Airbnb Hosting from the Heart

We browse a lot of hosting discussion forums, and like the good ghouls we are, we love a good "hosting gone wrong" story as much as the next person.



However, we can't help but notice the pattern that a good 90+% of these stories boil down to one of two root causes:

  1. The person doesn't actually want to host
  2. The property doesn't actually lend itself to being a good short-term rental

Let's look at both these in turn:

Not the Right Hosting Intent

We get the feeling some hosts, when you get right down to it, are really weirded out by the idea of strangers occupying their property, and react with behavior that leaves guests with the impression that "I don't like you; I only want your money!".

We're talking hosts who watch their cameras obsessively. Who hit guests with an extra charge because they had their mother-in-law stop by for dinner, putting them over the "allowable guest limit". Who throw couples out when one partner books the place, and the other partner arrives first. Who won't accept a guest with fifteen straight 5-star reviews because they "asked too many questions" prior to requesting.

Hosting involves extending some trust. Prudent trust, certainly - try not to go against your gut - but also, think about doing a, um, gut check on your gut: Am I exercising prudent caution, or am I finding myself perpetually triggered because at the end of the day I'd really rather not be hosting?

Another variant is "I'm so sick of answering questions about my area" or "They should just look on a map if they want to know how far my place is from transportation". 

We tend to find the concierge aspect of hosting inspiring and fun; we love sharing knowledge about our town and region. This comes naturally to us, and we think guests can feel it.

Put yourself in the guest's shoes: We recently went to a Caribbean island where we had to arrive by ferry, which drops off in what appeared to be a not-so-nice part of town. In this case, little reassurance from the host went a long way in helping us feel comfortable navigating this part of our trip, and we were thankful for it.

In short, you owe your guests a comfortable, relaxed, well-managed experience. If you're not in a service mindset ... well, see if you can get there!


Not the Right Property

We're just not in favor of hosting in properties that really don't lend themselves to short-term use. Places that are weirdly laid out; are just too close to neighbors to maintain good relations; home settings that feel over-personalized (e.g., photos of the owner's family, etc.); and units operating outside of HOA and city restrictions.

Any of these puts your guest in an awkward position. Guests don't want to have to go through one bedroom to reach another, as we awkwardly had to in a New Orleans rental during a vacation with friends. They don't want to deal with suspicious, angry, passive-aggressive (or sometimes flat-out aggressive) neighbors. They don't want to have to pretend to be your cousin or anything like that if someone asks why they're there.

These sins certainly set you up for bad reviews, and also reflect poorly on ALL hosts. So, please, if you're thinking of starting a STR in a place that oversteps any of the above guidelines, consider waiting until you find a better candidate property.

For us, our favorite configuration is standalone houses on oversized lots, ideally on a corner with parking on the side, in an area with both HOA and city agreement as to its use.

Conclusion

In our opinion, hosts need to find their way to a service-oriented mindset, and only list properties that truly lend themselves to being amazing short-term rentals. With the right intent and where everything's above board, management becomes so much easier, potential conflicts are lessened, and issues that need correction are easier to handle.

As hosts, we all contribute to the overall guest impression of our industry. We can either push it up or pull it down. Let's work together to do better!

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Photos by Andrea Davis on Pexels

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Here's Why We Do a Final Quality Check on Our Airbnbs

Your Airbnb guests will always find a way to surprise you! Keep your critical eyes open when inspecting your place, as it's too easy to let little flaws find their way to subsequent guests .... @bee_n_beetle_hosting This is why we do a final quality check after the cleaner is done. #airbnbhost #airbnbhosting #airbnbhostlife #vrbohost ♬ The Evil That Men Do (2015 Remaster) - Iron Maiden
Read more

Airbnb Newbie Advice Grab-Bag

Image
For your Sunday reading pleasure, here's a bit of random hosting advice I gave a young fella seeking to get started in the Airbnb business. Hope you get something out of it! Some thoughts, in no particular order: First and foremost, check city and HOA regulations. If they're not friendly to this use, you can try to wing it for a while, but there's a strong chance the rug will get yanked from under you after you've committed to this business. If they're good with it, make sure you understand your city and state requirements for registering your unit and paying hotel tax, as that'll be something you'll need to do. Make sure your location REALLY lends itself to STR use. If you're super packed in with neighbors, some of whom are weird or hostile, and you're targeting a lower-end guest mix who'll throw parties or bring hookups home or whatever, it's a powder keg. On the other hand, if the place is on a generous lot giving good separation from neig...
Read more

Handling Monthly Rental Queries

Image
 Our Airbnbs are in an area close to a large industrial construction project, which draws labor crews for contracts that may be weeks or months in length. These folks often find our Airbnbs an attractive alternative to hotels. They appreciate the home-like environment, and can be economical compared to hotels when the cost is split among individuals. They also like the additional privacy they gain in everyone having their own bedroom, compared to sharing a two-bed hotel room with a coworker. We generally appreciate these folks as guests. They tend to hit the job very early, come back mid-afternoon, cook dinner, and fall into bed. And lots of these folks become repeat guests after they've had a first successful weekend with us. We've had a few hiccups with muddy boots being worn in the house, but emphasizing a house rule around that tends to solve it. Recently we've been fielding a lot of questions around longer-term stays - multiple months at a time. This has turned a littl...
Read more