Tips to Hosting an Airbnb
If you’re into the real estate, passive income, or side hustle….
Then maybe hosting an investment property is right for you. Obviously, there are many steps in making this happen, but if having a short term rental property is a goal of yours, here are some personal tips for setting up your rental after a year of hosting.
Hire a professional photographer. Let’s face it, all Airbnb guests (and you) judge your home based on the thumbnail. The wide angle of professional photos often make spaces look larger. The editing photographers use will make the space look bright and clean. We paid around $200 for our photos and they were worth every penny! Even if you’re a good photographer, a professional will better know how to document your space.
Buy twice the sheets and towels. Our guests checked out at 11AM and checked out by 3PM. This allowed our cleaners 4 hours to clean an entire home. While the sheets for the last guest were running, they could re-make all the beds with a second set of sheets which made it super easy.
Hire a Cleaner. If you’re busy, hiring a cleaner is always the move. Plus, you charge the full cleaning fee to the guest. When you have extra time and want to “make” an extra $100-150, then you cancel the cleaning and do it yourself!
Create a Guidebook. If you’re here reading this, then you probably would be the kind of person to get on Google Maps or Yelp to look up what’s good in the area. However, you have to prepare for the lowest common denominator, which is the person who drives around looking for restaurants. There are many templates for sale on line or you can get creative with it!
Use a code lock to avoid keys. We used Schlage combo lock which is great because you can delete the codes once a guest checks out and don’t have to worry. Also, you avoid having to meet up with your guest to give a physical key.
Connect with other hosts to solve problems. If you run into a bad guest or something that you just don’t know what to do about, chances are it has happened to somewhere else. Check out Reddit or the Facebook Page “The Hosting Journey” to connect with other guests.
That’s all I can think of for now! Do you have any suggestions from your hosting journey?
