I've been on AirBnB a Month | Hosting Review | Already Sold OUT!

Article by guest author Peter Brooker

It's a scary thing letting strangers into your home. I wanted to document the last couple of months having been a host on AirBnb. We have a small garden studio that my wife and I renovated into a living quarters, and now we've put a few dents in it ourselves over the years, we've become less precious about letting other people add a few bumps and scrapes. Here are some helpful hints in the style of FAQ, that might help you with your listing.

AirBnb VERSUS Booking.COM

I tried uploading the studio to rent on Booking.Com first. It took so long and the process was incredibly tedious. Finally after half a day, I hit upload, and the listing had frozen. When I tried coming out and back in again it didn't save anything. I had to go through the whole process again, only for the same thing to happen. This time I let the upload take its course and despite leaving it to upload overnight, it failed.

I switched to AirBnb and it was a lot easier. The whole process is less litigious, and the site seems more capable and intuitive. The wife has also listed on Booking.Com after I gave up, and you have to jump through different hoops on another APP called Pulse to manage the hosting, which is slightly annoying. But already I can tell you I much prefer the AirBnb site to Pulse. It feels more joined up and easier to navigate.

The Most Important things when Listing your Property

1. I've found to get good honest photos, and not try and build your property up to more than it is. I even did a 3D scan of the property using my own Matterport company, so people can do a virtual tour if they wish.

2. Good communication. Be clear in the messaging, don't be afraid of being upfront. I don't accept bookings (guests need to pre-book meaning I can choose to accept them or not) without knowing something about the guest or the purpose of their visit. Especially if they have very few reviews of their own.

3. Re-invest. When you start to make a bit of money, put some of that aside for upgrades. I've managed to save up enough now to buy a new gate with a keypad, which eliminates the leaving keys under the doormat scenario.

4. Welcome gift. I typically make sure the guests have the usual amenities you'd find in a normal hotel. Shampoo, soap, clean towels etc. But also a little welcome something goes a long way. I leave two bottles of water and a carton of milk in the fridge, some biscuits and a small bottle of wine.

5. Add a cleaning fee. I didn't really appreciate this but most people actually want to pay a cleaning fee. It gives them peace of mind that the place is getting cleaned by a professional and you take hygiene and cleanliness seriously.

When do I get paid?

This is really the best bit. I don't know if you can demand the money upfront, but I get paid on the day after the guest has checked in. In a world of affiliate marketing where I wait 6 months on YouTube money, 6 months on Book royalties, this is a very pleasant feature from AirBnb.

Is there a limit on the amount of days people can stay?

Yes. 90 days is the limit until you need to become a business. I'm not sure if I'm entitled to that, probably not.

How much should I charge?

AirBnB automatically gives you the opportunity to charge at a lower rate when you first list your property. We did that and it was a good opportunity to get people through the door and get underway. We have a few additional elements in our studio such as an Infra Red, a mini gym, private garden, steam shower and private parking. So we feel quite confident listing the property at a relative premium.

Lastly, takeaway tips

Be sure to put as many safety features in as possible. We got the aforementioned fire blanket and an all-in-one smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector off Amazon.

Type up a list of do's and don'ts and leave it in the property. I'll copy and mine below as a template should you need, obviously edit it to your needs.

Book some friends and family in and get some good reviews going. In fairness we did do that, but didn't need to. We have 8 x 5 star reviews at the time of writing, and all of those are authentic.

Have a word with local cafes and businesses you get along with. I'm able to provide my guests with a 10% discount in a cafe round the corner. The cafe owners are happy for me to direct people to their business and incentivize them to do so.

TEMPLATE FOR Do's and Don'ts

Dear Guest

My wife and I are thrilled you have chosen to stay with us, should there be anything else you need throughout your stay please don’t hesitate to contact me on WHATS APP.

TEL:

WIFI NETWORK:

WIFI CODE:

Just a couple of polite requests:

NO SMOKING INSIDE

If you do have to smoke, we’d appreciate you smoking on the patio with the doors closed. Please ask for an ashtray.

TOILET

Please don’t throw any paper into the bowl. This is a saniflow (pump assisted) toilet. It gets seriously damaged by wet wipes and/or sanitary pads, Toilet Paper, kitchen roll etc. The pipes are extremely narrow so we invite you to enjoy and use the bidet as much as possible.

PLEASE TURN OFF

All heating, radiators, space heaters, towel heaters, when you leave the studio.

COURTESY

As a courtesy to our neighbours please keep any music to a respectful level. And please turn off the exterior lights when you ever leave the premises, or go to bed.

DON’T

Leave anything outside on the patio. Foxes are likely to take them.

NEARBY - Breakfast cafe Pub food

Restaurants we like - NEAREST TUBES