Five Newbie Airbnb Hosting Mistakes We Made
BY MIKEL HUBBARD
FORMER HGTV PRODUCER | CO-FOUNDER, THE HOST CO |
OWNER, TIMES EIGHT PROPERTY & DESIGN
Ok, when you’re just starting out, you may not REALLY know what it’s like to run a vacation rental business, so you’ll do stuff that’s just… um, wrong. Before hosting, we recommend staying in at least a couple high-rated Airbnbs and taking notes! Otherwise, here are the dumbest newbie mistakes we made.
READ MORE: JUST STARTING AIRBNB? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
MISTAKE #1: IF WE PROVIDE THE BASICS, GUESTS WILL PROVIDE THE REST. WRONG!
When we first started renting homes, we thought we could give people one roll of toilet paper, one trash bag and one box of tissues. If they needed more, they’d go to the store and get it, right? WRONG. Your guests expect you to provide them with the essentials. If they run out, often they don’t buy more. They make do.
They’ll pile garbage in a can with no liner. They’ll use paper towels for toilet paper and if there’s no extra tissues in the bedroom? Comforters make great Kleenex!
Save yourself the hassle (and them the frustration) by providing a reasonable amount of extras. If 2 people go through 6 rolls of toilet paper in two days, it’s reasonable to expect them to go buy more. But if you leave them with just a squirt of dish soap, guess what? You’ll be doing their dishes.
MISTAKE #2: GUESTS ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH THE INTERIOR THAN THE EXTERIOR SO I’M GONNA PUT THE MONEY INTO THE INTERIOR DESIGN. NOPE!
Your favorite Airbnbs are the ones that look like magazine shoots inside. Sure, this may be true in the city. Get outside of the city and guests want outdoor fireplaces, patio furniture, pools and well-maintained yards. Your outdoor space is often MORE important than your interior space and giving guests amenities like hot tubs and views is what will set you apart.
In fact, we get way more hits showing the exterior of our homes than the interiors. Go figure.
READ MORE: HOW TO MAKE YOUR AIRBNB MORE INSTAGRAMMABLE
MISTAKE #3: CLEANING SUPPLIES ARE UGLY TO LOOK AT, SO LET’S LOCK THEM UP IN THE OWNER’S CLOSET.
If you don’t give your guests any way to clean up after themselves, guess what? They won’t! People don’t want to leave your house messy, so don’t give them a reason to. Leave them a vacuum cleaner, brooms, mops and cleaning supplies. You’d be surprised! They’ll use them.
READ MORE: OUR TIPS FOR DEEP CLEANING YOUR AIRBNB
MISTAKE #4: I WANT MY GUESTS TO KNOW EVERYTHING SO I’LL WRITE LOTS OF INSTRUCTIONS, CREATE LOTS OF RULES AND LABEL EVERYTHING.
People are going on vacation. They don’t want to read your instructions. They want to relax. Pick your battles and come up with a few rules you feel strongly about. Label only when it’s absolutely necessary and make instructions easy to follow. Less is more in this category or your guests will get overwhelmed and ignore everything. After you start renting, you’ll hear the same questions over and over. Those will be the things you realize you need to clarify. The kitchen drawer where you keep silverware… people can probably figure that out on their own.
READ MORE: THE 6 MOST IMPORTANT SIGNS FOR YOUR AIRBNB
MISTAKE #5: IF I LEAVE PERSONAL ITEMS IN THE CLOSET OR THE FRIDGE, PEOPLE WILL BE RESPECTFUL AND WON’T TOUCH THEM.
If people can access something, they’ll use it. They’ll use your expensive truffle oil. They’ll wear your bathrobe. They’ll read your journal. If you don’t want guests to touch it, lock it away! Otherwise, you might find your food eaten, your alcohol drank and your personal items misplaced or even worse, missing. Give them every chance to respect the space.
Got a mistake you wish you would have known before renting? Let us know below!