If you’re a new host looking for some helpful Airbnb host tips for beginners, you are in the right place. These are the most incredibly helpful tips that will get you off to a great start when starting your new Airbnb.
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If you’re new to Airbnb, it can be an overwhelming process to get your place furnished and setup, photos taken, listing written & learn the ins and outs of the platform. Once this startup stage is over and you begin hosting your first guests, it really does get easier and easier!
I am constantly making changes and fine-tuning my processes as an Airbnb host, and after doing it for 4 years and 10 listing later, I’ve learned so much about how to be successful in this business.
So in this post I am sharing the top things I’ve learned that will help you be successful all-around as you begin host your first short-term rental.
This post is all about the best Airbnb host tips for beginners.
Best Airbnb Host Tips for Beginners:
1. Be as descriptive in your listing as you can & disclose everything
Having a detailed listing description not only will help the guest visualize your place and determine if its a right fit for them, it will also save you time and effort responding to frequently asked questions about your place. It will also prevent guests from being surprised by anything or not having expectations met.
Things to include in your listing description:
- Drive time to popular destinations like Airports, Universities, & hospitals
- Description highlighting unique features that distinguish your property from others
- A detailed description of the property’s surroundings & neighborhood
Its also important to disclose everything you can right in the listing description. Any rules, expectations, and potentially any inconveniences your guest may encounter there. Here are some examples those types of things you’ll want to disclose in your listing:
- Presence of stairs (& what floor the bedrooms are on)
- Potential for noise (airport, train tracks, busy neighborhood)
- Whether you have laundry on site
- The parking situation
- Any rules or expectations you have for guests (smoking, pet, & party policies, etc.)
2. Have great listing photos
Photos are arguably the best way to market your property. Your listing photos show guests what they will get when they book your property instead of simply telling them. While telling them is just as important, its helpful for guests to see firsthand the amenities you offer, what the place looks like from as many angles possible, and what the surroundings look like.
Do you need professional photos?
This is a tough questions to answer. The quick response would be that unless you are very confident in your photography skills and you have a high quality camera or phone camera, hire out your photography.
However, the hard thing about getting professional photos is timing. You likely want to get your place up and listed as soon as possible, but also want to wait till all your finishing touches are complete. You’ll also want to get them done in Spring or Summer after the exterior has been cleaned up and looks great for the season. A suggestion would be to take photos on your phone to get up and listed, and then wait for the right time to get professional photos done.
Again, if you’re really confident in your photography skills, you can certainly go for it yourself. The camera quality on our phones these days is incredible, so its definitely possible to get some great shots yourself. Make sure you do them at a time of day where the lighting is great, and take several shots.
*EXTRA TIP* I like to edit my photos with the Lightroom app, which has tons of different photo presets that you can use to auto-adjust your photos.
3. Skip the Airbnb House Manual and create your own
Create a detailed house manual with photos using Canva or Google docs, then send guests the link. Its super important to make this as visual as possible, because the truth is, most people don’t like to read.
Your house manual will have everything from parking, access, and check-in information, to how to use your amenities and utilities like heating and cooling, your local recommendations, and anything a guest might have questions about during their stay.
I’ve created a FREE house manual template for Canva that you can personalize and use for your guests in this post: How to Make a Stunning House Manual + FREE House Manual Template! I even include instructions for how to use Canva if you’re new to it.
4. Call your guests to check in on them
Once guests have reserved your place, Airbnb allows you to view each others’ phone numbers. Take advantage of this and call your first few guests either on the day of they’re arrival or just after they’ve checked in to introduce yourself and see if they have any questions or concerns.
Its a great way to show hospitality and let your guest put a “face”– or voice– to the name if you’re not offering an in-person greeting. In my experience, this often leads to a better guest experience and a great review.
5. Pay close attention to detail
One of the things that guests love most about an Airbnb stay are thoughtful touches and attention to detail. Leave a little handwritten note, some snacks or chocolates- anything to personalize their stay and let them know you really appreciate their business.
But even before the thoughtful touches, the absolute best way you can pay attention to detail in your place is by making sure every nook and cranny is *sparkling* clean. This may mean being on top of your cleaner by having systems, processes, and special requests outlined for them ahead of time. It also means you’ll need to stop in often to check on their cleanings.
For a free short-term rental cleaning checklist to use with your cleaners, check out this post.
A final way to show attention to detail is providing every last little convenience to your guests. Whether is be having robe or towel hooks in the bedrooms, phone charging outlets on each night stand, of extra toiletries that someone forgot– all these things make a guest’s stay just that much better.
6. Avoid unnecessary trips to your property by being stocked and prepared for common issues
There is nothing worse that getting a call on a Sunday night from a guest who needs their remote batteries replaced and you have no spares at the property (been there). There are so many scenarios like this that can– and will–happen at the worst timing.
Here are things you’ll want to make sure are stocked and available at your property should a guest need them:
- keys: in case a smart lock dies, you’ll want a set of keys somewhere in a lockbox on the property
- batteries: think smoke detectors, CO detectors, smart locks, remotes, etc. This variety pack on Amazon is great.
- lightbulbs: check each lighting fixture and make sure you have extra bulbs for each one
- extra sheets: in case of rare accident like a spill
- cleaning supplies: something to clean up a quick mess with
- instructions and access to electrical panels: in case of a breaker tripping
7. Nail down a message sequence for your guests
There are basically 3 fundamental messages that you’ll want to send to each guest: a booking confirmation when they book your place, a check-in process message a few days prior to check-in, and a check-out process & thank you message just before they check-out.
The message sequence will be your main way of communicating to your guest throughout the whole process of booking and during their stay, so you’ll want to make sure your process is super clear in your messages. This is something you will likely tweak and alter several times before you find what works best for you.
You’ll want to organize your messages in a way that is brief (so that guests actually read them), but also have all the information they may need to find check-in instructions, your house manual, and any other pertinent information they will need.
*EXTRA TIP* You can set up these messages to go out automatically by going to “Scheduled Messages” in the Inbox tab on your Airbnb account.
Conclusion
Hope that you found these Airbnb host tips for beginners useful and helpful as you get started with your short-term rental! For more helpful tips and ideas, try checking out these other posts:
How to Design an Airbnb: A Step-by-Step Process to an Instaworthy STR
How to Get the Perfect Airbnb Bed: 5+ Airbnb Bedding Tips
This post was all about Airbnb host tips for beginners.
