Airbnb Tips Hosting

Anything your competitor does. You can do better. No matter how good your competitor’s Airbnb listing is, there is always room for improvement. The trick is finding those spots where you can improve your listing, make it better and more attractive to potential guests. Here are our tip to increasing your ranking on Airbnb.

Do the obvious

There are issues that stick out when you create your new Airbnb rental listing and they are talked about enough all over the internet that they only warrant a brief passing mention here.

1. respond to your potential guests’ inquiries- you need to do this in a timely manner ensure you response with in 24-hours
2. take great photos- enough can’t be said about this topic. Lousy photos will drive your potential guests to your competitors. Upload a minimum of 10 photos.
3. write good descriptions- the better and more concise the description the more interest you will arouse

Select the right featured image

Selecting an attention-grabbing featured image for your Airbnb listing is a pivotal step in capturing the interest of potential guests. This visual introduction serves as the first impression of your property, influencing a visitor’s decision to explore further. Aim for a high-quality image that not only showcases the best aspects of your space but also conveys a welcoming atmosphere. Opt for well-lit, clear photographs that highlight the unique features and amenities your property offers.

Make your property available

This is important as no one will be able to rent your property if it is not available for rent. But more so the more dates that are available Airbnb will prioritise your listing over your competitors

Reduce your minimum stay

Minimum stays are important, but it’s crucial to be flexible, especially with the minimum stay requirement. If you’re new to Airbnb, avoid setting a minimum stay low initially to attract more renters. Once your rental gains popularity, you can consider implementing higher minimum stays.

Use all 50 characters in the title

Crafting an ideal title for your Airbnb listing is undoubtedly a challenge, especially when confined to a mere 50 characters. While there’s no universal formula for perfection, a strategic approach can significantly enhance your title’s effectiveness. The key is to accentuate the distinctive features that set your property apart. In this limited character space, every word counts, so it’s essential to make each one work to your advantage.

Avoid Cancelations

What that means is that you should avoid cancelling a confirmed reservation at all costs. Once you cancel, you will get negative reviews and those reviews are hard to rebound from. Plus, potential guests will not trust you at all and that will be hard for your business to take.

Use the right keywords

The key to getting traffic to view your Airbnb rental properties is to practice good SEO habits. One of the most vital habits you need to practice is the proper use of keywords. Do some good research for the right keywords. If you live in a small town use than in you description, the same goes for attractions or venues.

Update your calendar often

Enhance your ranking by consistently updating your calendar. This practice effectively showcases your property’s availability and any booked dates, contributing to a better understanding for potential renters. If you manage multiple listings, maintaining accurate and up-to-date calendars becomes even more essential. Airbnb like to know that your keeping on top of things.

Responsive Communication

To optimize your Airbnb hosting experience, it is crucial to respond promptly to inquiries and messages from potential guests. Swift responses not only showcase your commitment to excellent customer service but also establish a positive first impression, signalling to guests that their inquiries are valued. Furthermore, maintaining clear and friendly communication is paramount in building trust. The ideal amount of time is to respond within under and hour.

Optimize your amenities

Tailor your offerings to align seamlessly with the preferences and needs of your target guest demographic. By understanding the specific desires of your intended audience, you create a more enticing and tailored experience, increasing the appeal of your property.

Get the Airbnb Superhost badge

This not only lets potential renters see that you are qualified hosts and professional, but it also helps boost your listing rankings. Here are the areas you need to focus on and the stats to maintain:

1. have 10 completed bookings
2. maintain a 50% review rate or higher
3. have a good response rate, e.g. 90% or higher
4. do not have any cancellations
5. keep a 4.7 overall rating

Enable Airbnb’s smart pricing

Harnessing the power of Airbnb’s Smart Pricing is a savvy strategy to optimize your listing’s financial performance. By enabling Smart Pricing, you empower the platform to autonomously adjust your rates in accordance with dynamic market trends. This automated feature not only streamlines the pricing process but also ensures that your rates remain competitive without the need for continuous manual adjustments. The real-time responsiveness of Smart Pricing allows your listing to adapt to fluctuations in demand, local events, and seasonal variations, maximizing your revenue potential while offering guests fair and market-driven rates. Embracing this intelligent pricing tool not only enhances your listing’s visibility but also positions your property as a smart and attractive choice for prospective guests seeking value and competitiveness in the Airbnb marketplace.

Don’t break Airbnb rules

Keeping yourself updated on Airbnb’s regulations helps keep your rental promises and descriptions up to date and true. These regulations help you rent your property the way you advertise it.

Also, make sure your rentals and the way you rent meet your locations’ laws. Cities have rules about renting so make sure you are up to date on those as well. You do not want to cancel because you ignored or did not know about those pesky little details.

Ask for reviews

Encouraging guests to share their experiences through reviews is a pivotal aspect of cultivating a positive online presence as an Airbnb host. By actively seeking feedback, you not only gain valuable insights into your property’s strengths but also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement. Equally important is addressing any concerns or issues raised by guests in a prompt and proactive manner. Swiftly resolving problems not only enhances the guest experience but also showcases your dedication to guest satisfaction. This proactive approach to guest feedback not only fosters a positive reputation but also helps build a community of satisfied guests who are more likely to leave favorable reviews, thereby contributing to the overall success and ranking of your Airbnb listing.

Response to all reviews

Leverage the “Response to Reviews” feature as an invaluable tool to demonstrate your dedication to your property and provide potential guests with insights into your personal approach. By crafting thoughtful responses, you convey a genuine commitment to guest satisfaction, fostering a sense of trust and transparency. It’s important to note that once your response is posted, editing is not an option. Therefore, take the time to consider your words carefully, ensuring your response reflects your appreciation for feedback and your genuine efforts to enhance the guest experience. This feature serves as an immediate and lasting reflection of your hosting ethos, contributing to a positive image that resonates with potential guests.

Some final words

Sometimes, all you need to do to improve your vacation rental listing on Airbnb is to use a little common sense. The task is not difficult to work on. Just be honest with yourselves and your site and maybe those photos could be improved slightly.

Make a checklist so you do not forget any detail and see what can be done to make your listing better.

In the past few years, the home-sharing industry has grown tremendously, with Airbnb taking a significant portion of the market share. Airbnb was founded in the year 2008 in America and continues to expand to other countries. Before Airbnb’s popularity, many people opted to use CouchSurfing to host guests as well as book travel accommodation. CouchSurfing was founded in 2004, and although there is more competition in the home-sharing market compared to back then, the company boasts of 10 million users in over 200,000 countries around the world. The similarities between Airbnb vs CouchSurfing can result in hosts being confused about what platform is suited for them. Here’s everything you need to know about the similarities and differences: Airbnb vs CouchSurfing.

A brief overview of Airbnb and CouchSurfing

Established in 2008, Airbnb has become a global phenomenon with over 4 million hosts and 6 million active listings across the world. Present in over 100,000 cities, Airbnb has garnered a vast user base of more than 150 million worldwide, resulting in over 1 billion stays booked on the platform.

In contrast, CouchSurfing predates Airbnb, originating in 2004. This platform was designed to offer travelers spaces for short-term rental stays, emphasizing a holistic travel experience that involves immersing oneself in the social culture of the host and the broader community. CouchSurfing operates in approximately 237 countries, fostering an international community of about 14 million people.

The similarities between Airbnb and CouchSurfing

• They’re both short-term rental stay platforms 

The most visible similarity between Airbnb and CouchSurfing is that they were both created to allow people to book short-term rentals. Hosts can register on either platform (or both) and list their properties for short-term rentals.

• They provide alternative accommodation to hotels

Booking a stay at a hotel is usually more expensive than booking a short-term rental stay. Both Airbnb and CouchSurfing provide cheaper (with CouchSurfing being free for guests) accommodation options than hotels and therefore provide more options for people to choose from. This means that hosts can expect a variety of guests when listing on Airbnb and Couchsurfing. Hotels are often associated with the ‘serious business type,’ whereas short-term rental stays often attract younger crowds or travelers who are searching for adventure.

• They provide flexibility

Due to the number of listings on each platform, Airbnb and CouchSurfing provide a broad range of properties for guests to choose from. Guests can book their stay in advance, as well as decide what type of property they’d like to stay in. For example, guests can choose to stay in a villa, an apartment, or a cabin. The flexibility is appealing to young guests and travelers seeking new experiences. As a host, this is an advantage because you aren’t limited to listing one certain type of space, you’re able to host your unique accommodation on either platform with ease.

• They allow guests to immerse themselves in the culture of a particular place

Both platforms encourage guests to immerse themselves in the culture around them. CouchSurfing guests stay with the host and Airbnb provides Airbnb Experiences for guests to partake in.

• You need to sign up to become a host

On both Airbnb and CouchSurfing, you must sign up to become a host. Airbnb requires you to sign up to become a host and verify your ID through their verification process. You will then be required to create a detailed listing with a price and set booking guidelines. Lastly, communicating with guests and responding to queries in a timeous manner is important.

On CouchSurfing, you sign up as a host by filling out a detailed profile about your lifestyle and personal values. As a new host, you can learn more about the process from other hosts as well as by attending local events. Your couch status should always be set to ‘yes’ or ‘maybe,’ as this allows you to communicate with potential guests in order to find a good match.

The differences between Airbnb and CouchSurfing

• Service fees and booking fees

Airbnb charges host service fees. Airbnb charges based on two models: the split fee and host-only fee. The split fee is split between the host and the guest, with the host paying 3% and the guest paying under 14,2% of the subtotal booking fee. The host-only model results in the host paying 14% to 16%.

Couchsurfing doesn’t charge hosts any service fees and booking fees. Using the platform is free for hosts, they have $14,29 annual fee for surfers.

• CouchSurfing provides a more intimate experience

Prior to confirming a booking on CouchSurfing, hosts are expected to engage with guests to find the best possible fit. The platform also encourages hosts and guests to be transparent about their lifestyles, allowing the guest and host to get to know more about each other. 

On the other hand, Airbnb only allows the guest to confirm the booking and answer queries. There is no opportunity to know more about the host’s lifestyle and vice versa with Airbnb. Furthermore, CouchSurfing guests stay with the host, whereas Airbnb hosts often do not, allowing for more privacy.

• Searching for a homestay is different 

Finding a homestay on Airbnb is quite simple. All you have to do is fill in the relevant details, book your desired accommodation, and await confirmation. On CouchSurfing, you have to contact multiple hosts in the city you plan on visiting and wait for a response and confirmation. This may feel more time-consuming than booking on Airbnb.

• It’s easier to confirm a booking with Airbnb

Once your booking is confirmed on Airbnb, it’s guaranteed, whereas, on Couchsurfing, a confirmed booking isn’t necessarily final. Hosts may decide to cancel and because you aren’t paying for the stay, there’s less of an obligation to follow through with the booking. 

Who won between Airbnb vs Couchsurfing?

Choosing between Airbnb and Couchsurfing as a host depends on your preferences, hosting style, and what you’re looking to offer:

• Airbnb:
  • Ideal if you want to earn income from your space.
  • Provides the opportunity to list entire homes, private rooms, or shared spaces.
  • Guests on Airbnb typically expect more privacy and amenities, and you can set your own pricing.
• Couchsurfing:
  • Suited for hosts looking to foster cultural exchange and meet travelers.
  • Hosting is generally free, emphasizing a more social and communal experience.
  • Best for those who enjoy sharing their space and connecting with diverse guests.

With the information above, you can make an informed decision about which platform to host on or to use for your next stay. Ensure that you’re getting the best deal, use our coupons to obtain a discount on your first stay or for the first guest that you host. Before signing up you should also check our the other alternative in Vrbo, another top-rated vacation rental platform. 

Want to know some tips to make your vacation rental stand out from the rest? It seems that almost everyone who has spare rooms, an RV, cabin or vacation home are trying to rent them out. That makes the Airbnb rental market a crowded place. To get a step ahead of your competition, you need to know how to make your property stand out.

Just keep reading to find out how to make your spare room, etc., look attractive and better than your competitor’s.

Take the right photos

What is interesting to you about your property may not be interesting to your potential guests. Learn to focus on the whole property not just what you like. Then follow the following photo-taking suggestions to spice up those photos:

a. Make sure your property is not filled with clutter or messy

b. Take honest photos that are very bright not dark or shadowy

c. Use the right lens to have your property look spacious

d. Don’t edit the photos, Photoshop is not always your friend

e. Use more daylight photos and stay in focus

f. Don’t tilt your camera but keep your photos level and looking straight at your subject

Check out even more tips on taking photos for your vacation rental.

Stay focused

By this, we mean that you should only pick one or two rental niches to advertise in. If you spread yourself out too thin, you won’t be able to have your property stand out and you may lose potential guests. This also helps you write better descriptions of your property.

Use the proper marketing techniques

Since comfort is almost standard throughout the world, this is not going to be a great selling point. Find something unique that no one else offers and highlight that. Some people call this creating an experience and making your distinct brand but it is really called good advertising.

Learn to write well

Part of making your property stand out from the crowd is writing top-notch descriptions. This does not mean writing fairy tales but be honest and direct your comments towards the type of guest you want staying in your rental area.

Be descriptive, add the property’s and location’s amenities but keep it simple and easy to understand. Also, longevity is not a positive characteristic. be concise and spark interest.

Don’t be slow to respond to inquiries

This is going to be what makes or breaks your success. Even if you have the greatest location, the best photos, and very informative descriptions if you are slow to respond to potential guests’ questions and e-mails they will look elsewhere.

Good customer service is always king, even when only addressing potential guests’ initial questions

Some final words

Making your property stand out takes a little time to perfect. You may have to do several dry runs and see what photos or descriptions, etc., need to be edited to present your rental property in the best light.

The bad news is your competitors are doing the exact same thing. That means you have to be at the top of your game to get those potential guests making reservations with you, especially down the low season.

Go where the people are

In the old days when your grandparents were young, all they had to use to advertise their rental property was the newspaper. That could get costly when advertising in large cities where costs are high. Instagram for promoting your Airbnb is now the rave.

It was a slow way to get extra rooms, trailers, or even cabins rented to earn extra money. The good news for you today is that technology has provided you with numerous ways to reach out and display your rentals.

Using social media outlets like Instagram is just one way to advertise your extra properties and make a little extra money. But there are guidelines you need to follow to make the most out of your Instagram account. Just keep reading to find out what those guidelines are.

Do your homework

See what your competition is doing and what types of photos they are using. This homework helps you create better hashtags, take better photos, write better descriptions, pick the best sites to see in the area and so on.

Create an Instagram account

This is the next vital step in using this social media outlet in your advertising. Just make sure you are using their business section and not their personal one. Sign up is easy and all you need is an e-mail address or use your Facebook account to sign in on Instagram.

Provide photos, descriptions, and other details

No business account is worth looking at if it does not have great pictures of the property or properties or a good description accompanying those photos. Don’t forget to provide the location of those properties, a link to your Airbnb listing, and a short and sweet description. Make those photos good.

Create great hashtags

The younger generations understand these and know how to use them well. To catch their attention, if you want young people gracing your properties, is to write great hashtags. As an example, you can use your home’s name, location and nearby tourist attractions. A little research on this topic will provide more tips on how to do this right. Use between 5 – 8 hashtags per post.

Keep the account updated

This does not mean you have to post every day or every little detail about the property or the area. Just be consistent but don’t skip a week. Post once or twice a week to keep your visitors updated on what is happening.

Take a video of your property

This is what some top real Estate Agents are doing and have done for decades. A video is worth more than 1000 words and you can show your property at its finest. Then save the video to the Highlights section allowing new visitors to your Instagram page to see that short film.

Or place the video on the IGTV option or the new Reels option to gain more viewers and more potential guests.

Provide top quality information

One of the best ways to get people to consider renting your property is to create posts about the best sites in your area. Mention how close they are to your property or how far away for those who like privacy.

Talk about secret fishing spots, top museums, or the best entertainment in the area. The sky is the limit on what you can write about and don’t forget a photo or two to enhance those descriptions.

Link your Facebook or other social media accounts

This will help you broaden your audience and get a better word of mouth advertising. If you are not sure your other social media friends or followers will go to your new account, add in some incentives.

Some final words

This is just the tip of the iceberg on how you can use your Instagram for promoting your Airbnb rentals. It is not hard to do. All you need is a little time, a little creativity, and some rental properties to rent out.

Remember your Airbnb rentals are like a small business and you need to treat it like a business. Good advertising in the right locations will bring results.

Cancellations on your property are normal. But if they are frequent, they can affect the ranking of your listing on the various channels that you are listed on. It’s therefore wise that you avoid them as much as possible. Here are some useful tips on how you can do that.

Highlight Your House Rules

When a client doesn’t meet the rules of your house, they can resort to cancelling their booking. To avoid this, ensure that you add house rules in the property description. They allow you to restrict certain holidaymakers from booking your house. For instance, state clearly whether you allow parties, pets, or smoking. Guests should be able to know these rules before booking your property.

Add Custom Rates

Property owners charge differently during peak and off-peak periods. If a client books for a lower price, that you didn’t want to charge, they may cancel their reservation once you update your pricing for that time frame. It’s, therefore, wise to regularly review your rates to ensure that you’re charging the correct amount during that time frame. Add custom rates for special events, busy seasons, or holidays as these are the peak seasons.

If you don’t have the time to monitor events and frequently update your pricing, consider using a Dynamic Pricing Tool. These will check for important dates and events in your local area and adjust your pricing accordingly. All you need to do is connect these tools to your Airbnb or Vrbo listing and it will do the rest, helping you maximise your profits.

Sync Your Calendars

One reason for cancellation is that your property might be unavailable as it’s already booked on a different site or you’ll be using it during the time frame a client wants to book it. In such cases, calendar syncing may be helpful. It helps keep your normal calendar and your calendars on sites like Airbnb, Booking.com or Google, updated. Syncing your calendar prevents double bookings, which ultimately reduces cancellations.

To help manage multiple platforms consider using a channel manager. A channel manager will assist you by listing your property on multiple channels, syncing your calendars and have a central place for your messages.

What If I Can’t Avoid the Cancellations?

Our company offers cancellation waivers for different circumstances. These waivers don’t affect your ranking in the marketplace. Plus, Airbnb & Vrbo review them case-by-case. Some scenarios that may qualify one for a cancellation waiver include:

• Violation of house rules
• Natural disasters
• Unpaid balance from clients
• Damages on your property

If you do cancel under one of these extenuating circumstances, you are likely to be asked supporting documentation.

Conclusion

Most cancellations can be avoided. Use the above tips to reduce cancellations and help simplify things for both you and your guests. If you do need to cancel call Vrbo or Airbnb and speak to the customer services team. Make your case and if you’re lucky you may not be penalised for the cancellation. To understand what it means to cancel be sure to read our vacation rental cancellation tips.

With party season approaching, it’s important to ensure you get the right guests in your vacation rental for Halloween, Thanks Giving, Christmas and New Years Eve. In order to prevent parties, here are some of our top tips.

Review your reservations

Any requests that you get from guests be sure to follow up to ensure that person understand your house rules and ask simple questions, like asking them the reasons for their stay and who will be joining them in the property. Don’t be afraid to cancel instant bookings, if you feel that the guest doesn’t match your criteria or isn’t suited to your property.

Set strong expectations with potential bookers

Use house rules to set expectations. Ensure that you set clear rules before rental occur before a tenant moves in; he or she should assure you that they are going to abide by the rules and regulations made. Include any restrictions that should apply to your property in the house rules. If possible, someone who is not okay with the rules should not move in since you don’t want unexpected surprises during your stay. People should be given the rules during the time of inquiries so that they can make a decision of whether they are in or not.

Pay attention to how you describe your property

When describing your property, do not mention that the property is great for any kind of event. Anyone renting the property should understand the rules; guests should be in a position to understand your expectations around events and noise.

Check your deposit settings

Check your listing to ensure you have a damage deposit. Having a high damage deposit will help warn of potential party guests.

Double-check last-minute bookings

Last-minute bookings are the bookings you should really look out for during the party season, as most parties are organised last minute.

Question local bookings

Beware of any guests that are locals, be sure to ask questions before accepting their booking. Guests who are local have a high percentage of inviting unauthorised guests to your property and this is how impromptu parties start

Check their reviews

Most people won’t want to lose their ratings that they have built up, so guests with a high number of reviews often tend to follow the house rules. Beware for new accounts.

Say no to one-night bookings

This is probably the biggest tell. Increase the minimum stay period during these important dates to 3-5 days, people who just wanna party will not want to have the extra expenses.

Introduce a noise monitoring device

A noise monitoring device is great because you can simply monitor your properties without invading your guest’s privacy. Most homeowners and property managers use this device to ensure that their property is responsibly rented. This device will alert you in case of noise; it is amazing and helpful because you will take action when it’s not late.

Establish a good relationship with your neighbours

You should have a good relationship with your neighbours and, if possible, let them have your phone number or the vacation rental manager’s number so that in case any issue arises, they are able to reach you directly. instead of them calling the local council or police. Your neighbours will be your first line of defence against parties.

Report misconduct

If someone doesn’t follow the rules by either hosting a house party or doing something else that is not appropriate, just report. The case will be investigated by Vrbo & Airbnb to check if policies were broken. In case of anything, just contact the authorities, it is quite understandable that some people tend to break simple rules. Rules and regulations provided ensure that people live in a peaceful environment; everyone should follow the provided rules. Neighbours want peace as well as everyone else; breaking property rules is wrong, and if violated, you might face charges. Get in touch with customer services right away do not delay.

Authorized events should follow local law regulations

If there is any authorized event on your property, there is no reason as to why they should break the rules. If your area does not allow gatherings or night bookings, then make sure that tenants and guests understand the rules. Be warned if you do openly accept parties and events, Airbnb has been removing these types of properties from its platform over the last few months, especially during this pandemic.

Finding damage inside your vacation rental after a guest has left can be frustrating and somewhat annoying. If you outsource your inspections to an Airbnb cleaner or third-party the damage is not always picked up immediately. This, in theory, could result in you attempting to claim damages from the wrong guests.

If you are uncertain as to who created the damage then you will be unable to invoice anyone accordingly as you won’t be able to say, with 100% certainty, that it was them.

Here are our top Airbnb tips for locating issues each and every time so you can make an Airbnb damage claim where necessary.

1. Everything has a home

Find an appropriate location for all items in your property. Ensure the cleaners place items back in the same place each and every time. This includes the smallest to the largest items. This goes as far as how the curtains should be placed.

1. Layout your home in the perfect condition that you would like it returned to.
2. Take pictures of everything, from the cushions to the plates
3. Print these picture out and laminate them where possible
4. Leave these laminate images in a convenient place so that your cleaners can locate them with ease

If these basic rules are adhered to by you / your cleaners then each time you visit the apartment you will be able to notice anything out-of-place and so will the cleaners.

2. Rule of Six

Most of our apartments can host four people so we operate with the rule of six.

You will need to adjust this based on the number of people who you can host in the property.  But a good rule of thumb is to have 2 more of items than the number of guests.

How does the rule of six help us detect damage?

We try to place everything in the apartment in groups of six. This may seem like a large overhead but it helps detect damage / missing items in seconds. For example, we place six coat hangers in each wardrobe, six plates, six cups, six, glasses, six coasters etc…

3. Same Cleaners

If you are using a cleaning agency to help you clean the property we recommend asking the agency to always send the same cleaner each time where possible. Having one good cleaner who continually sees your property twice a week, will result in them having a good understanding of where you like items placed inside the property.

Conclusion

Safety and security are paramount in your Airbnb. Here are our top tips and products to help keep your guests safe.  Airbnb has a commitment to safety, security, and privacy. Make assessments of your Airbnb and install the appropriate safety equipment in the immediate area. More than 364,300 residential fires were reported in 2016 and over 50% of these fires were due to cooking and 10% caused by heating.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

These are a must-have in all homes and especially in your Airbnb. Have your cleaners check them regularly as you may find that guests remove the battery if it goes off unexpectedly.  If you don’t have detectors in your property then you need to make it your priority to install them.

Fire Blankets

This is more of a must-have if you have gas hobs inside the property.  It’s all too easy for your guests to accidentally start a fire when they are using a cooker that they’re not used to. Fire blankets are great from stopping frying pan fires.

Fire Extinguisher

These cheap lifesavers should be placed in plain sight and in an obvious and accessible location. The three main types of fire extinguisher are water, foam and carbon dioxide. Water and foam extinguishers are great for the bedroom and living room, whereas for electrical fires you should have carbon dioxide extinguisher.

Safety Deposit Box

If you want to go the extra mile you can purchase a safe similar to the ones used in hotels. Your guests will love you for it as they will know their valuables are safe and sound.

Pro tip: Purchase hotel style safes that allow the user to alter the code anytime they like.

Meet the Government Regulations

We recommend checking your local government safety codes then adhere to these as if you were a general rental property.

Conclusion

Once you have updated your safety and security include them in your listing amenities. This will help encourage guests to book and may even improve your Airbnb search rankings.

You’ve started hosting and you’re doing a good job getting mainly four and five-star reviews.  These Airbnb secrets will help turn those four-stars into five-stars. With all of these items, you can mention them in your Airbnb description to help you stand out from the crowd and get that booking.

Provide Power Adapters

Guests travel with all types of electrical goods and more often than not they will forget to bring a local power adapter or may not have enough for the group travelling with them.

Arranging for spare power adapters to be made available at your property can make all the difference to your guests and they will only cost you a few dollars outlay.

PRO TIP: Purchase plugin extension adapters, or plugin USB adapters. This will avoid the possibility that the guests might accidentally take them with them when they leave.

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Attract More Families

When it comes to renting out your property on Airbnb having families stay is often a safe bet. Having a family stay reduces the likeliness of parties and late-night noises.  One way of encouraging families is to mention in your posting that your property has a cot or that you are able to provide one. This will turn potential bookers into actual bookers as it will help your listing stand out from others and, more importantly, guests that have small children will love you for it.

The cots themselves will only cost you approximately $30 and avoids the need for guests to bring their own for newborn babies. When not in use they can then be neatly folded away and put into storage.

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Live Like a Local

Try to have some local travel guides / books readily available in the property for your guests to use. Make them aware that these are for their benefit.  More often than not guests arrive with a vague idea of what they want to see and do whilst in the area.  These travel guides / books will help them a great deal in putting together their itinerary.

PRO TIP: Try to find guides that are a little different and provide information that only locals normally show you.

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TAXI!

Provide a taxi service for the guests to collect them from the airport or train station. Arriving in a new county can be nerve-racking and exciting in equal measure. But getting lost on public transport is no fun with lots of luggage.

Contact your local RELIABLE taxi service and ask them for a fixed fee for collecting your guests from the airport. When your guests book your Airbnb, reach out to them and ask if they would like a taxi  to collect them from the airport. If the answer is yes, then just call/email your local taxi agents to collect your guests. Ensure they use welcome boards and stand INSIDE the airport to wait for guests.

Travel Passes

If you live in a city where they use electronic travel cards and you have fairly good fixed fees for travelling on buses or trains then consider providing these for free to your guests.  These will help your guests get around that much easier. At most these will cost you a few dollars each day the guests use them, but it can be worth it if gets you more bookings over time.

Sooner or later you’ll need to cancel a reservation. Understanding when you can cancel a reservation is important, as cancelling bookings can have a negative impact on future bookings.

Avoid Cancelling At All Costs

Airbnb really doesn’t like cancellation as it can cause issues for the travellers and financial penalties may apply.  They do this as it can result in a bad experience for the traveller. If the travellers their first time booking, 80% of the time they will not rebook which results in Airbnb losing customer.

Airbnb does give longtime hosts one cancellation every six months where no penalties will apply.

If you need to cancel it can be done here on their site.

The Costs of Cancelling

If you cancel a booking that is further than 7 days away then you will be charged $50. If you cancel with less than 7 days before the booking is due to start then you will be charged $100. The cancellation fees will be deducted from your next pay out.

Reputation

Cancelling after your one cancellation allowance will result in an Automated Public Review.

Airbnb will also delay the ability for you to achieve Super Host status for 1 year after the date of the cancellation.

Cancelling your booking can also result in your calendar being blocked for the dates your guests we meant to stay.

Extenuating Circumstances

If you need to cancel because of an unavoidable situation, then you’ll need to provide Airbnb with documentation of circumstance, and they will waive the penalties.

This can include but not limited to:

•  Death in the family
•  Serious Illnesses
•  Issues with the property from freeholders
•  Severe damage (flooding, no running water)
•  Safety concerns
•  Natural disasters

Instant Bookings

From time-to-time, you may get bookings that you feel uncomfortable with.  It is worth noting that you can cancel such bookings penalty-free an unlimited number of times. However, remember, if you continue to cancel bookings, the option for Instant Booking, may be turned off.

Refunds

Airbnb issues a complete refund to the guests within 24-hours. If it is very close to check-in they will contact the guests directly to explain to them the issue and will help find them comparable accommodation.

Before You Cancel

If you need to cancel, search the Airbnb site on your guests’ behalf to try to and find a comparable, alternative accommodation. Since you know the area well, you will know the good and bad spots of your city. This will help make their transition to a new accommodation that much smoother.

Bulk Cancellations

If you need to cancel more than one booking then you will need to call Customer Service to help you complete this.

Pro Tip – Airbnb Secrets

Should you need to cancel a guests reservation, do not cancel via the website. Call Airbnb Customer Support and explain to them the circumstances why you need to cancel. This way you may avoid the automated review that you’ll get if you cancel via the website and you can keep hold of your superhost status.

Watch this video for more Airbnb cancellation information

Sooner or later it’s likely you’ll need an extra set of hands to help you manage your Airbnb’s communications and check-in. Instead of just handing out the username of your account and passwords to your account, Airbnb has created Co-Hosts to help make your life easier.

What Are Co-Hosts?

A Co-Host is a trusted person/company that the listing owner has enlisted to help manage the property rental. They have their own Airbnb account and the listing owner gives them permission to see the master account.  Co-Hosts can be anyone that you trust to look after the property, from cleaners, friends and even neighbours.

What Can Co-Hosts Do?

Co-Hosts functions on the Airbnb system are limited to messaging guests, creating listings, manage the reservations, writing reviews, along with updating the pricing and calendar. They can also do any physical activities themselves at the apartments.  For example, cleaning and maintenance, quality controls and welcoming guests in person.

What Can’t Co-Hosts Do?

Co-Hosts, can’t access any payment details or view any communications before they were added as a co-host. They can’t payout anyone or requests monies.

How to Add A Co-Host

Adding a co-host is straightforward, simply find your listing that you wish to add them to, edit the listing and select co-hosts.  You then just need to enter their email address. The co-host will then be notified of this change and will have the opportunity to accept or decline the request.

You can add a maximum of three co-hosts per listing to help with your management.

After you added a Co-Host

Once you have added a co-host you should agree with them who will respond to messages. As you may find that message are duplicated or you may contradict each other.
You should also arrange how you will reimburse each co-host for their time and expenses.

Co-hosts can be removed at any time by visiting the listing of your account.

Pro Tip for New Hosts

If you have a friend that has a well established Airbnb account, you can change your the status of your co-host from Secondary to Primary. This means that when someone finds the listing, they will actually see the co-hosts profile picture and past reviews. All contact information from the co-host will be given instead of your own details. This is great for new hosts beginning their home sharing journey. Guests will have the confidence to book as you already have reviews thus allowing you to achieve maximum income from the start. As you get new reviews this will belong to your account and not the co-hosts. Once you have enough reviews you can switch back to being the primary host.

Conclusion

If you have a day job or are often busy you should 100% add a co-host to your account. This will help to maintain your response rate and, ultimately, help you achieve superhost status. It cost nothing to add so it’s definitely a worthwhile feature to add.

In an attempt to attract more users to its platform, Airbnb began trialling non-refundable reservations. This is meant to assists both host and guests, hosts will get a guaranteed payout if the guests cancel the booking. Guests, in turn, will get an automatic 10% off your standard booking price. The guests will get a refund of the cleaning fee if they cancel before check-in. You’ll keep the entire nightly rate.

It will appear to the guests as an option when they go to make a reservation, putting Airbnb more in-line with hotel booking sites like Booking.com who have offered such features for many years. Booking.com, offer this in the form of obtaining a lower price or free cancellation.

Enabling this option will likely see Airbnb push your property by improving your search results and will maybe have a little badge promoting the listing. When guests are searching they’ll see the lowest price possible helping you stand out from your competition that little bit more.

If the guests select “Flexible – Full Price” then the booking will default back to your selected cancellation policy. ie Strict, Flexible and moderate.

It’s too early to tell if this feature help or hinders hosts, but our current advice is to enable this option if you have it. It’s currently only available for a limited time and not available to all hosts. If successful Airbnb will likely roll this out to all hosts in the new year.

A Smooth Checkin

Most travellers are often excited and worried at the same time until they have arrived at your Airbnb and check out what it looks like inside. As (most) of them know that they’re not check-in at the Hilton, but at the same time, they don’t know what they are going to get until you open that front door. A smooth check-in to your property is one of the first impressions that you get to make, so make sure it’s a good one. Here are some of our Airbnb checkin tips to ensure a smooth check-in happens each and every time.

In Person Check-in

Where possible, do an in-person check-in, your guests with love this. However, ensure that you’re at your Airbnb 15-minutes in advance of their mentioned arrival time. Even if you arrive on time and they’ve been waiting for you outside in the cold, in their mind, YOU’RE LATE.

Have a backup alternative for your in-person check-in. When the guests call you and you’re running later or they have arrived early, you can give them access to this backup solution. This can be hiding the keys somewhere safe or leaving this with a very nearby shop, who you trust.

Many guests really prefer self-check-ins; this gives them the flexibility to arrive when they like and it doesn’t put them under pressure to get to you on time.

Self Check-in

By having a self-check-in, this can make it easy for you to arrange cleaners, maintenance and helpful on the odd time you forget your own keys. With Airbnb Plus, this is a requirement for getting onto the premium programme. You can assume that they like hosts to have this, so in-turn could help your Airbnb search rankings.

Lockboxes

Lockboxes are great as a backup, they should be placed as discreetly as possible to help avoid tampering. Never label the keys with a flat number and try to place them at just below eye level onto a secure wall.

We only use and recommend one type of lockbox. That’s the C500 Police Accredited KeySafe. If you can’t get this beauty, then avoid keys safes that have rotary combination locks, as these can be easier to guess the codes.

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Key Exchange Services

There are some great key exchange services that mainly leave keys in a cafe or convenience store. If you have one close to your Airbnb, these can make a very good option as a backup. Most charge either a monthly subscription fee or on a pay-as-you-go basis. If you’re only using this as a backup then, PAYG is the way forward. Always have one there for those just in case moments.

Our two personal favourites are Keynest and KeyCafe. They are both fantastic at making your life easy at a click of a button. You get a notification of both key collections and drop-offs, so you can tell if a guest has left or the cleaners have finished their tasks.

Smart Door Locks

As the Internet-of-Things progresses, doors can now be opened at a touch of a button or via your mobile phone. Some of these offer one-time codes, others have apps that open and close the door, with the less advanced ones having repeat usage codes.

Yale Keyless Locks can be used with a key fob, smartphone app and can easily be fitted by you with little fuss or hassle.

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ZKteco offer Biometric and Keypad door entry systems, which can also be fitted by a general handyman.

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Conclusion

Guests love writing reviews, if you can give them this one thing you’ll be on the path to getting your 5-star review. They won’t RAVE about it, but they will certainly moan about it,  follow the above Airbnb tips in the attempt that they might RAVE about the check-in progress. Even if they use a self-check-in process, if you have the chance, pop in to say hello to your guests and give them the personalised tour. Finally, have a backup solution to the in-person and try to be early!

As a host, you probably know Airbnb reviews are the cornerstone of the ecosystem. So its hugely important that your guests continue to leave you reviews. You may find that guests who stay with you don’t leave any reviews, and this may damage your Airbnb search rankings or negatively affect your superhost status.

Reasons guests don’t leave reviews:-

– They simply forgot
– They don’t realise that they only have 14-days to complete a reviews
– They want to give the property a bad review but the like you
– No internet connectivity.

How to help reduce the number of null reviews

1) Immediately after the guests have stayed with you leave them a review. After which the Airbnb system will then notify the guests that you’ve left them a review, and if they want to see your review they will need to leave one of their own.

2) After 7-days of not having a review, message the guests with this template below

Dear {guest},

Thank you so much for staying with us. We would really appreciate if you could leave us a review as it will help other travellers to make their decisions on staying with us and in the neighbourhood.

We hope that you are able to give us 5-stars, if it’s anything less we would love to hear your feedback. Message us here as we would love your feedback on how we can improve.

In the meantime have a fabulous day and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

All the best, {your name}

What if I get a bad review?

It’s highly possible that you may get a low score review but sometimes you have to take the rough with the smooth and deal with them as they come. It may be out of your control which what happened, however, this is your opportunity to grow as a host. Read it carefully, fix it, learn from it. Read our tips on dealing with bad reviews.

Will this help me become a superhost?

If you’re overall a good host then reaching out to your guests will help you get to that superhost staus a little quicker. If important also to keep your number of reviews up, if you have less than 50% trips reviewed then you are in danger of not making the super host criteria. You can see you review status by visiting the Airbnb progress page.

Are you struggling to get Superhost status? Do you continue to get 4-star ratings for reviews on your on your Airbnb? Follow the guide below to help you achieve 5-stars.

You may also think that it’s acceptable to get 3-4 stars for your property, but if this continues Airbnb will delist you for providing a poor quality service.

The main thing is to remember that it is you’re providing a service, put yourself in the guests’ shoes and looks at your property with fresh eyes.

For hosts getting 4-stars and below check the following tips:-

Read your feedback and reviews

It’s likely you think your property is 5-stars and in reality, your place is 3-stars and you’ve been getting 4-stars as some guest might have been kind.

Read all your reviews thoroughly; 90% of the time the guests will give you feedback that you can work with:-

Cleanliness an Issue?

If you’re getting low star ratings on the cleanliness then this can normally be fixed quite easily.

Get yourself a deep clean done, a good rule-of-thumb for a deep clean is to multiply the average clean time by 2 – 2.5

Example:- A normal clean for a 2-bed apartment might take 2-hours to complete, then a deep clean should take around 4-5 hours.

If you’re doing the cleaning yourself, hire some professional help out. Just search for professional cleaners in your area and get them in to clean your property, check out our directory for local cleaning professionals.

Pro Tip: We personally recommend any deep cleans that take longer than 5-hours to get a minimum of two cleaners to take on the challenge.

When your apartment is being cleaned be sure to have the cleaner follow a checklist. We have provided a template of one that we use. Be sure to tailor this to your own property.

Ask for help

If you’re uncertain why your getting 4-stars and below as your overall rating and this continues to happen, get your self some help.

Ask a friend who has an eye for cleanliness, to come over and stay for a least one night (for free) and give you critical feedback on what you could improve. It’s crucial they give you honest feedback otherwise the exercise will be a waste of time.

If you don’t have a friend you can ask then; reach out to previous guests.

Locate a recent guest who was rather chatty/friendly in the Airbnb messaging system and reach out to them for their honest opinions. You might not like what they have to say, but respond politely and thank them for taking the time out to help you.

Hi

You recently stayed at our place and we would like to provide the best experience for our guests as possible. It would be amazing if you could help us in this quest by providing feedback to us on where we could improve the standards of our property and what we could do to make the stays of future guests even better.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to do this.

All the best.

Is communication letting you down?

1.  Message guests as soon as they book even if they are using Instant Book. A confirmation is always nice.
2.  A minimum of a week before send the guests checkin details. Sending the details the day before might be too late as they may be travelling and may not have an Internet connection.
3. Message the guests with your current telephone number and an alternative number of someone that can help in an emergency.
4. Message guests to see if they checked in okay and if all is okay in the apartment.
5. Contact them on their last day in the morning to check if all was okay with their stay.

Final points

Think like a guest, put yourself in their shoes and look at your property with fresh eyes.

Get more professional tips from our Airbnb Beginners Guide for free.

Superhost status is not the be all and end all but it will certainly help you get more bookings and ensure you get the premium clientele staying at your place.

Not everything needs to be fixed immediately but certainly fix them as soon as possible otherwise you risk being struck off from the Airbnb site and killing the Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs.

You don’t have to hire a professional for your photos, but you should think like one. Be mindful about everything when you begin a photoshoot, and use as much natural lighting as possible. Open the windows, turn on the lights, and make sure there’s not a single mess to be found in your property. Move shoes away from the entry, and ensure that no mirrors have watermarks on them in any photo. It’s these little details that people never notice until it shows up in HD on their screens. Even if you don’t have time to completely clean your property, you can still move a mess from one room to another while taking pictures. Simply clean one room at a time, make it perfect and then move on to the next. While you’ll have to clean everything before guests arrive, your number one goal beforehand is to get the best pictures possible to ensure that your property stays competitive on the marketplace. An immaculate photo shows an immaculate house, and you want your guests to feel enticed by your listing from the very first picture.

What should be in the photo

While you shouldn’t blindly take photos without caring about the angles or composition, you should also avoid getting overly fancy as well. For a bedroom photo, stand either in the corner or under the doorframe to get a shot that features everything in the room. Every good photo should clearly show:

• The space of the room
• The dynamic
• The included furniture and amenities
• Windows and lighting

For lights, try to avoid overly white and clinical fluorescent lights as they can appear cold to guests. Opt for warmer lights, and turn them to a medium level if necessary. If it’s pouring rain outside, wait until you have a bit more sunlight to naturally enhance your photos.

You can also take photos of unique or deluxe items that you offer to your guest. If you have an extra-large television, a new stovetop, or a coffee machine that makes the best lattes in town, add it to your profile! Take advantage of posting as many pictures as possible to give your guests a complete view of your property. On average, listings with more photos will get more views and bookings than those with fewer.

This is especially true for the apprehensive or first time Airbnb user. You have to convince them that they will be safe and comfortable in your property. Show them that your property is spacious, clean, and full of everything they need to have a great time. Go big, be grand, and have fun with your photos!

If you’re not the best photographer, you can always look at either top Airbnb listings or nearby hotels for inspiration. If you’re still uncomfortable with a camera, either with the composition or technological aspects, a nearby professional is always available to help. You’ll get what you pay for, and while hiring a photographer may be a bit pricey, it’s better to spend more for higher quality photos than to redo it all later. So take it slow, aim for quality, and lay the foundation at the beginning for a solid listing!

Keep Your Photos Realistic

Don’t overedit your photos or use unrealistic filters to artificially enhance your property. While it’s perfectly fine to lightly touch up a photo, you don’t want to give your guests the wrong impression about your place. If they expect a brightly lit home with a spacious interior but find it to be dark and tight, their disappointment will last throughout the duration of their stay. Even if there’s a problem with your home, be upfront about it so they know what to expect. People will be much more forgiving if you’re honest, and you’d be surprised at what guests will accept if it lowers their budget!

Taking Pictures on Your iPhone

If you don’t have a DSLR available then here are out hand hints to taking a good quality picture with your iPhone.

1. Use a selfie stick, if you’ve got one of these available use it as your homemade tripod, the key to a great photo is keeping it still
2. Turn on HDR (High Dynamic Range) This will help with deep shadows and bright windows but automatically combing 3 different exposures into one photo
3. Shoot in landscape mode only. When Airbnb process the picture, you have a much large space to show you pictures off if they are in Landscape mode
4. Use the volume button on your headphones to take a steady shot
5. Use as much natural light as possible. Try to take your shots on a bright sunny day when you have as much natural light streaming through those windows
6. There’s an App for that. Try Curb Appeal and Exposio, they both great for HDR real estate photography. They can straighten the images, adjust lighting and much more to make your shots look like a pro.

Before and after using HDR on your iPhone

Airbnb Provide Professional Photographers

To make everything easier, Airbnb may be able to provide you with a local professional photographer to showcase your property. The availability and pricing depend on your area, and you can get a free quote to see the general price before committing. Some things that affect pricing include the size and layout of your property along with the general demand of your area.

You can schedule a time for them to come over, and they’ll take care of everything (except cleaning!) for you. They will then send the photos to Airbnb, and once approved, the photos will be uploaded directly to your listing. You can rearrange them however you’d like, and the payment will be deducted automatically from your next payout. This process is not refundable which may make perfectionists worried, but the service is great for those who are unable to take pictures themselves or can’t find a local photographer easily.

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