How to Be the Best Airbnb Host EVER
We’re back for the third installment of our Airbnb series! If you missed the first two weeks you catch up on the Airbnb tips we’ve already talked about including whether Airbnb is right for you and How to Be the Best Airbnb Guest Ever. This week we’re going to talk about how to be the best Airbnb host EVER! Because let’s be honest if you’re trying to make money with Airbnb you want to be the best host possible so you can book your house more than once.
My sister and I have worked really hard to be the best possible hosts and our bookings/reviews are a reflection of this…we are on track to become Superhosts on the next assessment! So I wanted to pass along a few things we’ve learned about being great hosts.
Airbnb Tips: Getting Started as a Host
It might seem a little overwhelming to get started as an Airbnb host so here are a few tips as you get started…
- Kick things with a $40 travel credit when you sign up
- As you are creating your listing be sure to represent your home accurately. If you are misleading in your listing you are going to get poor reviews, making it more difficult to get additional bookings.
- When you’re setting your check-in and check-out times, make sure you give yourself sufficient time between guests to clean up. I’d say more than half the time we have people request early check-in so keep that in mind when you’re setting your times…don’t leave yourself too small of a cleaning window
- Upload quality pictures that give guests a visual idea of what it will be like to stay in your home…and if you offer special amenities, make sure to include pictures of those!
- When you’re first getting started I would set your nightly price a little lower than you’d like. Remember that you don’t yet have any reviews so potential guests can’t read what other guests have to say about you. Once you’ve hosted a couple of guests and have reviews on your listing than you can start raising your nightly price.
Airbnb Tips: Booking Guests
- Respond to every request and in a timely fashion…often times when people are searching for somewhere to stay they will send inquiries to multiple listings. If you take 12+ hours to respond, chances are they’ve already booked someplace else.
- Read their profile before you accept them and don’t be afraid to say no to people. If you really don’t want someone with four children staying with it’s okay to say no. This is your house and you need to feel comfortable with who is staying there.
- Go with your gut. If your gut tells you not to have someone stay with you, go with your gut. Remember this is your home so if you’re not sure you’re going to be comfortable having those particular guests in your home, you don’t have to accept them.
- It’s okay to ask questions before you book a guest. We’ve learned the hard way that it’s important to ask exactly how many friends they’ll have with them when they say, “I’m looking for a place for me and some friends.” If you need more information about the potential guest or their stay, just ask!
Airbnb Tips: Hosting Guests
- Be patient with travelers….remember your guests are probably new to the area and unsure of where things are located so they may ask questions you’ve already heard 100 times. Answer them graciously as if it’s the first time you’ve been asked that particular question.
- If you live near public transportation try providing a reloadable card for them to borrow…one thing we’ve learned is that the little touches can make a big difference. So even though this might not seem like a big deal, for the guests, this can be quite helpful
- Provide information about some of your favorite local spots that the might not otherwise know about as tourists…we keep a guide on our front entry table with frequently asked questions about our condo and a local map starred with some of our favorite places.
- I truly believe that doing anything really well means paying attention to the little details. We have a chalkboard in our entryway where we write a welcome message for each guest, we provide beach toys since we live near the beach, and provide some toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, etc) in the bathroom. None of these take us very much time but they are great touches for your guests.
I’d love to hear from you! In the comments below I’d love to hear if you’ve hosted through Airbnb, what tips you have for first-timers? If you’re an Airbnb host, what tips do you have for guests? If you’ve never used Airbnb, what questions do you have about being a host?
More Posts in the Airbnb Series
How to be the best Airbnb guest ever
If you have any questions about Airbnb feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at girlonthemoveblog01 {at} gmail {dot} com.
25 Comments
Seana Turner
I have not ever hosted, but I agree that the details make all the difference. I imagine that is what gets the best reviews, and means the most to the travelers. That, and no bad surprises!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
For sure…you definitely don’t want people to be surprised when they arrive!
Lauren
Great tips here for people considering renting out their home!
Ashleigh
This is a great post, thank you for your tips! I’ve stayed in rentals through AirBnB but have never hosted! I might look into it!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
I’d definitely recommend looking into hosting!
Sarah Twain
Great post- your host can really make or break your stay so it is important. Thankfully I’ve never been let down by Airbnb before- all brilliant hosts!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
That makes me so happy to hear because I know some people worry so it’s good to hear I’m not the only one with positive stories to tell!
Miranda (Myrabev)
I think it definitely important to give an accurate description of your place and visuals help a lot. I have never hosted so this is awesome
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Accurate descriptions are sooo important!
Shelly
These are great tips! I sure wish I would have known about this service when I was living in Hawaii. Haha!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
You could have made a killing hosting in Hawaii!
Eva @ Kidminds
It sounds like you put a lot of afford in being a great host. I sure hope you will become a Superhost in your next assessment.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
We’re on track to get there!
Manuela @ A Culitvated Nest
I don’t know how I feel about someone coming to my home and staying. You definitely share some awesome tips if I ever choose to be a host. I have never actually heard of AirBnB before. It seems pretty interesting.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
I’m a huge Airbnb fan! I don’t know if I’d be able to host someone in my home while I was there but because we have somewhere else we can stay when we have guests, it works!
Theresa @DearCreatives
Great tips. I don’t think I could host from my home but, if I had a little guest house (dream) then it might be possible.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
That would be awesome to have a little guest house you could rent out through Airbnb!
Bonnie @ Living a Fit and Full Life
Wonderful post! I wouldn’t be able to do it now but it sounds fun.
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
This is a great, informative post. I have stayed at Airbnb apartments before but never hosted (I guess I’ve been too scared?) I love all your tips.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
I think it’s worth trying out! I don’t know that I’d want to host while I was staying there but since we list our whole house/apt, it works!
Jaclyn
We would honestly LOVE the idea of hosting out of towners! We have a 2 year old, so it isn’t ideal now but how fun!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
It would be a little tricky to host when you have a 2-year old! It works for us to host with our whole house/apt because we have somewhere else we can stay when we have guests booked
Ana
I need to try airbnb out because I have heard how good it is although I need to do my research. Thank you for sharing
Taylor S.
I just heard of Airbnb for the first time recently! This is such a great idea! We have tons of pets so we probably won’t ever host, but I’d definitely look into being a guest! Thanks for sharing all this information!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
I would definitely encourage you to look into Airbnb as a guest!