If you’re just getting started on Airbnb and you’re looking for tips for new Airbnb hosts, you’re already on the track to success because good Airbnb hosts care about being great at what they do. This post will cover 9 incredibly helpful tips for new Airbnb hosts that will have you feeling ready to jump right in to the hosting world.
Hosting on Airbnb is so fun but it can also be a lot of work, especially when you’re just getting started. There is so much to learn when it comes to picking out the right furnishing and bedding down to understanding and being familiar with the Airbnb platform and all its features.
When I started on Airbnb 4 years ago, I remember being very overwhelmed trying to figure it all out on my own and I had to learn a lot through trial and error.
Here in this post I’m sharing 9 of my best tips for new Airbnb hosts that I wish I knew when I started.
This post is all about tips for new Airbnb hosts.
Best Tips for New Airbnb Hosts:
1. Get to know the regulations in your market
It’s a good idea to call your town, village, or city and ask about any regulations on short term rentals before listing your space. Some villages and towns have restrictions or even bans on short term rentals. In order to make sure you’re abiding by the laws and regulations, just make a few calls and get the answers you need to make sure you’re doing all the right things.
2. Invest in a dynamic pricing software
In order to maximize your profit, you’re going to want to stay on top of knowing the demand and set your pricing appropriately. That means knowing what events are happening and when around your city, town or village, as well as knowing seasonal trends. This can require a ton of time spent doing research and having to tweak and change your prices constantly.
Getting a dynamic pricing software takes the guesswork out of the process and totally automates this for you. We’ve had guests book our place a year out in advance for a huge event we didn’t even know about and they got it at a steal compared to what we could have been charging based on demand for those nights.
Once this happened to us 2 or 3 times, we finally decided to upgrade to a dynamic pricing tool. We use Pricelabs to manage our nightly pricing, minimum night stays, and much more. There is so much you can do right from Pricelabs and it’s totally customizable to what works best for you and your Airbnb business.
3. Have backups for backups
One of the things I learned early on is that it’s to your advantage to keep plenty of supplies on hand at all times and have backups for backups when it comes to things like bedding, remote batteries, shower curtains, toilet paper and other stocked supplies.
We have 4 sets of bed sheets for each bed. One on the bed, the one being turned over, a spare for the cleaner, and an emergency spare that is never taken off site that can be accessed and used by the guest in a rare emergency that something wasn’t cleaned appropriately, a child wets the bed, etc.
Think about it this way. By having spares of everything, you’re setting yourself up so that you don’t have to run over to your property when something inevitably is amiss or goes wrong. I even have backup soap dispensers on hand since those seem to break on me over time and you don’t want to be interrupting your day to go replace something like that.
4. Set up automated messaging
There are at least 3 key messages that you will need to send to every guest before, during, and after their stay that are easily automated. The welcome message/check-in info, a pre-checkout message to remind them of checkout instructions, and a thank you/request for feedback and a review.
I like to automate these messages not only to save me time, but also to make sure I never miss an important detail in my communication with my guests. Guests will rate your communication and check-in process at the end of their stay, so being as clear as possible in your communication is a huge thing to get right.
You can set automated messages right within Airbnb in the Inbox when you select Scheduled Messages. There are also a number of paid short term rental management softwares that have this feature as well. You might find these tools helpful if you ever add more listings to your portfolio and are self-managing. I use Guesty for Pros.
5. Automate your check-in process
Most guests want a simple check-in experience with as few hoops to jump through to get into your place as possible. I’ve found that two of the best ways to do that is to (1.) provide visual parking and check-in instructions and (2.) use an electronic lock.
Between reviewing the info on your listing description, your check-in instructions, your house rules, and house manual, there is a ton of information that your guest is expected to read before their stay, and let’s face it- not all of them do.
Change up the mode of delivery by setting up the visual Check-in Guide feature on Airbnb. You can do this from your Airbnb App on your phone. Note that you cannot create it on the desktop version at this time. It’s a little tricky to edit photos right there within the Check-In Guide creator, so you might want to upload the photos to Canva first, where you can add text, arrows, or other elements if need be. Then you’d just re-download the photo and upload in into the Check-In Guide Creator.
An electronic lock is also a great way to simplify check-in and avoid having to manage or risk losing a physical key. There are a few Smart locks on the market as well, but keep in mind as you add more technology sometimes there is more troubleshooting sometimes involved.
6. Design a visual House Manual
Another option you can go with when providing visual instructions for your guest is to bypass Airbnb’s Check-In Instructions and/or House Manual section and create your own in Canva (free) to send directly to your guest. The great thing about this is you can make it completely visual and way easier to read for your guests than the one within Airbnb.
As I mentioned in the last section, you can create a visual Check-In Guide within Airbnb, but the section for your House Manual is text only. Because my properties have a lot of pertinent information that I need every guest to read over, I wanted my House Manual to be extremely easy to read and to be able to display photos which is why I now use a Canva manual.
Once you’ve created your manual, you can get a shareable link and send that to each guest in your automated welcome message.
7. Call your guests
We are in a day and age where you can do so much without having to talk to anyone, including staying at an Airbnb. It is completely possible to host without ever having to meet your guests in person or even talk to them on the phone. All communication can be done over the Airbnb messaging platform, and quite easily especially if you have automated messages going out. There are times I don’t ever hear much of anything back from a guest during their stay, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing- they usually are still getting all the information they need and enjoy their stay without having to be in communication with me.
This can be a beautiful thing, however at the same token, there is something to be said about picking up the phone and calling your guest at some point during their stay. It could be just to check in before their stay to introduce yourself, or a day after check-in to see how the stay is going, or it could be to troubleshoot an issue they are having.
We are almost always met with delightful surprise from a guest when we’ve called them. Speaking to the guest allows them to put a voice to your name and adds a personal touch that shows that you really care. In my experience, the guests that we’ve called are likely to write us a really great review.
I don’t call every guest for every stay, however I ALWAYS call if we are troubleshooting an issue, whether it’s an issue with check-in or they are having trouble with the TV, etc. For one, it is much easier to troubleshoot things like this over the phone than having to type back and forth. But more importantly, your guest will really appreciate you going above and beyond to make sure their stay is great.
8. Get the essentials right: the bed & bedding
The most important things to get right as an Airbnb host are 2 things: a spotlessly clean place and ultra-cozy bed. Guests will spend a good majority of their stay-you guessed it-sleeping! And we as hosts need to make sure we deliver on that experience.
While other features of your rental may be more forgiving, the bed should be 100% perfect. That means selecting a quality bedframe, mattress, and going with the largest size bed that your space will allow for.
As far as bedding goes, the challenge becomes providing the most comfort, while having bedding thats easy to clean and can withstand repeated washing. The two options I’ve found best are (1.) A quilt with layered blankets at the end of the bed or (2.) A duvet and duvet cover.
Click here to purchase Quilt at Target
Click here to purchase matching Shams at Target
The quilt option is a little less cozy looking in my opinion, but they fit in the wash machine and they hold up really well which is why I decided to go this route with most of my listings. Extra blankets can be added for coziness.
The duvet option is a bit fluffier and more inviting, however a little more time consuming when it comes to removing the cover after each guest. But if you (or your cleaner) know how to do it right, it’s manageable. The one other con to the duvet/duvet cover option is that when it comes time to wash the duvet, it’s going to require a large wash machine.
Click here to purchase duvet cover at H&M Home
Click here to purchase Duvet at Target
9. Be honest and accurate when describing your place
When making your listing description, you’re naturally going to want to boast about all the great things your place offers and why guests should book. And you should do this!
However, the listing description is also the place you want to disclose any not-so-great features or things that guests might want to know before booking your property. Think about things like potential for noise (train tracks, street noise, etc), space limitations, stairs or other features that could pose a difficulty getting around for certain guests, safety issues for potential guests with children, inability to use air fryers or Instapots due to electrical limitations, if you’re not providing linens, etc. Also, be extremely clear about any house rules or requests in the listing description.
You don’t just want ANY guest, you want the RIGHT guest staying. If you make it very clear what your property does and doesn’t offer, you’ll attract just the right guests for your place.
Conclusion
By following these 9 tips for new Airbnb hosts, you’ll be well on your way to hosting a successful Airbnb! If you’re interested in reading more, you might like these articles:
The Complete Host’s Guide: How to Decorate Airbnb on a Budget in 9 Easy Steps
The Superhost’s Complete Airbnb Kitchen Essentials Checklist
Best Airbnb Decor Secrets that Will Get You Bookings and Have Guests Loving Your Place
New Airbnb Hosts: Click here to setup your host account for the first time!
This post was all about tips for new Airbnb hosts.
