Are you retired, ready to go off and see the world but you need a little spare change to do so? Or maybe you travel for work and you could stand to turn that apartment of yours into an investment?
Consider turning your home or property into a rental on Airbnb. These Airbnb tips and tricks of the trade will have you off the races in no time.
A Few Airbnb Tips
Putting your home or property on the Airbnb market is a great way to rake in some extra money (and a good excuse for a vacation). But getting started can seem daunting,?and hiring a?property manager?might even be the right option for you.
Where does one even start? Well, if you follow these tips and tricks, you should be well on your way to being a successful Airbnb host.
Make Your House Look Like a Model Home
Airbnb guests are searching for the nicest rentals they can find. Go the extra mile to make your home look like it leaped off the screen of HGTV.
This could include investing in some unique (but probably not too risque) art, putting together some floral arrangements, preparing an attractive color scheme, and installing ambient lighting.
This sounds like a lot to do, but your efforts will pay off. Longtime Airbnb renters exclaim that all those upgrades brought in swarms of visitors and made enough money that Airbnb practically paid for their vacations.
But remember: guests will expect to walk into the same home that they saw in the listing. Don’t just stage your house for the profile pictures and then return those throw pillows to Pier One.
This next option may be a bit extreme, but a pool is one amenity that is a magnet for vacationers. If you are interested in building a pool, view options here.
Meet Your Guests
If you can, meet your guests at the door when they arrive. If you want to be the best host ever, you could even offer to pick them up from the airport if they don’t have a ride arranged.
Don’t be overbearing, but be hospitable. Offer to take your guest’s luggage, and help them get set up in their rooms.
Give a tour of the house, especially if the property is large or has features that aren’t apparent at first glance.
Once everybody is settled in, offer around a bottle of wine while you discuss the fine details of the arrangement. If you’re not leaving for vacation while renting your property, cooking dinner if your guests aren’t planning to go out on the town.
Set Rules But Be Flexible
Airbnb will ask renters to accept the terms of the rental property before the booking is complete. Make sure you are as clear as possible when writing out the rules of staying in your property. Leaving room for interpretation could be to your determent.
Good things to include are community rules if you live in a neighborhood and whether or not pets are allowed on your property.
However, be sure to be as flexible as you can. The more rules that your renters have to agree to the less likely it is that they’ll be able to comply with every single one.
Cover Up
Remember, your renters are on vacation, and they’re going to act like it. No matter how respectful they are, wine is going to flow and your pearly white couch will be in jeopardy.
If you have light colored, stainable furniture, cover it up before your renters arrive. Get some plastic cushion covers to slip over the seats and backing. If you’re not into that, leave a note telling your guests to put a towel down if they’re going to have a drink on the couch.
Replace your light colored sheets as well. This is for a variety of reasons, but we won’t get graphic here. You may feel the need to just buy a couple of guest bed sets, but at the very least get some dark blue or gray sheets.
If you have a lot of your personal items lying around that you don’t want your guests to see, store those away somewhere the renters won’t go.
Leave Some Supplies
If guests are staying in your property while you’re on vacation, leave a little welcome package for when they arrive. This small gesture will elevate you immeasurably in the eyes of your renters.
A good idea for a welcome package is a bottle of wine and an assortment of sweet and salty snacks. Don’t overthink it. Nobody is expecting you to spring for gourmet treats. Some popcorn and a small box of Godiva will do the trick.
Stocking up on common household supplies will also impress guests. Make sure before you leave that you have simple things like paper plates, paper towels, and trash bags in supply.
And, of course, there’s the bathroom. Make sure all bathrooms have essentials like toilet paper and soap but also go a little further and leave some new shampoo and body wash in the shower.
Be Helpful
When communicating with your renters beforehand, be considerate and ask if they have any special needs you should attend to. Good things to ask about include food allergies or sensitivity to certain materials.
Also, be sure to leave handy notes around with detailed instructions about how to operate any devices renters are allowed to use. If you have a cable box or some other unique set up, tell your renters how to get the TV working.
Air conditioning and hot tubs are also good ideas of things to leave instructions for.
Read the Reviews
Don’t neglect reviews from your renters. If you’ve done all or most of the above, reviews should be overwhelmingly positive, but there will always be little things renters notice that could lend to your improvement.
Start Renting Your Home
By now, these Airbnb tips should have you fully ready to start taking on renters for your home our property. Just think of all the people you’ll meet and the money you’ll make now that your home is an Airbnb property.
For more tips on getting your house together for incoming renters, take a look at some of our other posts.
4 of the Best Value Home Improvements You Can Make to Your Home