Airbnb has quickly become a genuine way for people to make money by renting out their homes. According to Airbnb, at least half of all its hosts make more than $500 a month on rental income thanks to the platform. With better advertising, better location and a better description of your home, you can make so much more simply by renting out that spare room or even your entire home on Airbnb.
If you are ready to start making money on this platform, here are some tips on how to be an excellent host who makes much more than the average $500 a month.
Top Tips for Airbnb Hosts
To be successful at anything, you need to learn the rules that govern it. As is the case with any kind of business (and to be a successful host on Airbnb, you have to think of it as a business as opposed to just a hobby), there are rules and regulations that govern the game.
There are platform-based rules, and there are laws and regulations that govern the many different locations. You need to learn all of them to stay protected and compliant. That being said, here are the top tips that every Airbnb host needs to use to succeed:
1. Comply with the Local Laws
You simply HAVE to comply with the local laws that govern this business in your area. There are very many different laws. For example:
- There are some cities such as New Orleans that restrict your ability to let out an entire house to one guest
- In others, you are not allowed to let your home for a short-term basis
Many of these laws are based on local zoning and administrative codes as well as regulations that look to protect the other dwellers from the effects of short or long-term hosting for strangers. Learning the laws and regulations that govern any region will help you determine just how viable being an Airbnb host in that particular region is going to be for you.
2. Put Measures in Place to Protect Yourself as a Host
Honestly speaking, a vast majority of the guests on Airbnb are wonderful people just like a vast majority of the hosts are genuine people who just want to make some money and show some hospitality. That being said, there are always going to be some bad eggs in the lot, and as a host, you need to put measures in place to protect yourself. Here are some things you can do:
- Always read the guest’s previous reviews by other hosts
- Check them out yourself to make sure the house isn’t ruined
- Take photographs of the house in between stays for evidence
3. Give Clear Directions and Rules for Staying in Your Home
Airbnb seeks to protect both guests and hosts alike. As such, they have a provision where the guests can restrict the kinds of activities that take place on their property. You can make use of this provision to tell guests about the rules by which they must abide for a better stay at your home.
4. Have Plenty of Photos of the Listing
There are more than 6 million hosts on Airbnb worldwide, and all these people have stunning houses listed. So, why is it that only half of these people make more than $500 a month? Because many do not know how to advertise their property.
The best properties (the ones that get the most hits) are in excellent locations and have plenty of images on the platform. Take clear and high-quality pictures of everything, including the main house from the outside, all the rooms, the main facilities, the compound, and the surroundings.
The images you use should give your guests a virtual tour of the place. Only once they feel as though they already know it and can see themselves staying there will they inquire about booking.
5. Be Flexible with the Check-in and Check-Out Times
Yes, depending on the kind of security measures you have in place, you might have an issue with late check-ins and check-outs. While you could very clearly communicate this on your listings page, remember that sometimes, as much as the guests intend to adhere to these rules, somethings aren’t under their control.
Their flights might get delayed, or their transport to your location might get interrupted in one way or the other. If you lock them out despite all these issues, you might quickly get a reputation as a terrible and inconsiderate host.
6. Do A Bit More for Your Guests than You Mention in the Listing
Remember, these are people who are either on vacation or on a business trip. The particular situation they are in will determine what extra mile you can go to make them more comfortable.
- Are they on vacation; how about sharing information on the best local attractions with them?
- Are they there for work; how about sharing a quiet glass of wine one evening and just finding out how things are going?
For the most part, many guests will want to keep to themselves, but when they realize that you are approachable, they might just open up, and you might make a friend and a return customer.
7. Use Mattress Covers to Protect Your Mattresses
Invest in good mattress covers for your mattresses. This tip, although self-explanatory and fairly logical, isn’t one that many hosts follow. Imagine the number of guests you get each year and imagine the fact that they are all sleeping on the same bed and mattress.
Would you want to sleep on that mattress as the final guest of the year? Mattress covers not only keep your mattresses clean and protected, but it shows your guests that you take their hygiene seriously.
8. Create a Guidebook for Your Guests
You know the location best. One of the best ways to help out your guests is to simply create a guidebook of all your favorite places and leave it on their nightstand should they need it. This way, even if you aren’t around, they won’t be stranded for things to do, see as well as other instructions on how to find and operate things around the house.
9. Be Extremely Responsive
To become a Superhot on Airbnb, you have to be a highly hospitable person. Part of this means that you have to respond to each and every inquiry even when you can’t host the guests. By doing so, your response rate goes up which increases your chances of being a Superhot. Remember to be polite and courteous in every response.
10. Make Sure Your Property is in Pristine Condition
This is a big one; people go to Airbnb expecting 5-star hotel treatment. Yes, you could very well state in the descriptions that yours isn’t a hotel and they shouldn’t expect the same kind of treatment,but they will anyway.
Make sure that your property meets all the standards of a clean and highly rated hotel (you don’t have to include the expensive dishes and a gourmet chef although that would be a nice touch). Simply make sure that it’s clean and that there is always someone at hand to help your guests out when they need it.
Just imagine what you would like as someone’s guest and deliver on those expectations while adhering to all the necessary laws and regulations that govern your hosting business in your location.
