Want to become a great host with plenty of 5-star reviews? You’ll need to make your listing stand out from the crowd and do your best to delight your guests. To help you navigate your way in the hosting world and avoid common mistakes, we have put together this list of Airbnb dos and don’ts you should keep in mind.
Airbnb Dos and Don’ts: Tips for Hosts
If you’re looking to boost your Airbnb income and impress your guests, you should pay close attention to these tips. Find out how to attract more guests, create a simple hosting routine, and avoid some common pitfalls.
Do invest time into catchy titles and professional photos
The title of your listing is the first thing your guests read, so you should make it as interesting and creative as possible. It’s critical to avoid generic words and phrases like ‘beautiful’ or ‘great location.’ Instead, you should focus on the unique aspects, amenities, and convenience that your rental property can offer.
You should also include plenty of high-quality inspirational photos of your listing that can make travelers want to book the property. Beautiful Airbnb pictures will do most of the work for you. Just make sure that your cover picture looks stunning and will wow your potential guests.
Don’t set up wrong expectations
It may be tempting to write a description that over-sells your rental space. But you shouldn’t exaggerate the truth to make your Airbnb sound better than it is because it’s the best way to earn bad reviews. If you write an excessively colorful property description, you might get many initial bookings, but your guests will feel cheated. And in the long-term, you will get cancellations and bad reviews once the stays are over.
It’s important to highlight the unique features you think will be interesting for the type of travelers you are trying to target. But you should always be honest, even if it’s about the smallest things, and try to create an accurate picture of what staying at your property is like.
Do keep your space clean
Letting paying Airbnb guests stay in a dirty or messy place is one of the most unforgivable things in the world. As a host, it’s your primary responsibility to ensure your rental property is clean and tidy when guests arrive. Your rental space needs to be spotless, no matter whether it’s a luxury villa or a budget one bedroom.
If you’re hosting regularly, the constant routine of turning your rental space over in between guests can become rather tiring. So the good idea is to hire professional cleaners to ensure you’re always covered. And don’t forget to provide your cleaners with a cleaning checklist.
Airbnb allows hosts to add a cleaning fee to their listings to offset the costs of professional help. And tools like Hospitable.com can help you set the rules and forget about assigning tasks to your team member. Our system will automatically schedule cleanings for last-minute bookings and can even notify your team of same-day turnover.
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Don’t overdo it on the rules
Make sure your house rules are clear from the start. Airbnb must accept the rules as part of the booking process, so you should make sure everything relevant is included. But, keep in mind that if you create a thick house manual, it will not contribute to a homely atmosphere.
Use common sense to streamline your rules, and don’t put lots of “don’t do this” and “don’t do that” notes around the house. Your guests want to relax during their vacation and enjoy your space, so help them feel as if it’s their home.
Do get the price right
It’s critical to determine a pricing strategy for your rental space because the price is always a part of any filter. So you should check the competitors’ rates in your area to ensure that your listing doesn’t drop out because your price is too high or doubtfully low.
The good idea is to take note of travel trends in your area and seasonality. Many hosts use dynamic pricing to entice guests to book their property during the low season. And if you increase your rates during popular travel times like Christmas, you’ll be able to earn more money. Update your prices regularly to see how prospective guests react to changes.
Don’t overlook the small details
Always put the guest experience first and try to look at every hosting decision through the eyes of a potential guest. Remember that Airbnb hosts are selling an experience more than just lodging. You need to put yourself in the guest’s shoes—imagine what you would need if you were them and think about what would exceed your expectations.
If your Airbnb property isn’t your primary residence, you should spend some time there to get a sense of the guest’s experience. Is there enough equipment in your kitchen to prepare a meal? Is there enough space in the wardrobe? Does each person have a light by the bed so they can read at night?
Try to furnish your house with things you would want if you were to come into the space. For example, if you like to drink out of nice glasses, provide good-quality wine glasses and make sure that there are decent knives in the kitchen drawer.
It’s essential to understand what guests traveling to your local area are going to want—activities, relaxation, or maybe luxury. And you should always think a few steps ahead and have these things ready for your guests before they even realize they want or need them. That’s the key to getting 5-star reviews.
Do stay in touch with your guests
Communication is one of the most critical aspects of Airbnb hosting that helps make your guests happy. From the initial booking request to stay right through to the final review, you should try to maintain transparent and open channels of conversation. Your guests should know that you are easily reachable if they need you.
Being available to your guests to answer their questions immediately 24/7 is challenging, especially if you have multiple listings on different platforms. But you can automate guest communications with Hospitable.com and save tons of time.
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Final Thought
Although hosting on Airbnb takes a significant commitment of time, it can provide a substantial additional revenue stream and be a gratifying experience when done right. Hopefully, our tips on Airbnb dos and don’ts will help you find success on this popular OTA platform, so it will be worth the time and energy you put in.
