A farewell to Airbnb

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I’m relocating for work, so I can no longer be a next door/present host. In the time I’ve done this (a year ish), STR’s quadrupled in the community. It messed up my pricing and changed the guest profile and frankly my personal experience living there. That, along with the airbnb algorithm changes, made the decision to not utilize an agency to continue to manage it an easy no.

I met some wonderful people, more wonderful doggies, but it was also EXHAUSTING. I despise the instagram / TikTok influencers who have made money from convincing people to invest in this. It is not just free money, it is hard work. And the wear and tear is real. Replaced washer/dryer, fridge, and (about to be) entire tile flooring to prove it.

I guess my main take away and what I wanted to share with this group is that you are awesome. You care so much about your guests, reviews, all of it… that you are part of a random message board to discuss how to be a better host.

If you are reading this, you are a great host.

Godspeed.

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Good Luck with your new job!!!

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Thanks for your kind message and good luck with your move and new job.

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Best wishes & congratulations on new job. Enjoy the newness of it all. Relocating & a new job are stressful BUT can be the best of times too.

Btw-I agree the STR landscape has changed in my area too. Pendulums swing. In my area there weren’t enough rentals available to meet demand. The pendulum has swung to an over supply. People are now renting vacation homes they’ve never rented before & investors are purchasing condos for the sole purpose of rentals. Now there are too many. I think as the newbies realize the work & expenses involved, they will get out & the pendulum will settle in the middle.

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Best wishes to you in your new home.

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Enjoy your freedom and your new location!

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Best wishes for the future. :slight_smile:

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Best of luck on your new job and life, with (hopefully) a lot less work. Enjoy your new life to the fullest!

I agree with Annet3176, our area has totally changed in the past year, in part due to the economy. 33% more listings, most purchased as investments by corporations. All furnished the same. Normally we’d still be getting halfway decent bookings now, but everyone is having to drop their prices to almost winter prices (we’re in IA) just to get guests in. Guests say everything is fine and the place looks great, then are crabby in reviews. If I hadn’t bought my place to eventually live in, I’d be throwing in the towel. Focusing on painting my walls something other than white so my listing stands out from the crowd.

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I’m not saying our bookings aren’t in the toilet, because they are atm… but those we have gotten I think are due to having an unusual offering. Clearly, in a home or apartment rental its hard to emphasize uniqueness on a budget, but it is definately doable. I can offer services and ideas to anyone struggling to look different AND more alluring/better.

I shared a house with someone a long time ago and she would add beautiful weavings that came in her globetrotter suitcase to personalize her rental furnished homes. They were so unique and beautiful it almost didn’t matter if the house was lacking.

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