By  The Hospitable Team

Planning to start a short-term rental business on Airbnb and looking for an Airbnb startup checklist? In this post, you’ll find an Airbnb host checklist of essential things you will need to invest in for the greatest experience for your guests.

Being an Airbnb host isn’t just about providing your guests with a place to sleep. You have to take the full guest experience into account and deliver high-quality service.

As a host, you are competing with millions of other Airbnb hosts, so it’s important to stand out from the crowd. Better experiences mean better reviews, and better reviews mean more bookings. The process is simple.

So what is the best way to ensure this? Creating a perfect customer experience for your Airbnb guests involves a lot of work. And a part of that successful formula is making sure that your Airbnb property is stacked with the essentials that will make your guests feel comfortable and at home.

We thought you might also be interested in learning about hosting at Booking.com. Our guide is a great place to start.

9 Things to Do to Set Up Your Place for Success on Airbnb

Turning your home into Airbnb is a great way to make extra money, but it’s not that simple. There’s plenty to do before your first guest arrives to ensure your house is ready for the best Airbnb guest experience.

You need to transform your space from personal to guest-friendly by decluttering it and removing old furniture. Besides, you should remove all your personal items and store them in another place. It’s essential to leave your guests a clean, roomy space for them to spread out and relax.

Here are nine things you need to do before welcoming your guests.

Take care of home safety

First of all, you should make sure your place is safe. So fix any exposed wires or loose steps, replace non-working smoke alarms, install CO2 detectors if you don’t already have them, etc. Repair and replace the appliances and equipment you have used for years. Provide your guests with a first aid kit.

Furnish and decorate your home

It’s essential to make your Airbnb property both comfortable and inviting. That means you need to pick stylish short-term rental furniture that provides the function that guests need and makes your home welcoming. You should also decorate your space to make it more visually appealing to your ideal guests. Consider investing in such items as cushions, vases, plants, mirrors, and artwork.

There are a bunch of factors that make an Airbnb apartment different from a personal one. You need to keep the balance between durability and comfort. You will avoid high renovation costs with the right planning of your space and furniture. Download our free guide on setting your apartment the smart way.

Take great photos

Airbnb photos are the first thing that attracts travelers when they search for accommodation, and listings with beautiful photos receive more views, interest, and bookings. That’s why it’s essential to take inviting, captivating photos highlighting what’s amazing in your home and appropriately setting your potential guests’ expectations.

Before taking pictures of your rental space, clean your house from top to bottom to ensure that it is spotless and pristine. Try to shoot several photos for each room in your property, and pick the best ones to upload.

Create a catchy title for your listing

Create a memorable name for your listing that is informative and detailed enough to promote your property’s best features. It can be challenging because you are limited to 50 characters, so we recommend you follow the best practices.

Check out our guide on creating attention-grabbing Airbnb titles, where you can find some Airbnb name ideas for inspiration.

Write an accurate description

You also need an attention-grabbing Airbnb description. To make your listing stand out from the competition, your description should be more than a breakdown of your property’s amenities and features.

It’s important to convince travelers to click the Book Now button. So don’t try to make your description appealing to everyone. Speak to your ideal guests, emphasize unique selling points, and ensure that your words reflect your photos.

For inspiration, you may want to check out our article for more tips and some good Airbnb description examples.

Set your pricing strategy

No matter how wonderful your space is, if you set higher nightly rates than in comparable rentals nearby, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on bookings. But setting the right price can help you attract more guests.

Travelers may be hesitant to book Airbnb listings with no reviews, so you can entice your first guests with a starting price slightly below your target number. And when you get a few positive reviews, you can decide whether you should raise your nightly rate to match the demand in your local area.

Check our blog article to learn how to set up a great Airbnb pricing strategy and maximize your profit.

Get vacation rental insurance

Airbnb offers free protection for all hosts if something happens at their property. This Airbnb insurance is called AirCover for Hosts and provides $1,000,000 compensation for property damage and a similar amount for third-party injury. But AirCover for Hosts doesn’t cover everything, so you may want to consider an additional insurance policy to provide full coverage.

Hire a cleaning service

You can consider getting a professional cleaning service to give your house a deep clean. Although it’s an additional cost, you should consider it an investment in your property. Keeping your place tidy in-between guests’ stays is probably even more important. You need to work with a team of reliable cleaners capable of responding to short-notice requests.