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Hi everyone, we are 1st time hosts, just preparing out 1st AirBnB listing.
I have been lurking in this forum and I have really enjoyed the information from everyone.
We have a couple initial questions;
Our property has an apartment building attached to our home, we have prepped the bottom 2 apartments for STR.
Apt 1 is a 1 bedroom that can sleep 4 to 6 guests and Apt 2 is a studio that could accommodate 4 guests.
We are located in a heavily outdoor recreation area near Rocky Top TN. We know that many travelers to this area have groups that may want to rent both apartments.
We are listing each property separately, is there a way to âlinkâ the 2 Apts so that someone could book both at the same time and or is there a way to offer a discount for renting both Apts?
We have a pool on the property and are considering allowing access to the pool for guests. What do others do in this situation? Do you set age limits? How do you address the liability issues?
You would have 3 listings. One for each apartment and one for both together. Then set guest counts, prices, and photo galleries accordingly. You link the calendars, so if either of the single apartment listings gets booked, the 2 apartment listing becomes unavailable, and vice versa.
Do be careful about listing for more than a space is really suitable for. Just because a place can sleep 6 by having a fold out sofa in the living room, for instance, doesnât mean thatâs a good idea. I see so many new listings these days where they are trying to cram in more guests than they should be and the max guest count and number of sleeping arrangements doesnât jive with the rest of the furnishings or space.
For instance, they will list for 6 guests, but the dining table only seats 4, the living room only seats 4, and there is only one small bathroom.
Insurance requirements sometimes vary depending on your location. Your risk tolerance may also be a factor. Have a serious talk with your insurance agent. I donât have a pool but I survived luckily underinsured for many years. Now I am fully insured and it certainly cuts into my profit. Your pool will certainly be a risk factor. Having guests sign a waiver may offer some protection, but I am not a legal expert. Renting to a potential ten people together with pool access often spells party and trouble.
Was the apartment building previously a sardine cannery?
You want guests to be comfortable and not feeling squashed in.
I would go less total guests.
More guests, small space, increased wear and tear and mediocre reviews.
And donât forget Airbnb donât t include children under 2 as counting to the total.
I have two rental apartments which are just a few steps from each other and carefully avoid them both being rented to the same party.
Like you, Iâm on the premises but the potential for noise and mayhem is too great for me.
If you have no neighbours at all, then it will be easier but even if the nearest neighbours are just you, the noise from rowdy guests would be hard to live with after a while.
As @Christine_Shirtcliff says itâs important to discuss this with your insurance agent regarding your STR insurance.
Both my apartments are one bedroom but I wouldnât have more than 2 guests per apartment.
It varies depending on location, but here you wouldnât be granted a business and STR license if youâre offering more guests than the space legally allows in your area.
Apparently there are people claiming to be Airbnb âexpertsâ who make videos and have blogs advising new hosts to cram as many people in as possible. Iâm not making that up- a new host on the CC who was told by other hosts that her guest count was too high for the space said she was following advice like this that promoted the idea that itâs all about getting the most heads in beds as possible.
A 1br sleeping 6? If youâre catering to the young, hostel crowd, be prepared for unhappy guests who book the studio.
Youâre over-doing occupancy.
I have a pool. I have âSwim at your own riskâ posted in my House Rules, in the home and I tell them that, too. I could deny access, but that would defeat the point of coming to Florida.
Age limit - over 25 only, no pets, no infants, no children. In the room or the pool
What kind of travelers, what are they coming to do? Is it young rock climbers or the like? I seem to remember that area being a rock climbing destination, but may be mis-remembering. (Because I know those guys and they are bringing sleeping bags and wonât mind putting them on the living room floor).
Iâm just trying to get a feel for what kinds of groups. Is it families? Or college age? Hunters? Etc?
You mentioned a 1 bedroom that would sleep up to 6 guests, and thatâs obviosly gotten everyone wired up, so it would help to picture it and know who your listings would be appealing to. Does the 1 bedroom have bunk beds or two sleeper sofas? I think it may be a little hard to imagine without more details.
I have a buddy in Chicago that runs a hostel-style place and he does very well and has a lot of fun with it, I often envy his listings and his hosting style, so thereâs absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of thing either, but we could give better advice if we had more details.
And, yes, as others have said, to facilitate booking of both listings at once you would just need 3 listings, one for each and then one for both. My partner and I have a 4-family house and we have Airbnbâed 3 of the units (we live in one) and have often had groups that rented all three at once. And those have all been amazing, festive times and have been the easiest money we make. So itâs actually a great idea to offer both units for one reservation.
Iâd go with 2 in the studio and 4 in the 1 bdrm. But only with a decent queen-size sleeper sofa in each - otherwise you are just asking for lousy reviews.
I think experienced hosts know itâs all about guest satisfaction and good reviews, not cramming as many heads in bed as possible!
OPâyour set up sounds like a party/disaster waiting to happen, between the guests you are squeezing in and having a pool. Having a studio fit four people is a joke. The set up is probably one queen bed and a queen sofa bed, yes? Sofa beds are wretched to sleep on; Iâve never found a comfortable one yet. And how many square feet is it? People will be tripping over each other, I bet. Itâs a totally uncomfortable set up for 4 people and your reviews will suffer not matter how cute or well equipped it is.
I also donât see how you get 6 people in a one bedroom, one bath apartment! They will not be happy and your reviews will suffer.
Honestly, your guests will try to cram in more than your guest count anyway. My first AirBnB was two bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms for 4 people. People would sometimes show up with 5 or 6 anyway and have the extra guests sleep on air mattresses or on the couch (which was not a sofa bed!). If they want to be uncomfortable by cramming in more people and ignoring the stated guest count, thatâs bad enough and they canât blame you if they are not happy with how crowded it is.
Itâs a different story if you have posted the higher guest count and they cram in. They will 100% blame the host for any dissatisfaction.
Donât set yourself up for failure right out of the gate.
I think I agree that 6 for the 1 BD rm apt, is a stretch, we have a very nice pullout sofa and queen in the bd rm, there is room for a blow up bd, but probably better to keep it at 4.
We listed the units late last night so when they are available on AirBnB I will link them here for comments.
Thank you so much for your input, we are excited to begin this STR adventure!
Brian
Sorry more info, the travelers will be Mountain Bikers & ATV enthusiasts going to WindRock, also fishing & hunters taking advantage of nearby wilderness and lakes such as Norris Lake nearby.
Also expecting some TN Volunteer fans during in season events for UT.
Blow up beds are for when your rellies come to visit you or you go camping. They arenât suitable for an Airbnb unless you are running a flophouse or hostel.
Not to mention 6 people in a 1 bedroom is likely against fire regs.
We have three bedrooms and four queen beds in a 3,500 square-foot house, and I limit our occupancy to six people but occasionally accept seven as long as they all sleep in the beds (like three siblings that can share the two-bed bedroom).
