Airbnb for Dummies

Have a well-structured, complete listing. Add more photos to your listing so guests are more likely to book and don’t have as many questions for you. Keep a detailed and well-organized listing description that answers all the questions that potential guests may have. That way, guests can book right away versus having to reach out with questions bef

Respond quickly to guests’ questions. If you respond quickly when they reach out, that tells the algorithm that your property is more bookable, and you perform better in the search ranking.

We suggest you identify a dozen of the most comparable listings in your market and note the security deposit levels they’ve set. Don’t be the highest. Start with at most the median rate. If you don’t have enough comparable listings to base your security deposit level on, use the 25 percent rule. Keep your security deposit at no more than 25 percent

Most hosts require security deposits. Guests are used to this and charging one won’t create a barrier to booking unless the amount is glaringly outrageous. According to iGMS, a leading vacation rental software, 59 percent of Airbnb listings have a security deposit.

A lockbox is the lowest tech option but the highest in terms of reliability. You attach a lockbox to a doorknob or railing, and guests can unlock it with a code to access the physical key. Because lockboxes are mechanical and not electronic, the only time a lockbox can be unreliable is when it can get jammed or frozen during cold weather. Another d

One way to avoid late check-outs is to deter them by stating a fine in both the listing profile and in the house manual for every hour that a guest is late in checking out. A fine of the full daily rate for each hour is more than enough to motivate guests to leave on time.

For example, if you mention your pullout couch in the listing description, be sure to have photos of the couch both set up as a couch and fully made up as a bed.

Fortunately, Airbnb takes the time to monitor the validity of your guest reviews. If ever there is a review that is questionable or a review that was made for the wrong reasons, you can contact Airbnb and request that they evaluate it. If it’s deemed unreasonable or unmerited, then Airbnb will either remove it from your listing or take that mark of

Hosts can see prospective guests’ profiles and require that guests show a government-issued photo ID. A government-issued photo ID can include a passport or a driver’s license. Guests also can offer other verifications, such as a personal email address, a work email address, a phone number, a Facebook account, and a photo. You can reach out to gues

Wi-Fi information: We recommend putting little stickers with your network name and password on every floor and every room right by the main light switches. Easy, painless access to fast Wi-Fi is more important than water for most guests. If they can’t sign in instantly or if they can notice any lag in speed during normal usage, the sign-in process