All too often the excitement of becoming an Airbnb host, the opportunities it presents, the anticipation of meeting people from across the globe, and the prospect of generating additional income causes new hosts to make some mistakes. Here are 5 of the most common Airbnb hosting mistakes to avoid when you’re a newbie.
Not spending enough time crafting your AirBnB listing
Whilst AirBnB has a thorough process in place to guide you through creating your listing, it is up to you to ensure that you use quality photographs and enticing, accurate descriptions of the accommodation you offer.
Not checking that you have all the basics in place
The last thing you need is to prepare your accommodation for your guests to ensure they enjoy their stay and give you a great rating, only to discover that the bulbs in the bedside lamps have blown or you forgot to fill up the ice trays. Create a checklist and go through it well before your guests are expected to arrive so that you have time enough time to deal with any problems that may arise.
Not communicating effectively with your guests
Always communicate with your guests via the AirBnB app. Not only does this create a full record of all correspondence should you need it as reference later, it also keeps the terms of engagement simple and avoids the confusion that can be created when trying to communicate using multiple platforms. Start off on the right foot by sending a personal welcome message that includes things like emergency telephone numbers, WiFi password, house rules, and any other information that will be useful.
Not treating your Airbnb like a proper business venture
In order for your Airbnb rental to be successful and profitable, you need to treat it as you would any other business. If you simply list your rental and sit back expecting bookings to come in, you won’t get many bookings. Do things like print business cards, set up social media profiles (and use them!), and promote your business.
Don’t forget to ask guests for reviews
There is nothing that markets any business as effectively as a personal recommendation based on personal experience. This is exactly what reviews do and, as such, are extremely powerful when there are a lot of them. Many people need to be prompted to write you a review. Don’t be shy. They may have had a wonderful stay but are now back in the rat race with a million things to do or diving into their next travel experience. While you’re at it, ask them to share your information with people in their network that would enjoy your space.
If you can remember to avoid these 5 AirBnB Hosting mistakes you will mitigate many problems before they happen. You’ll also find that your AirBnB rental grows into a sound and lucrative business. You can then enjoy your profits and remember to do something else important – experience Airbnb as a guest yourself and visit one of the spots on your bucket list.
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