Newbie Host - So Far So Good!

I am writing this post hoping to be a ray of light to new hosts who may have read a lot of horror stories about guests. I am a newbie host with 4 groups who have checked in and out again with the last group checking out today. And they left me a nice gift! Awwww! That made my heart sing!

So far I have had great guests and they have all left my place spotless and nothing has been damaged or broken so far. All of my guests so far have left my place in such perfect condition that I could hardly tell anyone stayed until I went upstairs into the bedrooms! Such a nice surprise that everyone actually follows my check out list! I highly recommend this to others who are considering hosting! At the top of the list I state that by following my check out list, it helps to assure they will receive a full refund of their deposit.

I learned a LOT from all of you after spending several months reading every single post and reply leading up to the purchase of my new home and I continue to spend about 30 minutes a day reading through new posts.

I bought a fabulous remodeled home in a very cool part of town with lots of bars, restaurants, food carts and parks. The house is three stories but my basement has a separate entrance so that is where I stay but I am not hear all the time. I do, however, make it very clear in my listing that I have an apartment in the basement but if I am not here, they can call or text. That really helps to deter people who want to use my home as a party house! It also has two spacious master suites and tends to be on the upper end of the price range.

Another thing that I think has really helped with having people leave it so nice is that I send a written detailed contract for them to sign, via docusign, and that contract also has a checklist that clearly states my rules and they need to check each box. I also leave a check in and check out list right on the counter for them. When I meet them, I show them the house, offer a beverage and ask if they want any recommendations. I also refer to the check in and out lists.

My house is booked at over 50% for the next 4 months so my mortgage and all my utilities are paid for and I still get to use my basement! Plus with the extra money left after paying my bills, I am installing central air conditioning tomorrow!

I know I will have my bubble popped with bad guests at some point but for now, I will keep pinching myself to see if this is all real. I own my dream home in a very cool neighborhood and my guests are paying my mortgage!!

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Congratulations! Sounds like you’re cooking with gas. Do you have the right insurance?

I, also, am a relatively new host and definitely appreciate all of the wisdom on this site.

Maybe not. I’ve never had a truly bad guest and I’m starting year 4 and over 230 guests. I don’t have a whole place but I live on site and that helps a lot.

THIS! You are a very smart man.

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K9KarmaCasa, very smart WOMAN, thank you very much! :grin:

Thanks for the clarification.

I consider this a business so need to invest time every day. For folks renting out a room, it may just be play money but when you purchase a home specifically to rent out short term, you must invest time and some funds to get it up and running. I started to buy new bedding, dishes, pots and pans, etc., months before I purchased my home. It was a fun process!

All new hosts would be advised to do this!

I’m so pleased that your hosting experiences so far have been great. I don’t want to burst your bubble by any means, but I think you know that you’ll get less-than-wonderful guests in the future. But be strong, be firm!

Hosting on Airbnb is fun - a real adventure - and the occasional guest who isn’t wonderful means nothing - just move on to the next guests and make sure they have a great stay.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and keep in touch!

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