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I am just wrapping up two days at my properties, refreshing them, and getting ready for the busy summer season. As I sit here, a thought comes to mind that I want to share with other Airbnb hosts.
For new Airbnb hosts, it is very tempting to want to do it all. I know you have the best intentions and want to offer your guests everything, maximize heads in beds, take direct bookings, and make exemptions to rules to get those 5-star reviews. Trust me, I know how important those are!
My Advice For Airbnb Hosts
Many of my Airbnb hosting blog posts explain why I don’t do many of these things. In a sea of people trying to do it all, I try to do one thing really well. And it’s worked out well for me at my four vacation rentals. I am starting my 5th year of hosting and remain the top host in my area and across the entire Airbnb platform.
What do I mean when I say not to do it all?
I do my best to avoid various pain points and try to keep things as easy as possible. This is why I exclusively host on Airbnb and keep all my guest communication in the app. Doing so has helped me streamline my workflow so that I can travel and live my life.
If you are not familiar with the 80/20 Principle, grab the book. It’s the center of every decision I make and has allowed me to run two successful businesses while traveling and enjoying my family. I also recommend The 4-Hour Work Week! Both change the way that successful Airbnb hosts value their time!
So, I was saying to myself that my Airbnb hosting strategy is all about protecting my 3 Ps…
- property
- profits
- peace
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Airbnb Hosts: Protect Your Three Ps
Simply put, I want to make the most money while doing the least amount of busy work and building up my assets. I know that sounds like one of those guru guys selling a too-good-to-be-true scheme. But I am a regular middle-aged mom who has made this work!
So, let’s dig into the three Ps!
Protect Your Property
Purchasing an investment property is a considerable expense. Chances are, you put down a significant downpayment and hope for appreciation over the years ahead. It’s kind of crazy to encourage random people to make themselves at home in your place, right?
This was hard for me initially, but over time, I am happy to say that most of my Airbnb guests have been fantastic! If you have read my post called Don’t Ghost Your Host: Airbnb Guest Etiquette, you know what type of people you want (and don’t want) in your rental.
You should have an ideal guest in mind and make your property desirable for them. At all of my 30A condos, I cater almost exclusively to couples and couples with babies or young kids. We include items they would need. Furthermore, we reserve the sofa bed for children only because I know that having four adults in a 650 sq ft condo and sharing a bathroom is uncomfortable and doesn’t always end well.
Be intentional about your Airbnb policies and your space. Just because you can squeeze a few more people into your rental doesn’t mean you should. In most cases, it doesn’t make your property more rentable, but it can increase your risk of damage. If needed, have a minimum age requirement, and think long and hard about allowing pets.
Stick to your rules! To be honest, I generally find that when you make exceptions to your policies, you end up with the most difficult guests.
Additionally, you need to be able to inspect your investment property at least once per quarter. Keeping up with routine maintenance, deep cleaning your Airbnb, and returning it to “like new” will earn you 5-star reviews. With those come the great guests who take care of your place like their own!
Protect Your Profits
When you first start, it’s easy to think you’ll do it all and have it all. It will be the best place ever, right?
Well, a slew of extra amenities is great when you’re making a lot of money, but how quickly do those costs add up during the slow season?
Also, unless you are there every single turn, your cleaners must be able to 100% execute arrival amenities and special touches. I find many extras to go in the “no good deed goes on punished” category. This is why we don’t do welcome baskets, bikes, etc. We also stick to basic Keurig Coffee Makers over fancy machines and coffee stations. Likewise, we opt for inexpensive, easy-to-use Roku TVs over fancy name brands.
I determine my Airbnb success by how much money I make each year. Our 30A rentals are a business for me and help support my family. This is why we can’t offer free stays to family and friends unless we are with them. We also do not use our places during the peak weeks when we have the most earning potential.
For others, simply breaking even is the goal. There is no shame in that! However, for new hosts, I will tell you that it’s very hard to make a place your own and also have it feel like a fresh hotel-like 5-star accommodation.
Protect Your Peace
This is the most important of the three for me. And, if you take nothing else away from this Airbnb blog post, please know that you have to set boundaries!
Communication with past, current, and future guests is generally manageable if you have one short-term rental. But, as you scale up your vacation rental business, you must have some ground rules for yourself and your guests.
This is why I only book through Airbnb and require that my guests use the app to communicate with me. It is one place that I have to check and monitor daily.
Asking my Airbnb guests to communicate with me through the Airbnb app allows me to stay organized and make sure I never miss a notification with the app. Likewise, if I had guests emailing me, calling me, and texting me on a daily basis, it would really interfere with my daily life.
I get enough spam as it is. Answering every single phone call “just in case it’s a guest” is exhausting. So, if you plan to scale your Airbnb business, set these boundaries from the start. This also allows you to utilize a co-host. My husband helps me with the rentals when I am traveling or on long-haul flights, and it is very easy for us to manage this way. He wouldn’t see if guests were reaching out to me in other ways or what questions I had already answered for them.
Wrapping Up
I know we all host differently and have different rental properties. Not every strategy works for everyone. But the one thing I’ve learned in doing this for the last four years and hosting thousands of guests is that these three things matter most and must be front and center in your mind.
That way, you can avoid burnout, make money, and hold a well-maintained asset that will help you grow your net worth for years to come!
More Tips For Airbnb Hosts
If you are an Airbnb host or just thinking about becoming one, you are in the right place! I have dozens of Airbnb hosting blog posts that will answer most of your burning questions like the following.
- Where should I buy a rental?
- How do I do my Airbnb taxes?
- Should I self-manage my Airbnb?
- Where do I buy sofa beds?
- What Airbnb mattress is best?
- Why are the Airbnb fees so high?
And this is just a small glimpse at what type of content is covered. Also, I have Airbnb Buying Guides for almost every room and even let you steal my Airbnb welcome message!
FREE 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Guide
My 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Guide is the best starting point. From there, you can browse various other topics for current and future Airbnb hosts. You can also join my Airbnb Hosting Group on Facebook!
Happy hosting!
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