What’s the H in Hosting? For New Airbnb Hosts

Brian1613
Level 10
West Palm Beach, FL

What’s the H in Hosting? For New Airbnb Hosts

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The “H” in Hosting is HOSPITALITY.

 

There are a lot of people, investors, and big companies jumping into the Short-term Rental (STR)/Vacation Rental(VR) business. Facebook has groups with 55K worth of people who while away their hours griping an awful lot about guests who did this, and that and oh my, isn’t it awful what they did to my white towels?!

 

We are not in the renting rooms game, although plenty, including one particularly awful host who doesn’t even provide toilet paper, may disagree.

 

Hospitality starts with liking people. If that’s not you, then you should probably seriously reconsider this as a way to earn income.  I have met wonderful people from all over the world, Australia to Sweden, and in between.   Guests are often amazing, and wonderful. They also can be a complete nightmare, as the legions of horror stories from the guest gripers’ will attest.

 

How do you get more of the good ones, and few, if any of the bad ones?  How do you keep your stress levels low, personal satisfaction high, and returns on your investment excellent?

 

RIGHT ATTITUDE

 

The word “guest” implies someone who is welcome into your space. They’re not the enemy.  I was amazed, visiting Bali, how the Balinese treat strangers with such exceptional kindness.

Be Balinese.

If you start with the idea that offending, or inconveniencing your guests is a sin,  and provide them with an exceptional experience, you will be rewarded with standing out from the unfortunate number of “hosts” who treat their “renters” poorly. That leads to better reviews, room rates, and experience for you, and them.

BE GRACIOUS

 

During Booking

 

Transactions with guests should not be “transactional.”  I can tell you about the makings of a great stay, or a bad stay, as a guest, simply from the interactions that I have with the host during booking. I always ask questions, because I want to understand who is hosting me. 

 

If it starts with a nice tone:

“Hi, Brian! Thanks for the kind words about the place. Yes, we do have a heated pool, in the winter. In the summer here, the pool is over 90°F without doing a thing. Please let me know if there’s anything else that I can answer, prior to your stay. I’m sending you some information, from our guest book, so you’ll know more about the place. I hope to see you this Fall!”

What we often see is either a completely canned response, that’s poorly written, or, I’ve even had this:

“We tell you about that after you book. Thanks.”

Who do I want to stay with?

 

During the Stay

 

Greet your guests, when they arrive. Lockboxes should really be a backup, not the first line of welcome. If they come in late, or you have someplace to be, and can’t arrange to connect, then the box will have to do.

Have some small touches, when they walk in, from a welcome chalkboard, with a written welcome, with their names on it, to a couple of little “extras,” like some fresh-baked cookies, or a booklet of discounts to local eateries and/or attractions.  We’ve found memory foam bath mats, not expensive, and a bit plusher towel, also make the guest feel good about spending money with you. All of those “free” extras are, in fact, just baked into the cost of the place.  While there are value shoppers looking for Uncle Fred’s couch to crash on, more and more people are choosing Airbnb over hotel space because of the privacy, and enhanced experiences.

Some people can charm their way into a booking, but then become totally transactional. At one recent Bay Area booking, after reading the one page, poorly typed “instruction” sheet I texted: 

“Hey! We’re checking out tomorrow. Anything that we can do to help you out?”

Reply?

“No. Read the sheet.”

 

Better possible answers?

“Thanks! If you could drop the trash in the can at the driveway, on the way out, that would be really appreciated!”

“Thanks, but we’re good. We want you to have a relaxing stay. My cleaning crew will handle it. Just let me know when you’ll be leaving, so I can pop out and wish you safe travels!”

 

LISTING DESCRIPTIONS - BE CLEAR

 

The first impression of you, and your place, begins with your listing. 90% of the griping that I see, from hosts, could be stopped by being far clearer, and more transparent, about what is available, and what is requested/required from guests.

 

Photos 

 

If you’re not an ace at staging, and photography, of rooms, GET ONE.  Dark interior photos, or photos of the exterior taken at the wrong time of day do not sell your listing for top dollar. Beds look drab without throw pillows. They’re cheap, and they add a lot of pop to the bed. One host even thought it was okay to shoot a room with a stripped bed. Just the mattress.  

 

Be transparent. I know, as a guest, that I dump places where there are no photo of the bathrooms, or minimal ones. Something is not right. Even if the bathroom is tight, you can break down the photos in a way that it can be seen. If you have known problems, fix them, don’t hide them.  

 

Whatever you use in the room, for your shoot, that, or something equivalent, better be in there. No one likes to look at a beautiful photo, to find out that the room is a total let-down when they arrive.

 

Descriptions

 

Be transparent.

If you have a hyperactive kid, living on the floor over your guests, who sounds like a Dutch Clogging club, pounding the floor, putting “We have a very active eleven-year-old upstairs in the daytime, but he visits his dad on the weekends.”

When people are told about wrinkles in the listing, they at least were informed, and rented after knowing it, which greatly reduces the “We had no idea…” complaints in reviews.

“It gets very sunny in the afternoon. The view is beautiful, but best to keep the curtains drawn, if you go out, from 3p-5p, to keep the room nice and cool.”

 

POLICIES

 

Another HUGE shortcoming of many, many listing descriptions/house rules, are failing to tell the potential guest about what you expect of them. Guests are not mentalists. They can’t read your mind. So many hosts get bent out of shape about the guests doing this, or that, but they never spelled out, at the rental point, what they want/need, and what guests should expect.

“In respect of our neighbors, with small children whose bedrooms are next to our walkway, we ask that you do not have loud conversations after 9p at night on the walkway, passing their house.”

“Air Conditioning should be set to 75°F/24°c when you leave the property.”

“We ask that you please strip the bed, and put the sheets, and all of the towels, into the tub to help our housekeepers, at checkout.”

“Pool/beach towels are stocked daily in the cabinet by the pool cabana. Please use those outdoors, and kindly return them to the marked hamper next to the cabinet.”

 

Parties

The single biggest beef with guests comes from listings being used for parties. Hosts will shorthand “No parties” in a description, and think that the guests understand your rules. Be clearer:

 

  1. State exactly what you want, and do not want. Be specific: “Please, we ask that you host no parties, or social gatherings, including friends, and family, under any circumstances, on the property.” if all that you mean to have on property are the actual occupants, and no more;

  2. If people can gather, where, and when?  Recall that Airbnb has a “no parties” policy for COVID-19. If, however, friends and family are welcome, specify where, and when.  (e.g.:  All friends and family must leave by 9p. No overnights. No exceptions.”  OR: “All guests are welcome to be outdoors, in the yard/pool area. Our outdoor hours are from 8:00a to 9:00p., seven days a week.”)

  3. Consequences: If our external security cameras, or ambient noise monitoring devices detect more people on property than we allow, we may, at the property manager’s discretion, cancel your reservation, and ask you to leave the property immediately. You agree, by renting to this, to leave the property without challenge to anyone, and to forfeit any remaining money from your reservation.

 

Noise


Let people know, up front, about noise rules that are clear:

 

  1. Identify how you monitor for excessive noise: “We use MINUT, a noise monitoring device that detects ambient noise, and logs when it happens.”
     
  2. Consequences: “On the first two incidences, we will contact you to ask you to lower the volume. On the third, we may, at the property manager’s discretion, cancel your reservation, and ask you to leave the property immediately. You agree, by renting to this, to leave the property without challenge to anyone, and to forfeit any remaining money from your reservation.”

Emergencies

 

Here, on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, hurricanes are an annual issue. Many people hesitate booking, during those months, because of the uncertainty. If you have a Hurricane Policy, that builds on Airbnb’s, it tells the guest what to expect:

“We operate in a wood building, in a hurricane evacuation zone. If we are in the incidence cone, as published by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), within seventy-two (72) hours prior to your arrival, for what is projected to be a Category 1, or greater, hurricane, we will close, and cancel your reservation with Airbnb.  If you are already on property, we will advise you to make plans to leave within the time window of the NWS. See Airbnb’s policy for partial refund of your stay.”

 


LEARN TO READ PEOPLE

 

Hosting is a very rewarding experience. You meet some AWESOME people! With that said, you need to “read” your guest well. One of the reasons that I like to do check-in is so that we can make some basic contact. They know that I’m not an absentee Airbnb owner, that I value their stay, etc. I also get to understand what they want out of their stay.

Some people are very open, chatty, and tell you that they want a lot of interaction. Others are just here to get away for a few days, quietly, and be left alone. I’ve seen guests start quiet, then, when they find out that you’re approachable, open up quite a bit. We’ve also had guests that were very friendly, but then they definitely needed their space. There’s a certain amount of theatre in hosting. Knowing how much to give each guest is an art form of hosting.

Difficult People

 

Everyone will have, at one point, or another, people who are difficult, unhappy, etc. Rather than become combative, along with them, kill them with kindness. If you don’t have someone coming for two days, does it really kill you to offer a late checkout?  If someone lands at the airport early, and wants to check in, if you can’t, you can always offer to hold their luggage, and move it in for them, when their space is ready. I’ve not only suggested cool places to eat, or be, while we’re turning the space, but, for those who don’t drive, I’ve even run them up to a nearby lunch spot, to save them an Uber.  Save the few of the few, the die-hard Karen, people tend to balance out the kindness to the thing that aggravated them. 

HOW THIS RELATES TO WHAT YOU EARN & HOW YOU ENJOY HOSTING

 

Some new hosts make the mistake of trying to price competitively by features. We have a pool, and a tree. They have a pool, and a tree. We’re in Neighborhood X. So are they. They get $X. That’s what we charge. When you step up, become a true “host,” and not just a short-term landlord,  providing a place with both personality, and magic, and all of the little touches that make a stay truly experiential, you will be rewarded by increased booking rates that it all commands.

 

Increased rates, and clarifications of the experiences, and expectations, also tend to bring more of the kind of “good” guest that will make your experience with an Airbnb STR far far more rewarding, to both you, and your guests.

 

The other “H” in hosting is HAPPY.  Be happy, and hosting will go well!  

Welcome to the Airbnb family!

Brian Ross
29 Replies 29
Mike-And-Helen0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Brian1613 seems like H is for homily!

Thus ends Chapter 1, Verse 2 of the Book of Airbnb Hosting Revelations.

 

(Amen.)

 

😉

Brian Ross
Leanne99
Level 10
Adelaide, Australia

@Brian1613 great advice and a ‘must read’ for hosts new and not so new! Your passion and kindness shine through in your reviews.

Laurelle3
Level 10
Huskisson, Australia

@Brian1613 thanks for all the tips as @Leanne99 has messaged for new and old hosts. 

 

Cathie19
Level 10
Darwin, Australia

@Brian1613 , maybe “H” in hosting might be “holistic”.  I do agree it’s about hospitality, but the true connection requires a greater 3D inter dimensional approach. 
Go the distance, do the hard yards, set expectations in concrete, offer full disclosure in word and image and that does include your hurricane plan. (or any other seasonal climatic issues that are in your area)

 

At the bottom of my details, I mention that we have a cyclone management plan. I don’t leave a hard copy in the space, only during our cyclone season.  This is what will happen at this site. No more, no less. You are part of it by going along with it, or check out, for this is the procedure during an emergency. Clear, concise communication. 

After all, common sense powers are never the same for any two people.  💐🐊💨💧

🌺 Above all, be the host you want to meet. Be the space you would want to spend time in…..🌺

The only reason that I leave it in, all of the time, is because we get bookings months out. One thing that I didn’t mention, is that when you post your policies, it also helps Airbnb Customer Support ground  and backstop them. If they’re only up intermittently, I don’t think that they can hold the guest to account for something that they may not have seen…

 

Just a thought 🙂

Brian Ross

I agree @Brian1613. My basic info is in the listing, but the whole documented plan, which lists who does what,  isn’t in the space during the Dry season. With being a friendly family place, it can scare the middle year aged kids.

 

Heres my wording which is the least entry in my listing’s house rules:

Cyclone Management:
(Severe weather event also known as a hurricane/typhoon)
The Cyclone Season in the Southern Hemisphere, can be considered to occur when there is an active monsoon between November and April. Although “extremely rare”, if there was to be a severe weather event that was deemed dangerous during your stay; as your host I can assist you in decisions for evacuation from the city or information regarding external cyclone shelters. However, if you were to stay in Darwin, you will be responsible for your own first aid kit, survival kit, including mandatory Covid19 PPE (minimum of masks, sanitiser etc) and all personal safety outside the property, and within the property.

During such an event, if you choose to leave the homestay space without communication to the host, it will be deemed that you have “checked out” of the Homestay space. Public cyclone shelters are made available for the general community. However, as the emergency controller of the homestay property, the standard house rules would take on additional extraordinary emergency preparations. The second room and breezeway of the Airbnb Homestay, would be commandeered - as it is the designated evacuation shelter for our family, and only registered guests on the property, to use. The space would no longer be private for your personal use. You would be required to follow all instructions and requests for safety by the hosts, the site’s emergency controllers. If instructions are not followed, then your stay will be cancelled. Once again this is not something that happens quickly. The NT government and emergency authorities give notice and it is an event that is extremely rare.
:)”

Great! Clear and gives people a full understanding.

Brian Ross
Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Brian1613  I would be careful sharing the word for word conversations as an example of "what not to do" just in the off chance that some frequent the forums.  I am sure you can get your point across without potentially embarrassing others 🙂 I am sure that is not your intent.

 

Its definitely the case that some hosts are short with their communication, and some expect that guests will read their guides and manuals and do not want to repeat them via text or email. I have stayed with hosts who never checked in with me or communicated at all. Personally I don't mind that. My goal in traveling rarely involves becoming intimate friends with the person providing my accommodation. Others may want that relationship. It honestly depends on individual personalities and expectations for the listing. If a guest wants contact with a host, a shared stay would be optimal. For a full house or remote host listing, the rules may be different. I think its incumbent on the host to let the guest know what to expect. But guests should also be mindful when booking that they choose spaces that are aligned with what they prefer or need.

 

A two way street allows the best flow of traffic. I would say your H should stand for Harmony, which is compatibility in opinion and action. Ideally a guest and host are aligned with what can be offered and what is expected. Many of the complaints on both sides are entirely preventable if there had been some discussion about expectations prior to the stay.  Its no wonder hosts are frustrated when a guest doesn't partake of the information provided in the listing and desires something totally different than what is on offer. And its not any secret that guests who book a place expecting to have a particular amenity or style of interaction, only to find that its not available, will leave a poor review. 

Understood. The names have been changed to protect the less than innocent. The quotes are reasonable approximations. 

As I mentioned in the article, learning to read your guest is a skillset. People who want their privacy get it. Those who want more? Get that too. So, when you come to visit, I’ll be sure to welcome you, and leave you to your devices. 😉

 

Better communication, and clearer communication always makes for great stays.

Brian Ross

Aloha! We agree!  The H should stand for hospitality and not people that are just into making a quick buck! We recently went to Puerto Rico and out of 6 places that we had booked on Airbnb we ended up having to leave five out of six.  We were just looking for clean places that were well maintained.  Not asking too much! What we got were really dirty, and holes in the walls and everything broken. They were $300.00 a night plus cleaning and taxes. The one that we had a fabulous time at, was a host that hospitality was the focus.  Treating people like you would like to be treated.  All the rest were either Property Managers that were really bad at their jobs and others who were individuals just looking to make a quick buck.  Airbnb needs to focus on quality and quantity in our opinion.  We love hosting!

 

@Brian1613 @Diana-And-Lando0 - I agreed with everything Brian said, expect I did had reservations (no pun intended) about casually offering late check-out, agreeing to hold people's baggage, and most especially giving rides to guests in a host's private car.

 

Mainly speaking as having now hosted around 200 stays, we have clearly defined check-in and check-out times as well as procedures if the guest wants to arrive early or late.  Our door code is on an automatic timer, which our housekeeper also controls, and if a guest wants to arrive or leave late they are welcome to do so, but must pay a (small) fee and then agree over a link through AirBNB which in turn extends the door code.  This system has saved us so much trouble and headaches since, in my experience as a host, guests can and will take advantage of a host who agrees to let them arrive or leave late without clearly set parameters and especially without paying any sort of late or early checkout fee.  The way we use automatic links and agreements by the guest also eliminates any issue of "do my favor", "will leave in just a little bit", and the next thing you know its 7PM and the guest is still in your kitchen saying they are waiting for a ride.  That exact scenario, by the way, has happened to me.

 

Some hosts have clauses in their house rules and agreements about holding baggage and if they do that's great.  But doing it spontaneously is a bad...bad idea.  A whole lot of legal issues about someone's private baggage in your hallway before they have officially checked in and especially after they have checked out.  The people who check out 11 and say they will "be back for their bags" for a 7PM flight are setting the host up for trouble.  If *any* accusation is made about things stolen or missing from that luggage, AirBNB will not lift a finger to protect the host.  Like I said before, if the hosts wish to have a policy about guests leaving bags, make *sure* it is in the house rules with specifics on how this is done and especially that the host is not agreeing to "watch their bags" but merely storing them for a set amount of time before or after the stay.

 

The last point, giving guests rides in your car.  Just don't do it especially with members of the opposite sex.  Too many risks, virtually no rewards, and its a major safety issue both for you and the guest as well as a huge liability if a complaint is made through AirBNB which has been known to suspend and ban hosts for far far less.  With that said there *are* some hosts who advertise ride services mainly to pick guests up to and from airports or bus stations especially in remote places.  I think its a bit complicated if done correctly, but more power to them in those cases if a procedure is outlined, published, and agreed upon by all parties.  But offering a guest a ride spontaneously, hey get in my car I'll run you up to the store, is a very *very* bad idea.

 

I hope no one is reaching for the torches and pitchforks yet.  My experience as a host I am sure differs from some others, and this is just feedback on the great points in the original thread.  Happy hosting!

Aloha Anthony, I guess we can agree to disagree!  There are many different types of properties and situations where hosts have the flexibility to do what is best for their guests. If our bungalow is ready earlier than the check in time, we just send them a message that they could come early if they wanted.  We do have self check in and our guests appreciate that they don't have to wait in the car for a timer to go off and have told us that.  In regards to driving people in the car, we stayed in the mountains in Alishan National Park in Taiwan.  The country has a fabulous train system and so we took the train to the town.   We didn't have a car, and so walked to our Tea Plantation Homestay.   The hosts asked us what we had planned for the afternoon and we didn't have anything planned and so they asked us if we wanted a ride to see some of the beautiful places close by.  We agreed and they drove us in their car and dropped us off and then came back to pick us up.  Fabulous Hosts!  Another time, we were in Asia and we had taken the bus to the closest bus stop.  When we called the host to see if there was an Uber, they said that they would come and pick us up in their car.  Fabulous Hosts!  We had a couple that arrived from the Philippines and unfortunately, could not get a rental car and we don't have Uber, Taxis or Buses that run in the evening and so we went in our car and picked them up at the airport, took them to pick up some food and supplies and then took them back the next day to get their rental car. There is a very broad definition of Host.  Some on Airbnb are called Hosts because they rent their property on the Airbnb platform.  In my opinion, and I know others will not agree, but a host is so much more than a person who puts their property on the platform.  If your style of hosting works for you and your guests, then I applaud you.  Much Aloha!

@Diana-And-Lando0- There is definitely a difference between a rural and resort AirBNB than one located near to a major city or in the suburbs of one.  My model of hosting works very well for where I live, which is 20 minutes outside of a major city.  It simply wouldn't work or be practical for me to try and drive guests places or go out with them to sight-see, most of which would happen during the day in any event when I am probably at work. 

 

The issue of driving places with hosts in their cars, I will always think that is very risky.  Sure they might not be an ax murderer, but what happens if the driver gets in an accident and the passenger is hurt?  Not to mention the gas involved.  I had two women about 14 months ago want a ride to and from the airport, we were talking 40 miles round trip and the arrival flight landed at 12:45AM meaning I would be driving very late at night with two strangers in my car.  They wound up cancelling, so it never had to be figured out, and I have never offered rides since then although something similar did come up recently.

 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Guest-expected-a-rental-car-booking-with-the-room/m-p/14847...

 

Early Check-in and out is not really a big issue, and those hosts who choose to offer it nothing wrong with that.  I have found people take advantage of hosts who do this, especially if offered for free, so now we offer early/late arrival with a small fee.  As far as my timer, that is to prevent people from arriving massively early, like 7 in the morning or the night before, since before we had the timer we were setting the door lock the night before and did have a few people show up very late at night the day before check-in or very early the morning of.   We now generally set it for 2:45 for a 3PM check-in.  Sure we could change it to 2 or 2:30 but anything before that and you have someone arriving over an hour before check-in which, especially if undiscussed, to me is the sign of a bad or problem guest.

 

Nothing wrong at all with the model of hosting you are describing.  I think the trouble happens when guests start to expect this from every AirBNB hosts or think those of us who don't offer rides, cook dinner for the guests, or go out with them on the town are bad hosts.  I've had a very small number of guests who have thought this way, left low reviews, but most everyone else who stays me has enjoyed the stay nonetheless.