Airbnb is a company consisting of its vibrant community and has enjoyed tremendous growth. This community has over time developed its own culture and it’s this culture that attracts more people to it. Therefore, it’s important for new hosts to understand how to host on Airbnb through the culture and the people who shaped it. So who are these Airbnb hosts? Well, most of the hosts have joined due to Airbnb’s friendly values and philosophy. It’s not all about the solid Airbnb income. It’s important to understand this culture before jumping into it, and this is a quick summary on how to be a good Airbnb host.
The Key To Every Healthy Relationship is Communication
Like in every relationship, communication plays a pivotal role. It is no different if you want to be a good Airbnb host. When it comes to the relationship between host and tenant, we do everything we can to facilitate a healthy relationship between the two. So, when potential guests are interested in a listing, they can open up a line of communication with the host and enquire about the price, location and amenities of the lodging. However there are certain drawbacks to this personable method of enquiry. Firstly, potential guests expect quick responses given their traveling situation. It is easy to reply late due to time zone differences, work distractions and many other factors.
Prompt responsiveness plays such a pivotal role at Airbnb that the site rewards attentive and prompt hosts with their respective response rates and ranks their lodgings higher in the search results. This is the first thing I mention when people ask me how to host on Airbnb and stand out.
Since promptness has such a crucial role, Airbnb allows you to outsource your communication and booking management. This makes hosting on Airbnb more stress-free and easier to use.
Also, taking your guests’ feedback is crucial in understanding how to host an Airbnb in your particular city.
100% Authenticity (Not From Concentrate)
Airbnb is known for its unique philosophy and culture and most tenants are aware of these aspects. So when they’re looking for a place to stay, they’re not typically looking for a place that’s exactly like your local hotel. They want authenticity. That means lodgings with personal style and character. Don’t forget to emphasize this personality in your listing as well. You’ll be sure to attract more lodgers.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Trust is everything at Airbnb. That means giving full disclosure when renting a lodging. That way you’ll earn trust within the community and better accommodate your guests. A full disclosure will also earn you better reviews and prevent disputes. So it’s important to truthfully answer any questions potential lodgers may have.
Trust starts with having a fully updated calendar that reflects your availability. Airbnb rewards you for having consistent calendar updates by improving your SEO.
You Make The Rules Around Here
While you and your tenant are sharing a space, it’s important you set some boundaries to make the sharing experience as pleasant as possible. After all, the space still belongs to you. That’s why it’s important to have upfront rules and set a house standard. These standards and rules will prevent your guest from guessing what they may or may not do and enhance their experience.
Try to answer any questions before they’re asked. The more you rent, the more of an idea you will have of what will be asked. So it’s a learning experience. Most questions will be about smoking or parking or other general aspects about the lodging. Answering these questions will save your tenants the trouble of asking, giving them a better experience.
Expectations isn’t a one-way street. Your guests may also have some expectations which you may have to abide by. So keep that in mind.
It’s Not Easy Being Clean
Before the guest arrives, make sure all the dishes, glasses, towels, bedding and anything else the guest may be using is clean. As you can imagine, a guest arriving into a dirtier-than-advertised house or room can be very off-putting and it will reflect on your ratings.
The bathroom especially needs to be clean. If you do not have the time to keep your lodging clean, you can easily use a professional service. In fact, we can recommend a good cleaning service (Bnbcare ;)) and coordinate when it should be used. Charging your guest for a cleaning fee is common practice. Just make sure you are upfront with the fee in your listing.
We wrote about a few more Airbnb housekeeping tips in an earlier article.
Saving Private Renters
It’s important to respect the privacy and space of your Airbnb guests. Keep a healthy balance of availability and distance where you respect your guest’s space but you are still able to help them with any questions or concerns they may have. You can usually tell by the guest how much interaction they want. Just follow their cues. This is a subtle component of how to host on Airbnb well.
Are You Ready For Takeoff?
Now that you know how to host on Airbnb with style, as a last-minute precaution, we’ll mention that it’s a good idea to move any valuable or personal items you may have from out in the open. Although, damages and thefts are covered up to a $1,000,000 by Airbnb, but chances are that nothing will be broken or stolen. These are merely safety precautions.
You can also add little extras, like an additional roll of toilet paper or a chocolate on the guest’s pillow. This will enhance their experience and welcome them into your home.
The amazing thing is how few problems actually occur. At Airbnb when we look at the number of cases where something happens (e.g. breakage or property damage) it’s really small. In fact we recently increased our claims liability to $1m, as it doesn’t cost much to offer this service because not much actually happens. – Olivier Grémillon, Managing Director – EMEA at Airbnb
Now you know something about how to be a good Airbnb host: be as clean and amiable as you can, and you will surely get a happy guest and good reviews in return.
The Bottom Line of how to host on Airbnb
Airbnb hosting can be a social and money-making experience, but only when it’s approached from the right direction. Approach the Airbnb business as a net benefit for both you and your guest, where you both gain a great social experience. This will ensure many more guests will follow. If you are finding hosting, cleaning and managing your listing too burdensome, you can always outsource these responsibilities to an Airbnb management company, such as Bnbcare. After all, Airbnb hosting should be a fun and rewarding experience. And don’t forget that it’s a community, so there is also a handy forum where you can get answers on how to host on Airbnb!
Happy hosting!