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Hi Everyone,
We are at our one year anniversary here in Northern California, and have had a reasonably successful first year, with 2-4 weekends booked each month. HOWEVER, in the last month, we have received ZERO inquiries, and have ZERO reservations. We are a Superhost, and have been seriously impacted by the changes to categories made by Airbnb lately.
I see from other postings that others have experienced this as well. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you overcome it? Any help is appreciated.
Hosts have no ability to choose the category their listing appears under. It is determined by a very poorly programmed computer bot.
There have been suggestions like change wording or photos on the listing so the bot will hopefully pick up on it, but from what I’ve been reading on forums, this just seems like a waste of time. Hosts have said that, for instance, “Cabin” is part of their listing title, “cabin” appears several times in their listing wording, guests have mentioned “cabin” in their reviews, and the photos are of a cabin. yet they don’t appear in the cabin category.
Or hosts have received ridiculous advice from Airbnb, like if they have a pool, but it’s just a small rectangular pool, nothing special, however they have killer views, to remove the photos of the pool and remove it from the amenities list, so they might possibly appear in “Amazing Views”, instead of “Amazing Pools”.
In what hosting world does it make any sense whatsoever to fail to mention you have a pool, or have a photo of it, when many guests book because of a pool?
I started hosting in this location late spring last year. Last July I was booked up about 10 days and more in August and September.
Right before the rollout, I got two bookings for June.
I have not had an inquiry or booking since. My calendar is completely empty into the future.
It’s an international issue. I’ve read reviews on a couple of sites.
Air has made it impossible for guests and hosts. My town which normal lists around 150 rentals, now has about 550 rentals as they’ve added towns in the hinterlands.
What’s odd is my rental often is on the 1st to 3rd page but then stating week long stay that doesn’t start till September, when I’m totally empty now.
I was listed on VRBO last year for several months, but don’t think my rental works for that site, with many steps up to the rental. Then I was getting scammed and took the listing down. This town doesn’t have many listings on VRBO, so I’m reluctant to try again.
I did do a search for Aug 23-30 and your home came on top.
Edit: There were 974 possibilities; you were #1. But #2 was $112/night; and the next ones $90, $90, $153,$184, $152. I didn’t see a house for $300 until the third page. I’m not suggesting that your listing is overpriced but that it’s a narrow market. Would you ever consider locking one or more of the bedrooms and offering the remaining bedrooms at a lower price? Ask other hosts here is they think that is a viable strategy.
You do look pretty busy. Is it possible that few people are traveling from 8/21-9/18, which is when you’re available next? I did a flexible search in Vallejo for August and September. Only two listings showed up: yours and one that is not remotely in your league.
It seems to me that yours is a premium home, and with four bedrooms. So I’m supposing that your market is a somewhat narrow one for family gatherings, several couples, that kind of thing.
I wonder if the Airbnb categories is the real issue. Or whether it’s a limited market with a limited timeframe (8/21-9/18) because otherwise you look to have a very high occupancy. Maybe more experienced Hosts than I can comment on what I just said.
Anyway, good luck and I’m in awe of your home and listing.
P.S. I did notice that you had only more than a thousand cable channels. I like to have more than 2,000. Just sayin’.
Hi Zillacop,
Yes, we were booked 3 weeks out of 4 in July, Aug, Sept last year. And we had a couple of bookings in June as well. Since then, zero inquiries, zero reservations.
I didn’t like VRBO, got too much junk mail on that forum!
Hopefully this will be resolved by Airbnb. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one, and trying to get back on track
I think there is a combination of things driving bookings down, people are flying again, the gremlins tinkering with the setting/algorithms and the uncertainty of the economy.
My prediction in the area I am in is that many of the 2020 buyers who turned their investment into STR’s will not stick around. I think many will sell or move to full time rentals. I am considering renting out one of my places full time just to even out the income for awhile, but I am not committed to that yet.
Once there are fewer places to rent, those of us who stick it out will be on top again.
Have none of your previous guests rebooked? Have there been no referrals? If you’re not getting bookings then it’s time to develop a serious advertising campaign! Do you have vineyard contacts?
@muddy Her title says, “Help!”, do you think it would be okay if I offered some ideas to her or would it be disrespectful? I just want to check in with you first. Maybe I could bash Chesky and criticize his chinos beforehand, would that make it acceptable to you? Just looking for guidance here.
I’d like to resolve it or at the very least set some boundaries. I shouldn’t have to worry about personal attacks in public when someone asks for advice and I offer it. That’s not okay. And it’s not useful either.
Someone asked for ideas to experiment with to increase bookings and I offered an idea, a decent one too. If someone disagrees with that advice, awesome, I would embrace that conversation, no problem. But to have my character publicly attacked for giving advice on a forum where people come and ask for advice? That’s and it puts me in a position.
And to sit through a conversation as if I’m not there where people actively mischaracterize me and call me all kinds of horrid things as if I’m not a real person. Now that’s disrespectful. Off-topic too.
I have been having that same train of thought. I have to do something. We have some big events coming up that MAY help but that isn’t until the fall.
Here’re my VIEW stats for the last 3 months:
April 957
May 915
June 213
Aw, thanks @KKC. The place you got is really, really cute (LOVE it!) and it’s perfect if you can just walk to your venue. I think the price is good, too, but I haven’t shopped for stays that size so I really wouldn’t know.
Plus, I’d totally have to run out and get some 100% cotton sheets for the master bedroom (only have cotton for the full-size beds) (SHHHH! That’s my secret I don’t share on here so I don’t get sheet-roasted )
My memory is faulty…but I thought you were the one who preferred only cotton sheets. Did I get it wrong (please forgive me if I did!). That’s a bummer if I did because I thought it was a pretty funny joke. But, then again, my husband is always saying I crack myself up and I’m not as funny as I think I am
That’s correct and 100% true in a hot and humid place. Those ultra thin polartec fleece sheets known as “microfiber” are great in cold climates.
It was a good joke and I was trying to pull off mock horror that such a fine host as yourself didn’t already operate with cotton sheets. In any case I could have put my friends in the room with no cotton sheets. Other friends are staying in Round Rock with the brother of one but two friends could have stayed with me in an entire home. Problem is the whole trip didn’t come together as planned. I originally planned it as a solo trip and now there are 8 of us going to the concert.
Another finer point of my character…totally missing the point . I’ll just hold tightly and proudly to your “fine host” comment as it totally just made my weekend
And next time. I’d give you a good price and all 8 could have stayed (my max is 6 but that’s for people I don’t know)
People act and move in patterns and sync. I dont know the pattern in your area, but when the families are busy vacationing in June, then they stop looking for places in the fall, and bookings slow down until the next holiday passes…so after July 4th your views may pick up.
So I stopped and looked at your calendar. I think the airbnb algorithms like dates that are open a long way off. You may want to open your calendar a few more months out and that might help you get shown.
Oh wait… forgot my emoji 
. The place you got is really, really cute (LOVE it!) and it’s perfect if you can just walk to your venue. I think the price is good, too, but I haven’t shopped for stays that size so I really wouldn’t know.
(SHHHH! That’s my secret I don’t share on here so I don’t get sheet-roasted 
)
. I’ll just hold tightly and proudly to your “fine host” comment as it totally just made my weekend 