Make hosting easier with the right technology, an efficient plan and a routine and remember to consider these 10 host tips when renting your home on Airbnb, including setting goals and expectations to keep you on the right track.
We know hosting isn’t always easy. It takes a lot of work and a lot of time to get it right. So, what do you need to know if you’re considering using one of the largest OTAs on the market?
Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned professional, there are always new tips and tricks to learn. We’ve put together 10 host tips to consider when renting your home on Airbnb.
Want to ensure you’re hitting the mark each and every time? Check out our ultimate guide on how to have good guests by being a great host.
Let’s get started. Here is our quick roundup of 10 hosting tips to remember:
- Understanding your time commitment
Owning and renting a short-term let can take up considerable time. Ask yourself if you’re a hosting hobbyist, or vacation rental entrepreneur.
Depending on what type of property manager you are, will determine how much time you can dedicate to your Airbnb. If you’re looking to scale your Airbnb business, this will become your full-time job. Ensure you’re ready for the full-time commitment. - Goals vs expectations
What do you want to achieve as a host? Setting the right goals and understanding the difference between goals and expectations will help build your business for success.
– An expectation helps set a professional code of conduct that will serve you well when hosting.
– A goal is an aspirational, yet attainable, challenge that helps you be the best you can be.
– Visualise your goal as the finishing line. Your expectations will help you reach your goal. - Lean on apps for greater success
Guests demand efficiency. In today’s world, everybody likes instant access, whether it’s answers to questions, problems resolved or instant messaging. Being available 24/7 however, is a near impossible task. One that will quickly drain you.
Ensure you can offer time-sensitive responses by leveraging hosting apps and technology to smooth out your operations. Property Management Systems are a great tool to help sync your calendars, integrate multiple short-term rental technologies and reach your goals.
Know Your Guest is integrated with leading OTAs, PMS’ and third-party management tools for greater efficiency and risk management success. - Avoid problematic guests with safety and security
As a host, you have the responsibility of keeping your guests safe and respecting your neighbours. Party bookings and criminal activity can shut your business down in an instant.
Do your due diligence. Prevent bad guests with additional guest screening and sex offender background checks.
Other great Airbnb safety tips include:
Ensuring your guests sign a guest agreement – help communicate your house rules and prevent misunderstandings
Opt for noise monitoring solutions – keep an eye on noise levels during a booking and send warnings to guests when noise levels are exceeded. - Accidents happen – collect deposits for every booking
With a high footfall of guests in your short-term rental, wear and tear is going to occur, sometimes at a quicker rate than within your home or long-term let. Short-term rental insurance doesn’t typically offer protection against these damages.
That’s where implementing a Damage Waiver policy, or collecting deposits, can help you cover smaller damage incidents without the hassle of going through your insurance.
“Around 10% of our bookings cause some damage, of which a damage waiver can cover 90%. Knowing that we have the funds available for that rainy day gives us peace of mind.”
Nick Taylor, Managing Director of Nox - Maintain neighbour relations
Honesty is the best policy. Follow the right Airbnb and short-term rental regulations in your area to maintain a positive status within your community.
Other host tips for solid neighbour relations include:
Provide them with contact numbers: Especially if you’re not local to your Airbnb, this gives neighbours greater confidence in you as a host.
Guest screening: Know who you’re letting in your house to protect neighbours from sex offenders, illegal activity and parties.
Noise monitoring solutions: Use technology and set quiet hours in line with your local council to protect your neighbours from unreasonable noise.
Property maintenance on speed dial: This will show responsiveness to guests, especially if something needs fixing quickly, and will provide neighbours peace of mind that your rental is maintained.
Professional cleaners and gardeners: Don’t let your short-term rental be the worst house on the street. - Keep up with the industry, it’s always evolving
One of our favourite host tips is to keep up with the industry. It is always evolving with new technologies, new regulations, and new hosts coming to the market.
The best way to stay ahead of your competition is to learn everything about them. Look up your own category on Airbnb. What’s doing well? How can you compete?
Other ways to keep up with the industry include dedicated news outlets specific to short-term rentals and the travel sector, such as Short Term Rentalz, Travel Daily News, Skift and Rental Scale-Up, industry expert podcasts, Airbnb influencers and short-term rental coaches, industry events and even location-specific associations.
Associations you can join:
APAR; a Mexican-based association
ASTRA; an Australian-based association
FAVR; a Florida-based association
STAA; a UK-based association
STAMA; a Greek-based association
VRMA; a US-based association - Prepare for seasonal changes
It’s a good idea to plan for the different seasons. The vacation rental market experiences high, low and shoulder seasons depending on its’ destination.
– Other variables to bear in mind include:
– National holidays
– School terms and holidays
– Climate
– Experiences and activities
Highlight your property with photos from all seasons to attract guests all year round and include local attractions and experiences for travellers to set you apart from the competition.
As the seasons change, so should your pricing. Invest in a dynamic pricing solution to help maximise your revenue during the low season. - Create a routine
Depending on your lifestyle and your listing, here are a few ways you can create a routine for a seamless booking experience for both you and your guests.
Track how many hours you spend communicating with guests: Create a guest FAQ page and save answers to reuse for future bookings
Be prepared by buying in bulk: For items you will consistently replace, such as toilet paper, soaps and other bathroom amenities.
Create a to-do list: To optimise productivity and ensure tasks aren’t forgotten, a checklist can be a great way to stay on track with daily tasks - Revise your listing
The short-term rental landscape is not constant. Algorithms update, and travel trends change. As a host, you need to adapt your business to change too; otherwise, you’ll face falling behind the competition.
Revising your listing is a great way to move with the industry and even seasonality changes.
When revising your listing, look to:
Optimise your listing title – is it catchy?
Provide an accurate listing description
Implement high-quality photos – the first 5 photos make the biggest impact.
We suggest updating your imagery to reflect your property’s changes, so as a minimum, you are meeting your guest’s expectations. The same goes for your amenities.
For further host tips, check out the following articles you may find interesting:
- How to Have Good Guests by Being a Great Host – The Ultimate A-Z Guide.
- 7 popular online short-term rental courses property managers and hosts should check out
- Expert Tips on Fostering Guest Loyalty to Maximise Repeat and Direct Bookings
- How investing in Superhog’s Know Your Guest damage waiver solution helped Nox create a better guest experience
