Whether you’re just thinking about becoming an STR host or have already started hosting on Airbnb but want to make the process smoother, there are some Airbnb hacks that every host should know.
We’ve put together this list of short-term rental hosting tips and tricks to help you set yourself apart from the competition and succeed with your Airbnb business. If you follow these Airbnb hacks, you can make the hosting process a lot easier.
Communicate with your guests
Communication with guests and potential guests is an essential aspect of being an Airbnb host because it’s key to the guest experience. A quick and clear response to your guest’s question, complemented with an extra layer of information, will show them that you’re a responsible host who really cares. It can make the difference between a positive review and a negative one.
You should stay in touch with guests before and during their stay and be ready to assist if needed. It’s crucial to respond to their inquiries thoughtfully and quickly. Luckily, there are vacation rental management software tools like Hospitable that can help you streamline your communication process with guests from start to finish. With Hospitable, you can automate your guest messaging using proven templates and apply 50+ shortcodes and various conditions and triggers to personalize your messages.
Have conversations with your guests even when you sleep
Optimize your Airbnb listing’s furnishings
Soft, luxurious throw pillows all over your living area look aesthetically pleasing, but having unnecessary furnishings can add to your cleaning costs. If you have to do it frequently, cleaning can get rather expensive. It’s better to use bedding materials, covers for sofas, and couch pillows. You can easily remove and wash them; they won’t break the bank if there’s a stain or two.
Add a sofa bed to accommodate more guests
Investing in practical, durable furniture, and adding a double-sofa bed will allow you to market your home to a wider audience, leading to more bookings. With a sofa bed, you can turn your one-bedroom rental property into a two-bedroom and be able to accommodate larger groups of people.
With smart automation software, you will be able to send sofa bed instructions only to those guests who actually need them.
Be strategic with your pricing
Setting up an Airbnb pricing strategy can greatly impact how much money you can make. When you’re new to Airbnb and have no or few guest reviews, you need to focus on building your reputation as a host. So you should check your competitors’ prices and consider lowering your nightly rates. That can help attract more travelers and get more bookings and first positive reviews. And when your listing has been booked for a few weeks, and you’ve racked up great reviews, you can increase your prices to earn more money.
Provide as much detail as possible in your listing
When travelers search for a place to stay, they’re more likely to choose listings with a well-written, detailed description and inviting, captivating photos of your rental space. The more information you provide, the better.
You should highlight unique features of your rental property, describe the rooms, provide details about the amenities you offer, additional house rules, etc. Emphasize things that make your place special and add pictures of unique aspects of your Airbnb to your listing.
Use a smart lock
Smart locks are safer than traditional keys, and offering keyless access to your property is very convenient. With a smart lock, you won’t have to worry about late check-in. Your guests can enter your property even if you’re not physically there to let them in. Just send a code to your guest in a message and change it when they check out. The best approach is to automate the process and let our system generate and send lock codes matching the guest’s phone number.
Automate your routine rental management tasks
Being an Airbnb host means juggling many roles to ensure your business runs smoothly. You may feel stressed and overwhelmed with your daily responsibilities, such as messaging your guests, updating your calendar and pricing, assigning tasks to your team, etc.
But you can be more efficient in managing your listing and save time on routine operations if you use STR management software like Hospitable, which offers comprehensive features. With Hospitable, you’ll be able to automate repetitive hosting processes, cut costs, and improve guest experiences.
Your entire STR business in one convenient platform
Start today with a 14-day free trial.
Surprise your guests
Adding small personal touches can make guests feel appreciated and cared for, making their stays more memorable. Here are some Airbnb hacks that can help make travelers feel welcome:
Impress your guests with a welcome basket
Leave wine and homemade chocolates
Arrange fresh flowers for each stay
Leave a handwritten note
Final Thought
Hopefully, these Airbnb hacks will help make your life as a host easier and ensure your guests have a great experience. Implementing them requires planning and effort, but you can be sure that your guests will have a memorable stay at your Airbnb property. And happy guests will be more likely to give you a 5-star review.
You may also want to check out our blog article, where you can find more tips on running Airbnb and best practices.