10 Questions Airbnb Hosts Should Ask Before Hosting
How can I start Airbnb hosting?
What does it take?
How much money can I make Airbnb hosting?
What do I need to get set up?
These are the questions I get a lot from followers who are thinking about what it's like to be an Airbnb host.
You’re thinking about hosting someday, or soon. You’re wondering what it takes. Well, below is my list of 10 questions you should ask yourself before you start hosting. This is a list that I wish I’d had years ago when we got started.
After achieving Superhost status 20 times and hosting hundreds of guests, I know the answers to these for myself through and through.
Sure, some of hosting and getting started will involve a bit of trial and error as you figure out what works for you. But the more you can decide before you start, the more confident you’ll feel in your hosting strategy. And the more five-star reviews you’ll get.
Hosting 101, here we go - and make sure to read the last question below - it's my favorite.
Whether you plan to host on Airbnb, VRBO, Homeaway, or through a direct booking site, if you’re about to launch a short-term rental, first ask yourself these 10 important questions:
1. Who will stay here and what will they need and want in my space?
Identify who your typical guest will be. A beach-loving family coming to your beach house? A tech worker coming to your city? A bunch of friends coming to ski? Then center your ideal guest in every decision you make when designing and decorating your space.
For example, if your guests are coming to hang out with family and cook big meals, do you have enough dishes and serving plates? If your guests are coming to get work done, do you have super strong wifi and a nice desk setup? If your guests are coming for a solo spa getaway in your tiny house, do you have a fantastic shower setup and fluffy robes? You get the idea. Set up your space with your ideal guest in mind
2. What are the local laws? What are regulations in my city, county, or neighborhood?
This question cannot be underestimated! Before you decide to host, please do the research on your local laws. Cities and counties across the world are working hard to protect long-term housing stock, as they should, by creating regulations, issuing permits to host, or collecting taxes.
Please make sure to know the local laws. Don’t contribute to the housing crisis by impacting the lack of housing for locals who need long-term rental options.
Many towns have designated certain areas as tourist locations where short-term rentals are allowed with permits, so please do your research.
Also, don’t purchase property in a place that may be banned in the future from short-term rentals, because that would put you at financial risk.
3. What’s my budget?
First, you’ll need a budget for the initial setup. Ask yourself: how much am I able to spend to set up a space really well for guests? Can I invest in a great mattress, great towels, and beautiful decor? Can I add art and amenities for guests? How can I make my space beautiful without breaking the bank?
Tour your space and write down what should change and be added. Keep a list of all the upgrades that you’d like to do to make your space amazing, but then know that you don’t need to do them all at once - some of it will take time.
Second, you’ll need to know your ongoing costs: toilet paper, coffee, cleaning supplies, heating, electrical, water, garbage, snow plowing, you name it. Make a list of your ongoing costs.
Third, you’ll need a budget for upkeep, maintenance and repairs. What if the washing machine needs replacing or you need to call a plumber? Make sure to have a reserve for both emergencies and regular upkeep like an annual window washing or pool service.
4. How often do I want to host?
What if you could be booked every night - would that be great or overwhelming? Do you want to block certain nights for your own use? Or host every night? Also consider whether you want to host one-night stays or whether that’s too much work for cleaning. You can set a minimum number of nights - two nights? One week? What’s your minimum? What’s your maximum? Know the local laws - in some cities if you host someone for more than 28 days, they are considered a long-term renter and you cannot evict them.
5. What’s my financial goal?
How much do you need to make each month in order to make a profit after all of the ongoing costs? Hosting is a business, so you need to know your numbers! Understand the costs and set a goal - then revisit how often you want to host.
6. What are typical nightly rates?
How much can you make in your area? Pretend you're a guest searching for a space similar in size in your neighborhood - what are the going rates for other rentals? Is there a high season and a low season?
7. How much do I want to communicate with guests?
Guests will email you to ask questions - before booking, after booking, and during their stay. How available can you be to answer questions? Do you want to have someone co-host with you in case you can’t be available for questions during certain days or weeks? Often this doesn’t take a ton of time, but being responsive is key to getting good reviews and providing a positive experience for your guests.
8. Do I want to outsource?
Will you hire a cleaning person or do the cleanings yourself? Will you hire a property manager to do all of the cleaning management, guest communications, and bookings management? If you hire one, they’ll take a big cut of the profit, so research how much a typical property manager in your area charges. And find out if they are available 24/7 and take care of emergencies as well. If you hire a house cleaner, I highly recommend paying a fair wage and checking out Hand in Hand, an organization that provides resources to employers of domestic workers. They have interview guides, and sample cleaning contracts, so that you can be a fair and ethical employer.
9. Am I excited to be a local ambassador? How can I support local businesses?
The best hosts consider themselves guides to the local area - they provide great restaurant recommendations, tips on activities and give guests personalized tips. They also partner with businesses to supply their rental with local coffee or soap. Does that scare you or get you excited? I absolutely love this part of hosting. Guests aren’t looking for a giant list of restaurants - they can go to Yelp for that. Instead they want YOUR few hand-picked favorites to help them have the best experience possible. You don’t have to go crazy here, but a little bit of local business support goes a long way to helping your guests feel special AND supporting local.
10. How can I go above and beyond?
THIS is the question that the best hosts ask. How can you set your hosting apart and wow your guests? I find it so rewarding to throw in small surprises to delight my guests. If your guest is coming to celebrate a birthday, how will you celebrate them? With chocolates or flowers or homemade cookies?
If your guest is going to be alone focusing on work, how can you personally greet them (with a hand-written card or a bag of local coffee) to make their work trip memorable? By all means, don’t overthink it. A few cans of local beer or late checkout can go a long way. These teeny details often don’t take a ton of effort on your part as the host, but will result in setting apart the experience for your guest. If you think this is nuts, then maybe hosting isn’t for you. If you love the idea of providing a memorable experience and you love the idea of hospitality, then get in the game already!
I have a whole course that goes MUCH deeper on each of these topics, helps you design your space and experience to fit your ideal guests’ desires, and more.
