Don’t Ghost Your Host & Other Airbnb Tips for Guests!

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Last Updated on October 26, 2026 by Sarah

Today, I am here to share some of my best Airbnb tips for guests and great ways to ensure you have the best stay possible! We are long-time, top-rated Airbnb superhosts, and whether you are a first-time Airbnb guest or a seasoned pro, each stay is a chance to experience somewhere and something new.

The style of accommodations and variety of locations that you can now find on Airbnb are impressive! But at its core, Airbnb is about hospitality and connecting travelers with knowledgeable hosts worldwide.

And while this post is aimed at Airbnb guests, I also have a wide range of free Airbnb hosting resources here at Our Little Lifestyle!

I started writing this blog post a few days ago. Then, a day later, I started reading The Airbnb Story by Leigh Gallagher and found it fascinating.

On some level, I feel connected with the story, partially because I love being a host and because the platform (and owning vacation rentals) has changed my life and the lives of so many others.

The beautiful thing is that the opportunity to host on Airbnb is there for everyone because, besides hosting traditional stays, you can host Airbnb Experiences. In fact, when I was looking for Airbnb experiences in Athens for a past trip, I found a lady who hosts cat tours near the Acropolis, where you get to know the local cat colonies by name.

Airbnb Hosts & Airbnb Guests

So, I am not only an Airbnb host (see my listings here) but also an Airbnb user. After reading the book, I appreciated the new level of trust that Airbnb and other sharing-based communities have created.

When we bought our first condo in Seacrest Beach, Florida, hosting our first guests was bittersweet.

While I was excited about the booking, I was also sad and apprehensive about sharing my beloved 30A condo with a virtual stranger. Fast forward several years, and here we are with four condos and almost 50,000 nights hosted.

I am more excited than ever! I contribute our happiness and success on Airbnb to our amazing guests. We have had some great ones, and only a handful of guests I wouldn’t welcome back.

When we launched our first Airbnb, I bought two Rosemary Beach coffee mugs for guests. At $15 each, I knew they would walk away, so I bought four more and put them in a closet. Yet, here we are, a few hundred guests later, and the original two mugs are still in there.

Now, I can’t say the same about the wine glasses, but things break, and accidents happen, and that’s par for the course!

How to Be a Great Airbnb Guest

Let’s get down to business here and talk about Airbnb guest etiquette! I have been hosting for years and am ready to share some tips for being a great Airbnb guest that I sure bet other Airbnb hosts would agree with.

Some of these are common sense, but you may still need to think about others. And that’s ok!

If this is your first experience being an Airbnb guest, putting yourself in a host’s shoes can be challenging. That is why I am excited to share my first-hand Airbnb hosting experiences with you today!

RELATED POST: Airbnb or Hotel: Which To Choose

Who Is Your Airbnb Host? Why Does it Matter?

First, my advice and the Airbnb tips in this blog post apply best when you stay with an individual host who self-manages their listing. You can quickly tell you are staying with the property’s actual owner by looking at their name, profile picture, and bio.

For example, you can quickly tell that I am a 40-something mother of two and that these are my properties. I hope you notice how much I love being an Airbnb host, our amazing rating, and can infer that I am pretty knowledgeable about the 30A area.

This differs from a larger property management company, which often uses automated messaging and, upon booking, moves communication to its platform or email.

These hosts may not always have the best recommendations, and to be honest, some may never have even set foot in the property that you are considering renting.

For this blog post, I assume you are staying at an Airbnb vacation rental owned and managed by someone like me. Having hosted thousands of guests over the past several years, I can share honest insight into what it feels like to be on the other side of the Airbnb app.

Honestly, for the most part, I have had fantastic guests! They are often friendly and just as excited to be on 30A as I am to host them. They leave me such kind, generous Airbnb reviews that I am beyond grateful for.

But I have had several guests who leave me feeling crummy. Maybe it’s their short, one-word responses (if they even reply), or the nonstop questions I have already answered. The worst is when someone expresses a concern or dissatisfaction after a stay, when I can no longer help resolve it.

I will share a recent experience here in a minute when I get to that section!

9 Honest Tips For Airbnb Guests

Next, I am going to share 9 tips for Airbnb guests staying with a host like me—a real person! These Airbnb tips help ensure you and your host have a wonderful 5-star experience.

I can honestly say that most Airbnb hosts truly want their guests to have a wonderful experience. In my private Airbnb hosting group, I have thousands of hosts who I can tell love this job as much as I do. But, like anything, it goes both ways!

So here are my top first-hand tips for ensuring the best Airbnb guest experience in 2026!

#1 Don’t Ghost Your Host (Respond to Messages)

This is the most baffling thing I have encountered as an Airbnb host. I have had a handful of guests who didn’t communicate with me once before, during, or after a stay.

I find this very bizarre!

After receiving a new Airbnb booking, I usually send a welcome message asking if it’s their first trip to the 30A area and whether they’d like recommendations, which I send within a day or two.

Then I reach out 2-3 days before arrival to touch base about check-in information and make sure they see the House Manual in their Airbnb booking. I also copy it into our Airbnb messages for easy access.

Then I send their code on the day of arrival when our place is ready for them to check in. The next day, I like to send a short note to make sure they’ve settled in OK.

Lastly, I re-send the departure checklist the evening before checkout, thanking them for their stay.

There are just a handful of touchpoints, and most guests send me a quick thank you or ask questions along the way that I can answer quickly. So when I don’t get a response, I panic that they may not be receiving my messages in the Airbnb app, which limits my ability to provide the level of service I am accustomed to.

So, don’t ghost your host! Quick, friendly acknowledgment of receipt goes a long way!

#2 Respect Airbnb Occupancy Limits

In 2026, an Airbnb’s occupancy limits often come from community and/or condominium regulations and local fire safety codes, so guests must respect them.

It is not unusual for a host to be penalized by their community and neighborhood association for violating occupancy limits. Hosts also set these as house rules because that is the number of guests the property can accommodate comfortably.

For example, for our 30A studio with bunk beds, we limit bookings to 2 adults + up to 2 kids for several reasons.

First, it takes a lot of work for adults to get up in that top bunk with little room to sit up.

Second, it’s normal for a small family to share a bathroom and space. Families often share luggage, and this studio condo has limited floor and storage space.

Lastly, there are only two of most adult items, such as wine glasses. Just yesterday, I requested four women to stay in this condo, probably to save money, and I politely declined that booking. It would be very uncomfortable for four ladies sharing a small bathroom, each with their own luggage, in this space.

It would not be a 5-star experience, and that is what I strive for with every booking.

So, while Airbnb means Airbed (Air mattress) and Breakfast, please ask your host before packing those air mattresses and inviting more guests than your booking was made for. This goes back to the trust issue.

Typically, when it’s ok to do this, the host will let you know, and adding a person is no big deal. If it’s not ok, they will say no and explain why. I have had guests tell me they wanted to bring an air mattress into my smallest studio that literally doesn’t have enough floor space for it to lay on!

#3 Use the Airbnb Platform, Unless They Ask You Not To

This tip is specific to your host, and I am 100% speaking for myself when I tell you to PLEASE use the Airbnb platform and Airbnb app to communicate. I don’t particularly appreciate it when guests call or text me on my cell phone because I may miss the notification. I try to keep my personal life (kids’ activities, friends, and family) separate from my business. It helps me set boundaries and respond quickly.

We travel a lot and manage our Airbnbs remotely, so I would hate to miss a phone call or text when flying. But I almost always have Wi-Fi access, so I can keep tabs on my Airbnb app.

As a host, I set up my Airbnb account to send texts and emails when a guest messages me. Therefore, I can quickly open my app and respond. I rely heavily on my Apple Watch, limiting notifications to texts, calls, and Airbnb, so even if I don’t have my phone in hand, I will know the minute a guest messages me.

I truly never want to miss a message, so I have a particular FOCUS set up on my iPhone for overnights where all notifications are blocked except calls/texts from my immediate family and Airbnb. This helps ensure I get all guest messages in an emergency without being kept up all night by group chats pinging my phone. In this case, if a guest called me, I would see it in the morning. I have a blog post sharing my other strategies for Airbnb hosting, maintaining balance, and protecting your peace as an Airbnb host.

Again, this is my personal preference. If you book through a property management company, they will likely move all communications to email shortly after booking. So, it’s best to take the host’s lead here. If they start texting you, texting them back is just fine. Otherwise, keep communication on the platform.

Another benefit is that there is a record of all communications if an issue arises that requires Airbnb’s intervention.

#4 Ask for Recommendations (Let Your Host HOST You)

This is one of my favorite Airbnb hacks for guests. So much time is spent planning a trip and scouring the web for the best things to do and places to eat, yet often, guests forget to utilize their best resources – their host. So ask your Airbnb host for local recommendations, because the good ones should be able to provide them.

When Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky hosted the first Airbnb guest (on an air mattress in his apartment), he also took time to walk him around the neighborhood and show him great local restaurants.

The guest-host connection is the heartbeat of Airbnb, and for the most part, hosts are excited to share their local expertise with you! I genuinely enjoy putting together 30A tips and things to do on 30A for my guests, tailored to their travel dates, interests, and children’s ages if traveling with a family.

In general, most hosts should know quite a bit about the area they are hosting in, and if you are a host reading this and don’t, then take time to host yourself. Make sure you stay in your own Airbnb often and soak up the local community. This is what separates a bad Airbnb host from a good one.

So, while Instagram and Yelp are always great places to get ideas for your trip, remember to ask your host for their recommendations. This is the number one thing that my Airbnb guests rave about after staying with me. Feel free to read my Airbnb reviews here!

#5 Read the House Manual

This should be self-explanatory. Please take a few minutes to read through all materials in your Airbnb booking thoroughly. Seasoned hosts include all critical details in their house manuals, and Airbnb guests can often answer 95% of their questions simply by reading through everything.

For example, I sometimes get people asking me what to pack when staying at an Airbnb, including questions about hairdryers and garment steamers. Many of those answers are found within your Airbnb booking.

#6 Treat an Airbnb Like You Own It

So many times, when guests arrive for their Airbnb stay, they leave their manners at home. So, let’s include the golden rule here. Treat others how you want to be treated!

Here are a couple of cringy examples I have encountered or witnessed.

In September, our family visited one of our condos for a weekend, and every time I walked past one of my other units, I cried a little. Why? It was almost 100 degrees, and the sliding patio door of our 325 sq ft studio condo was open the ENTIRE weekend.

My first concern was my mini-split air conditioner, which was probably working extra hard and very close to freezing up. At that point, it would require service. Second, I knew ants and critters were going to get in. I didn’t say anything because a message telling them to close it felt a little like Big Brother, but I kept wondering whether they would do that at home.

Another story I wanted to share involves an acquaintance of mine on Facebook. They were at the beach for their annual family trip, and she posted several photos of a big, messy picnic spread out over some pretty quilts and blankets. When someone asked where she got those beautiful white and sky-blue linens, she replied that they were the bedspreads from the Airbnb they were staying at, complete with the dying-laughing emoji.

I couldn’t help but cringe for that Airbnb host and the cleaners who are going to arrive to find grease- and pasta-stained, sandy bedding. Again, I wondered if she would have taken her bedding out of her primary bedroom for this purpose.

Just be nice. Take care of someone’s space and possessions like they are your own!

#7 Voice Any Concerns During Your Airbnb Stay

Your Airbnb experience will not be 100% perfect 100% of the time. Nobody and nothing is perfect!

The key is giving your host a chance to make things right! This could be as simple as being unable to use the TV or the housekeepers missing something. In one instance, a guest didn’t tell me for two days that the internet wasn’t working, but once they did, we learned that their 10-year-old had unplugged the router to charge his Nintendo Switch.

Most fixes during an Airbnb stay are easy, and most hosts would love the opportunity to make things right. Also, it’s their property, so you can be sure they want to know if the air conditioner isn’t cooling properly or if there are ants in the bathroom.

Trust me on this one!

#8 Report Any Broken Items or Damages

Accidents happen! Let me tell you a secret… I have never charged a guest for something that was broken. In most cases, I have a backup already in the closet or can easily have a replacement delivered from Target within hours.

It gets frustrating when a guest doesn’t tell you about a lost or damaged item!

Why? Because it’s no fun for the next set of guests to arrive and see that the Keurig doesn’t work. Because it wasn’t reported, the issue now affects the next guest and requires a crisis-mode response from your Airbnb host.

Notifying your host about lost or damaged items as soon as possible is a courtesy to the next guest just as much as it is to the host.

#9 If You Had a Great Stay, Leave a Great Review

In the Airbnb and short-term rental world, if you leave anything less than 5 stars, the host will likely consider it a bad review. This differs from other reviews, such as Amazon purchases and hotel star ratings, where you may consider 3 or 4 out of 5 stars average.

If you had a great experience, leave a great review!

Your review should highlight what you loved about your Airbnb stay, whether it be the local area, your friendly host, extra Airbnb amenities, or a cozy bed.

The Airbnb review section isn’t the place for a critique. Airbnb provides a private feedback section where you can share additional thoughts with your host that may not serve a purpose in the main review. This could include missing items or a note about amenities you would have liked but didn’t have.

And you should always bring up any issues during your Airbnb stay so your host can help troubleshoot or address concerns immediately. Most good Airbnb hosts want to!

I am going to say this louder for everyone in the back.

It is incredibly rude to leave negative comments in a public Airbnb review if you did not bring your concerns up to your host during your stay. If you did and they weren’t addressed, by all means, lay it out there, but give your host a chance to address any issues beforehand.

Those Are My Top Airbnb Tips for Guests

And that’s it! Nine easy ways to be a great Airbnb guest that are both easy to do and will make your own Airbnb experience the best that it can be!

If you are an Airbnb host or want to learn more about what it’s like to be one, check out the Airbnb section of my blog here.

Or, if you are a traveler, check out the travel section of my blog! You can also follow along on social media to see what we are up to!

More About Becoming an Airbnb Superhost

Have you thought about becoming an Airbnb host? If you are thinking about purchasing a short-term vacation rental property and becoming an Airbnb host, I have a whole section here on my blog full of tips and helpful advice, including the best bedding for Airbnb properties.

This has become quite a passion of mine, and I am always happy to chat with readers about my experience. I love to share advice and answer your questions, so you are always welcome to either leave me a comment on this post or shoot me a message on either one of my Instagram accounts linked below!

Thinking about becoming an Airbnb host? Click here to find out what you can earn!

PIN Airbnb Tips for Guests Blog Post for Later!