10 Tips for new Airbnb owners from experienced hosts in the UK

With Airbnb constantly launching new features and host features (the most recent summer release featured, for example, an option for a guest to split one stay between two homes), it may seem extremely complex to start your journey as a successful Airbnb host. 

We have asked some of our partners and customers - all successful Airbnb hosts and SuperHosts, for a couple of tips they could give to someone who’s just starting their hosting journey. Here’s what they said:

1. Before you hire a property manager or even a cleaner, service 1 or 2 stays completely by yourself.

Book the stay, message the guests, deliver the keys, and clean the flat yourself after the stay. This will give you an overview of how much work it is, what to focus on, and which areas of the apartment are notoriously tricky to clean. You will also get raw, face-to-face feedback from the guests. You will know what kind of standards you need from your contractors and how much time each task takes. 

2. Stay in your property before listing it or send a friend to test it out for you (but only if they can give you brutally honest feedback)

Be a tough judge and assess: is the mattress comfy enough? Is there a reading light above the bed? If I were looking for tea, would I locate it easily? Etc. Don’t just walk around and assess, move in for a night! With hand luggage and nothing else.

3. Get a professional photographer

It may be tempting to take photos by yourself. But trust us - even with the newest iPhone, you won’t be able to capture the beauty of your property as well as a professional photographer. A pro will help in staging - fix the curtains, make sure the light is optimal, add cushions or decor items etc. Service like this is a one-time fee that, if done right, will keep on bringing you booking for years to come. So it’s worth forking out!

4. When figuring out the prices, make sure your revenue looks reasonable even at 50% occupancy (so you can at least break even)

Sure, it’s great to be optimistic about your Airbnb success. But who knows what may happen in the market in the future - 2019 has taught us that. So make sure you won’t be losing money on your rental. Take into account raising energy prices. Raising contractor prices (cleaners!). If you’re not sure what to include in a calculation, speak to someone who’s already a host. 

5. When picking cleaners, put communication as the most important factor.

Quality of the service is important, yes - but with any new contractor, it’s normal that in the beginning you will need to set the standards and discuss expectations and you won’t get 100% perfect cleaning done right away. So don’t focus on finding the most particular cleaner or the one with the most expensive-looking cleaning supplies. What’s more important is finding a cleaner that is open in their communication, reports any issues promptly, and doesn’t sweep them under the carpet (sometimes literally). 

6. Get in touch with previous guests and offer them a discount

(only if guests have allowed any post-service communication)

Word of mouth works great, and getting a booking from a returning guest usually means less money spent on marketing for you. 

7. Use credit meters for energy

Just don’t bother to use the top-up meters. If you have them at the moment, switch to credit meters as soon as you can. Thank us later.

8. Instinct is better than reviews

If you feel weird about the potential guest or noticed some disturbing keywords in their previous reviews, feel free to decline a booking. Sometimes a gut feeling is what works best. If you’re uncertain, you can also just post a question on one of the Airbnb hosts Facebook groups or forums, and get a second opinion - that’s what the community is for! 

9. Don’t feel like a lonely island

It may seem overwhelming to manage your first booking or handle your first month of operations. Don’t be scared to ask for help from your family, friends or other hosts. 

10. Calculate your costs well

Make sure you’re wise with your expenses. It may not make sense for you to meet and greet every guest, but sometimes it’s cheaper to pass a key to guests remotely using KeyNest. You just leave the key in the nearby convenience store and send the guest a code to pick it up. Check if your commute to the flat, time spent waiting, etc is worth doing the in-person check-in. 

About Us:

We’re KeyNest and we help Airbnb hosts save money on their check-ins and key exchange with guests and contractors. If you’re keen to give a try to less-time consuming solution than the meet and greet or want something more transparent and safe than key safe (=key lockbox), find out how we can help you here. Our plans start at £5.95.