As I have recently learned, it isn’t a difficult endeavor to start making a nice little side hustle income by becoming an Airbnb host. Living in San Antonio, I felt called to offer my home to refugees from Hurricane Harvey. That’s when I realized that renting out my guest room a few days a month was easy, relatively painless, and a sweet way to earn some extra cash.
But just like so many other businesses, positive reviews are essential in getting customers. I mean, how many times have you decided to skip the new restaurant in town due to a horrible Yelp review or chose to buy from a different eBay seller thanks to not-so-great ratings? Airbnb is exactly the same.
So how do you get your guests to not only leave you a review, but a detailed, positive one? After some trial and error, I’ve come up with the following Airbnb hosting tips to help get you started on the right foot in renting your home.
While it may be tempting to make your home out to look better than it is, lying about the state of your rental will do nothing but provide you with negative reviews. Instead, price your home according to the actual condition. Many people just want a clean, safe, and cheap place to crash. You’ll attract many budget travelers this way, which will result in positive reviews. Seriously, folks, skip the Photoshop and be forthright about your rental.
While it is tempting to get paid directly without going through Airbnb, you’ll be leaving yourself and your guests vulnerable. Yes, Airbnb does take a cut of your profits, but that also supplies you with up to $1 million dollars of insurance and customer support for both you and your renters.
You may not know this, but you do not need to accept every person that requests a stay. If a potential renter has negative reviews, a lack of information on their profile, or you just don’t think they will be a good fit, you can turn down the reservation. Remember, having like-minded individuals staying in your home will result in better reviews. Trust your gut.
Think about every hotel you’ve ever stayed at. I can guarantee that each and every one had a binder of useful information in each room. In those books, you often find instructions for operating the tv, information on local attractions, takeout menus, and other useful details to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
To score great reviews from your renters, consider having a similar “concierge station” within your guest’s quarters. There you can also post the house rules and even supply them with some free snacks and water bottles.
If you are renting your entire home and not just looking for temporary roommates, I’d also include emergency contact information, details on how to work the appliances, and the location of your breaker box.
Also at this information station, you can leave instructions for your guests on how to leave a great review. I recommend also noting that you will reciprocate in kind by leaving them a well thought out positive review in return. Assure them that you’ll leave them more than just a mediocre, generic sentence.
So is being an AirBnb Host worth it? Absolutely! I earned over $450 in my first month of renting my spare room part-time as a host!
So if these handy-dandy Airbnb hosting tips and my recent success have inspired you to start renting out your own space, pop on over here to get started. Stay tuned for more updates as my income grows.
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Great idea with a mini bar!
I need to build one in my apartment:-)
Thanks for the inspiration.