FAQs
As an Airbnb Superhost Ambassador, I’ve been asked every question under the sun. Here are my answers to some questions I get most often.
Starting your listing
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No, you have to add photos to move forward, but you can add any photos, even dummy ones. You can always change or delete them later.
Photos are the most important part of your listing. It is how you will attract your guests and make them click to see more. I recommend checking here to see if you can get professional photography done in your area. https://elevate.translated.com/pro-photography
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Yes! Connect with me here www.airbnb.com/r/elizabethmuck and we can find a time!
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I can mentor you as a paid service see my pricing HERE.
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Here is how Aircover works (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3218). You should be covered in most situations however, I recommend having your own insurance for short-term rentals as well, as Aircover is just coverage, not insurance. I recommend Steadily or Proper for short-term rental policies.
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I recommend looking on social media and YouTube for resources on rental arbitrage. There are a lot of resources out there to teach you how to pitch a landlord. Then take one of these classes HERE.
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I recommend to go ahead and publish and then immediately click unlist. There should be a button that says unlist indefinitely or block all dates by default. That way, you have access to all the other functions on the hosting dashboard, but guests can't see your listing yet. Then I can review it for you before you open it for bookings.
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If something get damaged make sure to take photos, keep good documentation, keep any receipts and invoices to submit to Airbnb and then follow these steps here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/767.
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I personally DO NOT use Airbnb’s smart pricing. I look at places on Airbnb in the city my properties are in and look for listings that are similar to mine in size, number of guests, and amenities. Then I save those to a wishlist (heart at the top right) so I can keep track of how they change their prices all year long. When you are starting out on Airbnb it's best to use a pricing strategy that makes your price slightly cheaper than all of your competition so there is an incentive for people to book. If I get a booking very quickly, I know I am priced too low. If I am not getting any bookings, I am too high.
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It depends on which cancellation policy you pick. I recommend moderate. Here is more on cancellation policies: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/475/cancellation-policies-for-your-listing
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I think really unique decor does well. We LOVE theming our places. For example, we have one that's a tropical theme. People love king beds. Pops of colors are good. Highly recommend getting a HostGPO membership to get discounts on furniture. They also have a design program to help you design your place.
After Check-in
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It’s such a bummer to start right off the bat with an issue you overlooked, BUT I will say most of the issues we experience tend to be at the beginning of hosting because we don't know what we don't know. I call it lessons learned the hard way. If something does happen, be responsive and jump right on it to make it right. You could offer to return some of their money or send a gift card for dinner. Sometimes, I am just honest with the guest and say something like- we are so sorry that this happened. This is not how we want the experience to go for our guests. We strive to offer the utmost hospitality and we would like to compensate you. What do you think would be fair? I know when something like this happens, it's stressful. I always try to reframe and ask myself what did I learn that will improve my business in the future!
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Sometimes that happens. We just started a new listing, and our first guest didn’t leave us a review either. It stinks, but focus on getting reviews from the next ones! For example, in the checkout message, thank them and tell them you are interested in hearing about their experience in the review.
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I send a booking message, a check-in message, and a checkout message. I have the check-in and out message scheduled to automatically be sent. I have the booking message saved as a quick reply. I manually send it mostly so I can write down the check-in and out dates in my planner. Here is more about how to create quick replies and scheduled messages:
https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/using-quick-replies-to-save-time-73
Current Hosts
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Yes, after you create a listing on Airbnb you can sync the two calendars together following the steps here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/99
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Here is more about monthly stays: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/805
1. Update your calendar settings to accept bookings of 28 nights or more. Make sure the minimum and maximum stays you set follow local rules and regulations.
2. Offer a discount exclusively for stays of 28 nights or longer.
3. Add popular long-term stay amenities to your listing, such as wifi and a kitchen by updating your amenities settings.
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It’s ok, it happens! I would NOT ask the guest to pay as they booked it thinking it was a certain price. I would eat the cost of the cleaning for this one and add it to your listing for the next guests. https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/using-quick-replies-to-save-time-73
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Don’t worry, that is not uncommon! In the Airbnb app, go to listings, then scroll down, click instant book, and then you can add a pre-booking message like tell me about your trip and how many guests are coming. Click the toggle to turn on profile picture. Send a quick note thanking them for the booking, normally they will respond to that.
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Here is how to leave your guest a review: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3531#section-heading-4-0
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The guest can click at the top of the chat, then details, click change reservation, and pick new dates.
DO NOT CANCEL FOR THEM YOU WILL BE GET PENALIZED BY AIRBNB.
Here is how to do that: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1363