It’s always tempting to self-manage your Airbnb but a professional Airbnb management company might be the better option for you. We often find that problems arise when Hosts are either not professional enough or are non-responsive to guests’ requests. Hopefully, you’re treating your hosting like a business and not a hobby that you can deal with it when it suits you.
Here are some signs to look out for is you are self-managing your Airbnb:
Poor Reviews on Cleanliness
If you’re getting poor reviews on the cleanliness of your property then you should consider changing cleaners immediately or stop cleaning it yourself. It’s probably the one major thing that guests look out for in reviews before booking and no one wants to stay in a dirty home. This will start to result in getting fewer bookings and less profits. Sometimes you obviously might get the odd bad review but if you’ve had more than 3 less than perfect 5-stars each time, it’s time to at least get a cleaner
Your Hosting too Many Bad Guests
If you find yourself on the receiving end of too many bad guests then it’s a sure sign to hand over the keys to the professionals. Bad guests cannot only cost financially but in effort also. They might break items and often leave the property in a bad state giving your cleaner more work to do. Guests like these can also cause an issue with your neighbours and the local community, that could result in you losing the ability to Airbnb your apartment at all. Many Airbnb Management companies will know what to look out for and how to screen guests properly so they don’t stay in your property causing you drama.
Poor Reviews on Communication
Communication should virtually always be 5-stars unless you’ve been completely out of contact in the wilderness somewhere. Guests don’t expect a constant contact but you we find that you should contact each guest at least 3-times. Once or twice before, during and maybe after their stay. Just to say “Thanks for staying with us” is often enough. If your struggling with communication look at tools such as Smartbnb or Guesty, as their automated tool might help
Falling Behind with Maintenance
Property maintenance is a big part of managing an Airbnb, as any given time issue may arise that need to be resolved. But many of these issues can be mitigated by a general inspection once a month and calling in the relevant professionals. Basic things like mouldy silicone, dirty carpets, loose plugs etc.. can be sorted very quickly, but if left can start to result in low Airbnb reviews.
Conclusion
Self-managing an Airbnb is normally straightforward but it can take a fair amount of time. You may think your also saving money by doing it yourself, however, you may find that you’re also losing money as you’re not making the most of your property. Whereas a professional Airbnb manager will know how to help you maximize profits to ensure positive cash flow. If you notice any of the signs above maybe it’s time to switch to a Professional Airbnb Management Company.