5 tips for Airbnb hosts
Are you thinking of becoming an Airbnb host? Do you own an Airbnb property and would love to hear some awesome tips and tricks to improve your service?
We recently had a chat with the Director of Holiday P.A., Natalie Sheather, to find out how you can provide the ultimate Airbnb guest experience in today’s competitive holiday rental market.
Holiday P.A. was established to support out-of-town holiday homeowners who wanted a local to call on to check their property, organise maintenance or cleaning, or to do something as simple as bringing in the bins. Since then Holiday P.A. has grown into a successful co-hosting service that allows hosts to maintain control of their profile and bookings, while Holiday P.A. takes care of the rest. If you can’t be at your property they’ll meet and greet your guests, provide a turn down service and give your guests ongoing support during their stay.
Here are Natalie’s top 5 Airbnb hosting tips:
1. Great communication
Responding to your online requests as soon as possible should always be your priority as an Airbnb host. Guests will send out several enquiries at a time and often book with the first host to confirm availability. Get in first to secure the booking!
Always be honest in your property profile, and disclose anything that may concern guests, or impact upon their stay, for example noise from a nearby building site or if your property is located on a busy street.
2. Clean twice
Clean the entire property from top to bottom, then after preparing the linen, clean problem areas again, such as the bathroom and kitchen. Also, don’t forget to check under the couch cushions and behind beds, I once found a dog bone in-between the couch and I often find used tissues and lolly wrappers.
It’s always important to extend your clean beyond the common areas, you’ll be surprised where people tend to look, particularly if they’re searching for a power outlet to charge their phone.
It always helps to pretend you’re a guest in your own home, or even better, get a second opinion from a friend or relative.
3. Offer free WIFI
Free WIFI is a huge selling point for any property. In this day and age everyone likes to be connected, even if free WIFI is not something that you see value in, a lot of people do, so providing free WIFI is a considerate gesture that will attract a larger market.
4. Make it interesting
Themed Airbnb’s are proving to be very successful and tailoring to a niche market is a great way to stand out from the rest. The Star Wars bnb in North Melbourne is a great example of how a fun obsession can lead to a very profitable bnb.
That’s not to say that everyone should convert their houses into Disneyland, but you could offer an interesting selection of books, a wood fire pizza oven with some of your personal recipes left out, or an infuser with a guide to essential oils and some samples for your guests to use.
5. Invest in luxury bed linen
High quality bed linen is not only luxurious and comfortable for your guests, but it has a longer life, which is important because linen in bnb’s is washed so regularly.
If you have any other hints or tips on how to get an Airbnb property ready for market, or would like to share the story of how you became an Airbnb Superhost we’d love to hear from you! Email info@nationalhotelsupplies.com.au.
