Many people start an Airbnb business as a side hustle for a more passive income. Another attraction of being an Airbnb host is that you can manage your vacation rental property from anywhere in the world.
Although there are many things you need to handle to run your Airbnb, managing it remotely is much easier and less time-consuming than you think. Of course, it’s not about sitting back and letting your STR business run itself. As a host, you have to put in some work, to begin with, to set up a solid business process and ensure that the proper management procedures are in place.
If you want to manage your Airbnb from a distance, this blog is for you. Here, you’ll find our top tips on how to manage Airbnb remotely with ease.
How to Run an Airbnb Remotely
Running an Airbnb remotely is commonplace. Many hosts invest in properties out of state based on their profit potential or just because they are located in the hosts’ favorite vacation spots.
No matter where you live—down the street or across the country, your hosting responsibilities remain the same. You must take care of your guests (and your vacation home) and ensure a pleasant guest experience.
That means you can manage your Airbnb remotely with the right business processes in place. The following tips will show you how to run Airbnb remotely seamlessly and cost-effectively and set your business for success.
Set an automated message flow
When you run an Airbnb remotely, all your interaction with guests happens online via messaging. But it doesn’t mean you can’t establish good relationships with your guests and show them you are an attentive and professional host.
You should focus on proactive communication with guests before, during, and after their stay to ensure they get all the necessary information at the right time and have an enjoyable stay. Then, they are more likely to give you 5-star reviews and book your property again.
If done manually, guest messaging is the biggest time drain for STR hosts, but you can easily set up a flawless automated message flow using vacation rental software like Hospitable. With Hospitable, you can define your messaging rules, set up triggers, and answer all your guests’ questions almost instantly. Thanks to ChatGPT integration, our system will consider the relevant context to provide accurate and personalized answers to each guest, saving you much time.
Have conversations with your guests even when you sleep
Offer self-check-in
Many Airbnb hosts choose to welcome their guests in person when they arrive, but this is not an option when you manage an Airbnb remotely. Installing a smart lock is an effective way to solve this problem and guarantee a smooth check-in process in your absence.
Then, you can offer your Airbnb guests self-check-in and won’t worry about always being personally present at your vacation rental when they arrive or leave. Smart locks allow you to give a digital code to each guest that is only valid during their stay.
You can also manage your smart locks from anywhere using your smartphone via an app and fully control all entries, check-ins, and check-outs. This is simpler for you and stress-free for guests.
Hire professional cleaners
Airbnb guests expect hotel-standard cleanliness, and it’s a top thing that they will notice and quickly review you. Since you can’t clean your property yourself when you manage it remotely, finding the right person or company to keep your vacation rental clean and guest-ready after each turnover is important.
Hire a local cleaning team you can trust, and ask your cleaners to follow a cleaning checklist to ensure that your vacation rental is always sparkling clean and fresh for the next guest.
Check out our article on vacation rental cleaning best practices.
Gather a team to help you with maintenance
Even if you perform regular rental property maintenance, there might inevitably be issues at any point in time, like leaky pipes, broken appliances, or something that might go wrong with electricity. And no matter what might happen, guests expect you to take action immediately.
When you run an Airbnb remotely, you can’t get there to fix the problem yourself, so you need trustworthy local maintenance and repair professionals ready to respond to any request. Vendors you should have on speed dial include a plumber, HVAC repair services, an electrician, a landscaper, and a handyman.
Set up dynamic pricing
Since you’re not in the area where your short-term rental business is located, you probably have little knowledge of the local market, including seasonality, events in the area, daily rates, and occupancies.
That makes it challenging to know how to adjust your nightly rates to ensure they are competitive. The solution is to use a dynamic pricing tool to help you adjust your prices for seasonal changes in supply and demand and maximize your income.
Automate as much as you can
Automation allows you to create a thriving Airbnb business without being tied down to a specific location. Vacation rental software like Hospitable will help you automate all your hosting routines and keep your STR business under control even if you are traveling the world.
With Hospitable, you can stay on top of guest communication, manage reservations and sync calendars across different channels, assign tasks to your team automatically, handle direct bookings, and much more.
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Many Airbnb hosts rely on Hospitable and other automation tools to streamline their operations when they manage multiple STR properties remotely. You may want to check out the success story of Taylor Adams and her husband, who use Hospitable to manage their properties in 3 different states more efficiently and drive additional revenue.
Create a comprehensive guest book
If you provide your guests with all the important information upon their arrival, they won’t need to contact you with any additional questions during their stay. So, create a comprehensive house manual that includes all the information guests need to enjoy their stay.
Consider to include the following details:
- House rules
- Check-in and check-out procedures
- Local attractions, restaurants, and other places to visit, and public transportation schedules
- Guides for appliances
- Troubleshooting tips and WiFi codes
- Emergency contact numbers
Provide a printed copy of your guestbook and leave it out for your guests to see. When you manage an Airbnb remotely, guests can’t meet you in person to receive your tips and instructions, so they can use your guestbook as a reference guide during their stay.
Final Thought
As you see, it’s quite possible to become an effective remote Airbnb host with the right automation tools and creativity. Use these tips on managing Airbnb remotely to streamline your process as much as possible while caring for all your guests’ needs to provide them with a memorable experience.
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