As travelers, we often find services such as Airbnb to be incredibly useful. Rather than sticking with hotels or having to jump through hoops to find a good holiday rental, we can now open an app and immediately find great accommodation to choose from in a few taps.
Of course, finding accommodation isn’t the only thing you can do on Airbnb. You can also consider renting out your apartment or home through the platform, especially if your apartment is often empty because you are away on a trip to exotic places.
There are plenty of opportunities to make money on Airbnb. More travelers are opting for holiday rentals these days, so you know you can find great guests through Airbnb without a problem. Before you decide to get started, however, here are some of the things you need to know first.
Prepare the Property
You can’t just rent your apartment out as it is. People expect a good standard of accommodation when renting places through Airbnb, so making some adjustments and preparing the property for the guests is indeed necessary.
For starters, you can find a secure place to store your personal belongings, especially sensitive materials, valuables, and other items that you don’t want your guests to see or use. Many beginner Airbnb hosts turn to safe deposit boxes and self-storage units for this purpose.
You also need to make sure that the property is both clean and comfortable. Remember that you don’t have to rent out the whole apartment; if you have an extra room, you can put it on Airbnb and attract guests too.
Know Your Guests
Next, you have to remember that you are renting the place out to complete strangers. While you always have the option to reject guests if you are not comfortable with them, the reality isn’t always so simple.
There have been numerous cases where seemingly good guests turned out to be bad ones, and the hosts found the truth only after the guests completed their visits. This is something that can be avoided by taking extra steps to know your guests better.
When you have guests coming from Massachusetts, for instance, quickly search people in MA with the help of top information service provider Intelius. The search may reveal more about your upcoming guests. You can also communicate with potential guests directly to learn more about them.
Make It Personal
Personal touches matter. Since you are a traveler, you know how charming it is to find Airbnb owners that are willing to go the extra mile to please their guests. Small details and simple gestures are usually the ones that matter the most.
Adding some snacks and drinks to the refrigerator is a nice touch. So is placing some chocolate on the pillows the way luxury hotels do. Leave a personalized note – if you are not present during the guests’ visits – or offer genuine help as you cater to the needs of your guests personally.
As mentioned before, the little things matter. There are a lot of travelers looking for good accommodation in your area. With these tips in mind, your Airbnb listing could be trending sooner than you think.
