Airbnb has rapidly evolved from a handy way to let out spare rooms to a business opportunity for committed or startup landlords. It has opened doors across the globe, enabling people to generate income from spare rooms, or by building bespoke and boutique properties as a dedicated business.
However you approach your Airbnb effort, from that spare room, whole home, or a unique property on your land, from glamping tents to converted planes or train cars, there is plenty to make becoming an Airbnb host a rewarding experience.
Our comprehensive guide can help you start on this prosperous property journey.
Success Starts With A Plan
While some Airbnb hosts do this on a whim, success comes from a measured approach to setting up your property, marketing it, creating a high-quality Airbnb listing, and ensuring good feedback through a fantastic customer experience.
Plan the property design and styling, plan your Airbnb marketing and listings, and ensure you are ready to deliver an excellent experience and communicate effectively with all guests and prospects.
Also, ensure you are compliant with the latest rules and regulations for short lets. And that every health and safety box is ticked.
Design for Airbnb Success
Assuming you have a property in mind for Airbnb, ensure that it is freshly decorated, where possible. That the furnishings match and are of a suitable style to the overall aesthetic and decor. Also, it is comfortable, with medium-firm bed mattresses, good quality sheets and towels, and plenty of high-class touches throughout.
Before that first guest arrives, ensure that your property is spotlessly clean from the back of every cupboard to the top of every unit, and that every appliance, switch, utility and fixture works. If anything is in the slightest bit temperamental or “dodgy”, get it replaced. Then keep it that way, using cleaners after every visit to maintain standards.
House Rules for Satisfied Guests
While you would hope every guest knows how to behave in your exalted property, not everyone will. Therefore, make sure your house rules are clearly visible before they arrive, are in a brochure on their arrival for everyone to read, and that reminders for key security and safety issues are posted.
Make that a part of a welcoming package that goes beyond the typical welcome basket to create a strong first impression and to help them keep those rules at the top of their mind.
Set expectations for keeping the Airbnb clean, define what is a reasonable use or behaviour, and what is not. Install vape and THC detectors to prevent guests from smoking on property, as well as other unwanted behavior in and around the property.
Modify Your Strategy Through Experience
As you learn from experience, you should react to guest feedback, learn about how your local market is evolving and react to wider changes. That might involve restyling the property to appeal to a broader or narrower niche.
You might adopt dynamic pricing as local trends become apparent, and also follow the latest guidelines from Airbnb on marketing approaches, plus changes to their rules and policies.
As a quality host, you should deal with all feedback personally, with a degree of grace and deference to any complaints and suggestions. As you build repeat business, take those guests’ suggestions on board to make them feel even more valued and wanted.
Conclusion
If you’re happy with a single property or want an Airbnb portfolio to build your empire, the same rules of quality, cleanliness and personal service apply. Becoming a high-quality Airbnb host takes a mix of elbow grease and effort, although you can contract your cleaning and other tasks as you attain success.
Maintain an attention to detail mindset, both on the property and your guests, delivering a commitment to excellent service beyond whatever your marketing promises. Follow these steps, be open to learning from success and failure, and seek expert advice for any areas you are weak in (we can’t all be interior design gurus). That way your Airbnb guests will be as happy as possible in your property, and you will have the satisfaction of a job well done, but a goal of always doing better on the horizon.