A collection of Airbnb host tips for hosts new and experienced hosts & management agencies, written by Airbnb Superhosts and industry experts.
About Airbnb
Since 2008, Airbnb has accumulated over hundreds of thousands of Hosts across 39,000 cities. To be efficient and maximise your revenues, you have to manage the guest and make sure they have a comfortable stay in your property. We work with Superhosts, Airbnb professionals and industry experts to share the best Airbnb host tips.
As an Airbnb host or management company you should know how to be a great host and delight your guests. It will help you increase revenue and get great reviews about your property, which will help to increase sales.
On this page we will educate you about the best Airbnb host tips that will directly help your hospitality business. The smart device we provide is one great thing to increase the revenues.
Before You List On Airbnb
Set Out Your Goals & Expectations
Airbnb can provide a substantial additional revenue stream – but there’s a lot more to it than money. The company has established a recognisable culture among both hosts and travellers; many hosts focus on providing a personal hospitality experience as an extension of their personality, while guests are often seeking to experience life as a local.
The platform has also provided more professional outfits an out-of-the-box solution to advertising their short-term vacation rentals. Often managing multiple properties, the focus is on high occupancy rates – providing convenient self-catering accommodation at a competitive price.
Whatever your goal, it’s important to define what you want to achieve – the capital, time and risk involved in being an Airbnb Host can vary wildly.
Time Commitment
While it may appear that everyone and their neighbour is an Airbnb host, hosting on the platform takes a large commitment of time and could cost you more than you think. Handling bookings, answering questions from guests, meet & greets, turnovers and dealing with emergencies – there’s a lot to think about, particularly if you’re doing this on the side. Do you have the time and flexibility required to succeed?
Risk & Liability
Aside from the worry of letting strangers in to your home (this quickly subsides, don’t worry!), there are a small number of risks to make provision for. You’re putting your property at risk of damage or theft. If you choose to host remotely, you risk renting to a squatter. You may also face a liability claim if your guests get injured.
Airbnb offer the Host Guarantee – a fund they have circled to deal with claims – but it’s worth reading in to this in more detail as it is not a substitute for insurance. Initially, it was hard to find insurance that covered short-term lets – but there are now providers (such as GuardHog) that offer an all-in-one package, to give you peace of mind.
Local Relations & Regulation
If you’re considering sub-letting your rented accommodation on Airbnb, you should definitely approach your landlord first. Short-term lets may not be allowed in your lease, putting your own tenancy in jeopardy. Speak candidly to them – if your landlord is happy for you to host, ensure that you get an agreement in writing.
If you’re lucky enough to own your own property, the decision to host usually rests with you – but it is worth checking back-through the paperwork of your mortgage, as some mortgage providers include clauses that specifically outlaw short-term lets. As with tenancy agreements above, hosting your home on Airbnb may invalidate your mortgage agreement.
Another thing to check is your local authority’s stance on short-lets. Cities around the world have responded to the home-sharing concept in different ways. For example, in London (UK) the number of nights that guests can stay in your home is capped at 90 – even though it is perfectly legal to operate for 90 nights, these limits may affect the profitability of your listing.
Set Your Pricing
Pricing is something commonly overlooked by new hosts – if you simply set your weekday and weekend prices and forget about it, you may potentially leaving profits on the table. There is no one-size-fits-all pricing strategy; some hosts will make a calendar of local events and manually set their calendar, others will use automated tools to automatically adjust their pricing.
Change Of Lifestyle
Everything considered, it should be clear that there’s more to hosting on Airbnb than simply listing your property online.
The life of an Airbnb host can be incredibly rewarding – guests &and hosts are known to have forged friendships, and the additional revenue streams that you can unlock can transform your current situation.
Top Cities In The World For Airbnb – How Does Your City Compare?
Airbnb Host Tips in Paris, France
It is estimated that there are more than 40,000+ active Airbnb listings in Paris.
90% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 10% are registered as “private rooms”. More than 19,000 hosts operate a single listing, over 8,000 list their studio apartment property and a small percentage operating 4+ properties.
In 2016 France introduced a nationwide registration programme for cities more than 200,000 occupants, limiting the number of nights that hosts can let their properties to 120 nights per year.
“Properties are scattered throughout the city; however, the neighborhoods containing the largest number of properties are Le Maries, Montemartre, and Quartier Latin amongst others,” explain AirDNA.
“Entire homes maintain the highest median nightly price, while in comparison, private rooms charge half per night. With regard to demand, the highest median occupancy rates occur from early spring through late Fall when the weather is most comfortable. Occupancy rates peak during these times and decrease sharply throughout the winter season. For example, one of the highest levels of occupancy occurs in October at 75%, and falls nearly 20% entering November. The price increases and recovers to peak levels March into April. During these times, 1-bedroom listing prices average $112 while private rooms average $51.”
Known For
Romance, philosophy, culinary esteem, iconic fashion, iconic attitude, rich history, fine art, The Louvre, Notre Dame, Champs-Elysées, brooding perfection
Airbnb in New York, USA
It is estimated that there are more than 27,000+ active Airbnb listings in New York.
Around 48% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 52% are registered as “private rooms”. More than 6,000 hosts operate a single listing, over 2,000 list their studio apartment property and a small percentage operating 2+ properties.
Short-lets in New York (for less than 30 days) are actually illegal. In 2016, the New York authorities also made it illegal to advertise your properties on Airbnb or other home-sharing platforms.
Known For
Bright lights, long nights, tall buildings, high fashion, Lady Liberty, Central Park, Broadway, Wall Street, museums, the cutting edge, setting trends
Airbnb in London, UK
It is estimated that there are more than 43,000+ active Airbnb listings in London. 60% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 40% are registered as “private rooms”. More than 23,000 hosts operate a single listing, with a small percentage operating 5 or more properties.
Airbnb was illegal in London until 2015, when the government introduced a new legislation that allowed hosts to let out their homes for up to 90 days per year.
“For London, seasonality does not have as significant of an impact on demand as other cities throughout the world,” explain AirDNA.
“Occupancy rates remain consistent throughout the year, peaking in July at 78%, and lowest in January at 45%. The majority of rentals consist of private rooms and 1-room apartments, accounting for over half of all Airbnb properties in London. Central districts of London house the most rentals, with the greatest concentrations being within the neighborhoods of Shoreditch, Notting Hill, and Marylebone. In these neighborhoods, the average price for a 1-bedroom listing is $180, while private rooms average $85.”
Known For
Pub culture, tea culture, the royal family, Big Ben, Shakespeare, wry humour, theatre, fashion and finance, fish and chips, Tate Modern, the Tube
Airbnb in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
It is estimated that there are more than 26,000+ active Airbnb listings in Rio De Janeiro. 71% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 29% are registered as “private rooms”.
Rio is unusual as it has a high percentage of hosts operating more than one property:
- Studio Apartment: 1,200+ Listings
- 1 Bedroom: 5,500+ Listings
- 2 Bedrooms: 6,900+ Listings
- 3 Bedrooms: 3,600+ Listings
- 4+ Bedrooms: 1,300+ Listings
Known For
Carnival, samba, sultriness, sizzling beaches, caipirinhas, Brazilian bikinis, Sugarloaf Mountain’s Christ the Redeemer statue, the World Cup, favelas
Airbnb in Berlin, Germany
It is estimated that there are more than 12,000+ active Airbnb listings in Berlin. Around 48% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 50% are registered as “private rooms”.
Properties by bedroom:
- Studio Apartment: 9,300+ Listings
- 1 Bedroom: 700+ Listings
- 2, 3 & 4 Bedrooms: 2000+ Listings
Known For
The Berlin Wall, historical significance, Bauhaus, provocative street art, weekend-long parties, electronic music, artists’ squats, beer gardens
Airbnb in Barcelona, Spain
It is estimated that there are more than 22,000+ active Airbnb listings in Barcelona. Around 62% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 38% are registered as “private rooms”.
Properties by bedroom:
- Studio Apartment: 800+ Listings
- 1 Bedroom: 6,100+ Listings
- 2 Bedrooms: 5,000+ Listings
- 3 Bedrooms: 1,600 Listings
- 4 Bedrooms: 500+ Listings
Known For
La Sagrada Familia, Gaudí, FC Barcelona, Las Ramblas, warm sun and cool beaches, avant-garde architecture, museums, and music, gastronomic pioneers
Airbnb in Rome, Italy
It is estimated that there are more than 15,000+ active Airbnb listings in Rome. Around 48% of the listed rentals are considered to be “entire places” while the other 50% are registered as “private rooms”.
Properties by bedroom:
- Studio Apartment: 400+ Listings
- 1 Bedroom: 2,400+ Listings
- 2 Bedrooms: 3,100+ Listings
- 3 Bedrooms: 1,700 Listings
- 4 Bedrooms: 700+ Listings
Known For
Ancient ruins, The Colosseum, The Renaissance, Vatican City, The Pope, piazza sitting, people watching, pizza by the ounce, Vespas, soccer, brio
Setting Up Your Airbnb Listing
Airbnb has become a numbers game — a game that you can win. The tips in this article are specifically designed for Airbnb; but you could definitely apply them to any website on which you list your Vacation Rental property.
The Objective
The Airbnb host tips included in this article are designed to do two things; get your Airbnb listing on to the front page of an Airbnb search in your area, and get your listing on to the front page of a Google search for properties in your area.
The Method
Every property listed on the site has a conversion rate (the percentage of people that go on to make a booking after viewing your profile). You can calculate your own conversion rate by taking the number of enquiries per month, and divide that by number of people that view your listing.
The Algorithm Airbnb uses to determine the order in which listings are shown rely on a number of factors; some that you can affect (how many people view your listing, and how long they spend on the page), and others that you can’t (location, listing type).
We’re going to focus on improving two areas; bringing more people to your listing, and keeping them there for as long as possible.
Keeping People On Your Listing For Longer
I’m starting here because we want to prepare your listing to make it as effective as possible. We want maximise the potential conversion rate before we increase the number of page views.
Fill out listing with information
It sounds silly, but it’s just like being at school — if they give you a box to fill out, make sure it has something in it.
This is about “metadata”. Simply put, Airbnb prioritises listings that it deems are ‘complete’.
Google also reads all of the information on your listing, so use Google to find a keyword checker, like this one — then use it to see what phrases other people use when they are searching for your area. Try and include these keywords on your listing, as this will increase your chance of ranking higher on a Google search.
Move Your Reviews Into Your Photos
The anatomy of the Airbnb listing puts reviews at bottom, underneath the bulk of the descriptive fields (now beautifully full of information). They also only show one or two, making the user click to disclose the rest.
The area that users spend most time on? Your photos.
It’s a no-brainer. Find the best reviews, preferably those that mention specific things in your home, then add them to the captions of your photos. This works best when something in the review matches the photo; “comfiest night’s sleep ever” on a picture of a bed, “light and airy home” on an interior shot with natural light.
Quick Airbnb Host Tips
- Put quotation marks around the excerpt
- Add the name of the reviewer
- Add the number of stars using asterisks *****
Bringing more people to your listing
Sorry to say, but there’s no one-size-fits-all method for doing this — instead you need to experiment, measure and be ruthlessly cut things out that don’t deliver.
Start Measuring
The key to understanding the channels that work for you — Facebook marketing, emails, etc — is by finding ways to measure the number of people each channel delivers, so you know what is working.
Learn how to create a bit.ly or goo.gl link to your listing and use it to measure the number of people that click, each time you share your listing online (email, on social channels, in your blog). These services are free, and easy to use.
It’s a rudimentary measure, but the click-through metric is enough to determine the channels that are most effective for you.
Get On The First Page Of Google using YouTube
The goal of this technique is to drive more people to your listing by creating a video that appears on the front page of a google search, driving more people to your listing via a link.
Determine what your niche is — farmhouse for big groups in Wisconsin — then try using google to search for similar terms. Use tools to check the number of monthly searches & ask friends — get a sense of the specific terms they would type into google to find what you’re offering. You’re aiming for something niche.
When you have a search term that you’re happy with, create a 60–90 second video of you talking to the camera about your place. It doesn’t have to be fancy (can be shot on your phone), but must include the following:
- Specific search term must be mentioned in the first few seconds, as an answer to the thing they are searching for. “Are you looking for a farmhouse, suitable for big groups, in Wisconsin?”
- A SHORT description of the house and features — idea is to tease people to click the link to your listing, not reveal everything up-front. Try to explain how guests will feel when they stay at your place — cosy, relaxed — words and phrases designed to help them picture staying with you. “Imagine warming yourself by the fire pit, watching the stars while snuggled under a blanket.”
- Ask them to book with you — “If you’d like to see more, click the link in the description of this video and take a look at our wonderful home”
- Make the title of the video as close to the search term as possible: “Reviewed: Wisconsin Farmhouse for Big Groups” (using title case helps title stand out in results)
- Choose or upload a good thumbnail.
Can take a few days / weeks for the video to appear on page 1 (really helps if you can get people to watch the YouTube video — share with me, I will definitely share it elsewhere)
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Airbnb Strategies
Being an Airbnb host can be lucrative, however you should know the best strategies to increase revenue and understand what else is on the market. At YourWelcome we aim to help the Airbnb hosts and management companies with our latest smart device while educating you on the best practices.
It’s important you aim to get good reviews from your guests by providing them and unforgettable experience during their stay. YourWelcome can help you with tips and strategies. You can check our blog for more tips.
Being a new host takes so much courage to build the business and that’s why we are here to help you grow your business. With our experts in house, we are researching what works best for Airbnb hosts to increase the earnings and that’s our primary goal.
Check the YourWelcome tablet to see why and how it can help you and get in touch with us.
