On social media, Airbnb hosting often appears to be a fun way to meet people from all over the world. Many people make the decision to rent out a spare room and bring in extra cash in the process. Although it may seem simple on the surface, there is a lot more involved in hosting than you may think.

To help you know what NOT to do, we have put together a list of commonly made Airbnb hosting mistakes. Our original Airbnb mistakes introduced three major mistakes that may be setting you back. In our latest guide, we explore some additional mistakes.

Avoid These Airbnb Hosting Mistakes

In no particular order, some of the biggest Airbnb hosting mistakes to avoid include the following:

1. Not listing anywhere else. First and foremost, it is never a good idea to have all your eggs in one basket. If you are only using Airbnb, without considering other platforms that may add real value, you may find that you do well during the busy season but not as well during the quieter winter season. Having a diverse listing portfolio will help you market your rental more effectively. Better still, you could consider working with a professional manager that offers marketing along with other services such as bookings management, day to day management and guest concierge.
2. Not taking things seriously. You may attract guests with your laid-back ‘it’s all fun’ attitude. You may even have a few rewarding encounters when strangers come to book your extra room. If you are not taking your property seriously however, you will not get serious results. In order to truly succeed in this highly competitive market, you will need to have realistic goals, plans and policies that allow you to run your rental like a business. Anything else is just pocket money.
3. Not investing in a manager. That brings us to our next point. If you are running your rental on your own, without assistance from someone who is experienced in pricing, management and overall short term accommodation trends, you run the risk of not progressing. A good manager will not only provide direction, but also a strategy and professional help to allow you to run your rental at hotel grade quality.
4. Not charging friends and family. Don’t fall into the trap of offering your rental as a convenient place to crash. Once in a while, it is fine to let friends or family stay for free. But if you start to do it often, you will end up losing real bookings that bring in money. If your goal is to have fun and make a small bit of extra income on the side, this won’t matter too much. If on the other hand you are genuinely trying to create a business, you will quickly feel the effects of free stays.
5. Not having policies in place. Finally, it is also a good idea to have a set of policies that dictate arrival times, cancellations, noise, breakage, theft, pets, children and anything else that may be relevant. Once again, a manager will offer real value here, as they create and enforce policies on your behalf.

__________________________________________________

Looking for more information on how to run your Airbnb successfully? Contact us today to learn how an experienced short term rental manager can take your Airbnb hosting efforts to the next level.