Top 5 Must-Do’s When Renting Out Your Property On Airbnb
If you’re new to the Airbnb/Short term rental game, there is a lot to learn! Think of managing multiple Airbnb’s like running a hotel but with rooms spread across a whole city, country or continent!
As such, it’s important to get a few key things right.
1. Guest Communication
Is your idea of a good time handling dozens of messages from a wide variety of random individuals asking everything from a discount to whether there’s a dishwasher?... I didn’t think so … this is one of the chief reasons to outsource the hell out of nattering away with guests.
Usually as a property owner you are heavily emotionally invested in your property – it’s only natural – but this can come at a cost. Especially, when handling guest complaints from the menial to the serious, so like road-rage, it’s best to steer clear and avoid and let others take the flak.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
2. Housekeeping
Everyone has a different version of clean. But there’s one thing no one likes, lack of cleanliness. It’s one of the hardest parts of running Airbnb’s to get right but once done correctly (and keys are where they’re supposed to be) everything else often falls into place!
3. Linen
Do not compromise on linen. The minimum expectation of any guest is that they can a) get into the place, b) it’s clean and c) they can have a great night’s sleep in hotel like sheets. That means doona covers, fitted sheet and my preferred bamboo cotton blend sheets.
4. Pricing
You want to make the most moulah out of your property right? Well the best place to start is to price it appropriately. Go too high and you’ll be ignored, go too low and a German backpacker will book New Years Eve in 2022. You need to properly evaluate the pros and cons of your property, do market research and have a pricing strategy in place that takes into consideration seasonal changes, mid-week, weekend and special occasion rates.
5. Keys
This sounds like a stoopid one, but trust me, keys are the single most important consideration you will have for Airbnb. You will need to have a solution that’s available and accessible 24/7 (this is very hard to do legally for apartment buildings), ensure they are actually there when required and have a backup in place s*it hits the fan – hello 3am Uber ride.
