Getting into the Airbnb hosting game can be a daunting experience. Whether your property is suitable, how to greet your guests and how much to charge are all valid concerns but can be simply tackled to make your property as Airbnb-able as possible. These tips should hopefully point you in the right direction and help you become an Airbnb superhost.
1. Offer amenities that your guests may not expect
As your guests walk into your property, they could be greeted by the minimum they expect, or by something special. As a bare minimum, you should offer a reliable internet connection and a clean property. However, a bottle of wine, some fruit and a note to welcome your guests will be received extremely well, and will only help ensure your guests leave a good review at the end of their stay. Beyond this, they may even tell their friends and family about your property if they feel so positively about it. If you can, it can even be worth greeting your guests as they arrive and showing them around to make them truly feel at home.
2. Find the right price
Being a new Airbnb host, the primary focus is on getting people to stay and leave you good reviews. Start by researching similar properties in the area, and set a relatively cheap price to ensure you get bookings and reviews quickly. Once you have a few, look at setting a more stable pricing structure to compete with properties nearby. It’s also worth considering how you can price weekdays and weekends differently, and take special events like concerts, national holidays and conventions into account. Seasonality is also an important factor, as a property by the beach can net you much more over summer than during winter.
3. Be helpful and flexible
Travellers may be delays by a flight, a breakdown or any kind of unexpected event. Be flexible, and make sure you are supportive. If they are due to arrive late, arrange for them to get the keys easier to avoid any hassle. An information sheet left in the property with local shops, attractions and other worthwhile sights is always welcome, too. As a host, make sure to get the Airbnb app and reply to any queries within an hour, as this will have a huge impact on your score as a host! This will ensure a smooth experience for your guests.
4. ALWAYS leave reviews
Make sure you leave a review for EVERY guest that comes to your property, not just the good ones. If there was a slight issue between you and your guests, say you worked together to resolve the issues, instead of leaving a negative review. This will help you get a good review back, too. You have 14 days to leave a review, so do so as soon as you can!
5. Be transparent about everything
Make sure your guests don’t have any nasty surprises! Make sure your photographs cover the entire property and be sure to mention if you’re in a noisy neighbourhood if there are several staircases in the property and any rules you may have for the property. This will ensure your guests are not surprised by anything and have a smooth experience throughout their stay.
There are plenty of helpful tricks to get you started on Airbnb, but with these 5 tips for a new host you’ll be a dab hand in no time. Happy hosting!