10 Mistakes that First-Time Airbnb Hosts Make
I have been hosting through Airbnb for about two years now, and I have learned a lot since posting our first listing. I reached out to other Airbnb hosts to see what some of their advice was for first time hosts. Here’s what they said:
- Do not “devalue” your listing to get more bookings. It takes time to build up reviews and show that your place is worth the rate!!
- Once in awhile I will have a booking request that someone is making for someone else. For example, a man books my listing and says that he is booking for a friend. NEVER allow this. This is against Airbnb rules. The guest staying in your house must be the one who booked it. Otherwise there is no accountability for the person that actually stays there. (He may trash your house but the other person’s account is the one with the bad review). I also require all guests to have a valid government issued ID connected to their account and a profile picture!
- Stick to your price per night based on other listings near you. You wouldn’t make money if you turned on smart pricing. (Smart pricing is where Airbnb decides how much to charge per night–it’s usually much lower than necessary)
- ALWAYS check under the bed!!! In between each guest no matter what!!
- One of my early mistakes was not screening renters or asking enough questions before they book. The rule is if thy don’t volunteer information, keep asking questions. Another option is to go to booking settings>guest requirements>guest trip information>questions>edit. There is a list of questions you can check off that it will automatically ask guests to answer when they request the booking (with instant book). I have most of them checked.
- If the guests are staying long term, make a written contract or lease.
See our lease example here.
- Always meet and greet your guests when they arrive.
- At first I didn’t have a check out message detailing what the guests should do when leaving/checking out. I was doing their dishes, pots and pans– I learned real quick! Now my check in/check out messages are super detailed, and issues are rare now. Here are our example messages that we have saved.
- Using keys– now I have a smart lock and it is much easier to manage and track.
This is the smart lock that we have and we LOVE it.
- Providing extras like chocolate, wine, snacks, breakfast provisions actually makes no difference to the review you get. Going that extra mile rarely gets mentioned. Good customer service and good communication with the guest however does. I still enjoy providing “wow” items like wine & snacks…mentioned in the review or not. 🙂
Comment below with your words of advice for house sharing or hosting!
Traveling soon? Use my Airbnb Discount for $40 off your first trip and try Airbnb yourself.
You must be logged in to post a comment.