN2Y82/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_gxu9mGRNuHcyu

[Aylin64]

Hey, I know vinegar helps towels stay fluffy and it helps with tough stains 

[Huma0]

@Dee1153 

Yes, as @Mike-And-Jane0  said, drying towels in the dryer will help to keep them soft and fluffy. However, if you want to save on energy, you can also line dry them until only very slightly damp and then pop them in the dryer for a few minutes. Works for me. Fabric softener always helps. I find towels can get quite brittle after a while without it.

[Sarah4039]

99% of our guests are fantastic,  always be prepared for that 1% who will try and take advantage of your good nature and bring extra guests not booked or try it on for late check out.  You can't win everyone,  but the majority are fantastic.  I think that you genuinely have to love hosting as it will never work if you don't 

[Linda3345]

I don't know why it is necessarily bad for a guest to ask for a later check-out time? If I am able to give them a little more time, it doesn't bother me. Of course, if new guests are checking in that same day, I can't give more time. 

[Alice1154]

Overall good experiences. One tip is to take heed to the suggestions. And thanks to the thread I’ll be reviewing the ratings of our guest!

[Deborah1093]

Quincy, thank you for sending this invitation to join the "community". However, your organization is not allowing me to do short-term rentals. You do not allow any bookings less than 180 days for me. I have spent months trying to reach a principal in your company to no avail. I have the licensing, I have all the documentation, I have been assured by my local government that I am in good standing and have the correct permits and licensing but every single agent that I talk to never fixes the problem. No one can answer my continuous question as to why this is happening. I have not had a single inquiry for 4 or 5 months. Why would Airbnb want to lose the income from booking me? 

Deborah Shaffer

[Lisa6243]

Sorry you are experiencing this struggle. I found the options for length of stay in my settings. I have called for Airbnb help a couple times and they were very helpful to me. I am super new. I hope I do not have to have a struggle like you are experiencing. I set my length of stay at 2 day minimum. Can you find the setting? Maybe start a new by making a new post 

[Clara116]

@Deborah1093 Hello, I looked at your listing page and was confused BUT I understand why you have had only one booking. First your calendar doesn't look open to book. But the thing that was most surprising was that all the photos look like they are copied from somewhere else. They are of poor quality, taken in the incorrect mode, should be landscape mode. So your listing doesn't look real, authentic and I personally wouldn't look past a couple pictures. Also, the pricing is all wrong 7 people, animals allowed, no kids....but super surprising is the not allowing anyone over 250 lbs due to furniture damage as you write. WOW. that's a deal breaker, not furniture, deal. Your listing doesn't look legit and so it is not surprising you get only one booking, which I would question. Just telling you what I see. So I am not surprised why you are having a challenge. There's just too many things that appear to doubt. Sorry, being honest and real. good luck

[Deborah1093]

Wow! I really appreciate your input. Thank you sooooo much! I will change all the things that you wrote about the listing asap however, there is one thing I can't seem to change: Airbnb will not allow me to book for short term rentals. No one can book for less than 180 days. I have spent the last 4 months on the phone talking to hundreds of Airbnb techs and no one can fix it or figure out what the problem is. All my licensing and paperwork is in perfect order. They have no idea what the problem is and they keep passing me through to different people who can never solve the problem. In the meantime, I am listing all the things you have pointed out and will correct them so just in case they ever figure out why they cannot change it to short term rentals and fix it then the listing will be ready.

Thank you again,

Deborah

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Deborah1093 try duplicating your listing. it's a long shot but might just work and allow hosting for less than 180 days

[Linda3345]

I just looked at your listing, Deborah, and it seemed that one could now book for a 3-night minimum. Did you just recently change the settings? 

[Linda3273]

What has been the most surprising thing as a newbie since July 1st, 2021 is that nobody reads my info binder until they depart from the suite. 

Plus some of them do not read all the information that I send them a week prior to their stay with us.

I created a Guide Book with all kinds of activities to do in the community from food to beverages to museums and beaches.

In fact, my guests a few days ago arrived very late in the evening and wanted to know the directions which I had sent them a week earlier. 🤣

What I would really like to see is me being able to send them a VIDEO introducing my guest suite to them and letting them know that I also have a 'Guide Book'.

Since VIDEO is king they might listen to me and then check out my Guide Book and directions.

[Hal3292]

Like you, Linda, it took me a while to learn that guests DO NOT READ the listing info! And sometimes they do not read the follow-up info that I provide. I'm now doing something another host in this community forum recommended: REPEAT information in various places. I put certain things in the listing, in the follow-up info that I email to the guest, and on a printed page inside the Guest Suite itself. Thanks to @Stephanie for the question!