What the market will bear.
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Maybe in your case @muddy , but that’s different because you rent a room in a house you would likely have the same way with or without rental income from it. However, we bought a multi-family house, so it is, intrinsically, a business, whether we do short term or long term rentals (doing a combo of both currently). Our mortgage isn’t technically an expense (for tax purposes), but if we weren’t covering our mortgage then it would mean we made a terrible math mistake when we bought the house. I do absolutely price both STR and LTR to cover our entire mortgage plus all of the utilities every month, and have, gratefully, succeeded at that.
Like everything else, it depends entirely on your specific situation. Some folks bought a house 15 years ago and only started doing rentals in the last few years, so the math to cover the mortgage may or may not be there. And lots of folks are renting out to make ends meet or for extra cash, or just to meet travelers. So, it depends, of course. Honestly, at this point, I’d prefer to not have a bunch of strangers in my house, so the least they can do is pay the bills 
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Yes, however I’d go for hardwired, as opposed to battery operated, simply because they are likely to be more tamper proof.
That said, we don’t need them here, so my knowledge of Ring Doorbell Cameras is limited. Many others on here swear by them, so I’m sure someone can advise whether it’s worth the bother to hard wire them.
JF
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Steve - you might want to look into other options for listing your cottage other than AirBnB. We have a large three-bedroom villa in the Caribbean that we rent out in its entirety when we aren’t there. The vast majority of our guests book through Vrbo, not AirBnB.
My guess is that we’re too expensive for most AirBnB guests. AirBnB mostly fills in short gaps where I’ve lowered the price or in the low season when we’re at generally lower prices.
On a per-person basis, we’re the most expensive in our neighborhood, but we are one of the most-booked properties due to a combination of factors (views, amenities, size, style, location).
We didn’t start that way, though. It’s taken five years and a LOT of hard work and now we’re at double the rates and occupancy compared to when we started.
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Xactly. Not a good investment if you can’t meet your cap rate target.
I think for where his property is located and the type of property that he has Airbnb and Booking. Com plus advertising on the local tourist board would do well.
VRBO isn’t that big in the UK.
Southend on sea is not an upmarket coastal resort and this type of Victorian terrace the OP is offering, all be it nicely done up, is fairly standard in the UK .
I agree for this type of investment property the OP shouldn’t just be relying on a single listing platform
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This reply comes from across ther pond. I have no idea where in the UK your ‘cottage’ is located. If it’s in a tourist/destination area, rural vs. urban, proximity to nearby attractions, your competition, etc. But, from your description, your place sounds delightful. It sounds like a true destination place. As far as pricing, I can say from experience, that ABB tends to drive prices down. Their pricing tips, force hosts in a race to the bottom. My market, Chicago, is extremely competitive. Yet my booking are consistently high while I ignore ABB’s unrealistically low price tips. I would strongly recommend listing your property on other platforms as well, (VRBO). Most international travelers I’ve hosted, have booked on the “Other guys” platform. If you think your market will support longer stays, I’d definitely go for 7 night min. Also you’ll need to advertise on your own to get guests who will appreciate your efforts. If you’re near a university talk to them about hosting visiting faculty guest speakers, etc. Also don’t skimp on photography. Hire a professional and post many, many, pictures especially the exterior. Americans would fall in love with an updated yet picturesque English “Cottage”
Your experiment was amazing! I’m in the Chicago market, (extremely competitive) ABB price tips are absurdly low - I stick to researching what other hosts in my area charge for similar accomodations, ignore ABB pricing tips, and try to stay slightly above the mean. ABB seems to be driving hosts in a race to the bottom re. pricing in order to increase their STR market share and maximize (their) stock value before selling the company. Similar to what VRBO/HomeAway did when Expedia bought them.
I won’t have cameras that call the mothership in my own house, but something like that would be the minimum I’d have in a rental I can’t see — and I spent 4 years managing 750 units of rental housing in 2 cities 900 miles from each other. If the unit has a garden where some idiot could set up a boom box and irritate neighbors, I would add some noise detection also.
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As the OP mentioned @Alanmelsky his listing is in Southend on Sea which is a traditional coastal resort for English families in Essex.
It is not a ‘cottage’ in the traditional sense of the word in terms of what you might imagine. It’s a Victorian terrace which here is standard housing that was built for working class families in 19th century Britain.
I’m not sure many from the US would be interested in staying in this type of resort to be honest.
However it sounds like the OP has done an amazing job of doing the property up and coastal resorts in the UK are really popular this year for staycations, so marketed on the right platforms, if demand is there it should do well.
Too. Many. Words.
If I didn’t read it all, I guarantee you, your guests won’t. It may be a deterrent to renters who actually try to read & understand the rental.
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@manbitescat —@RiverRock is correct.
I have a ring doorbell camera, battery powered. The battery lasts about 3-4 months before it needs recharging. Battery life depends on frequency of activation. It needs a robust wi-fi signal. I didn’t want to move my router so added a cheap wi-if extender.
You will be surprised at how many extra guests will show up for a reservation. Having a ring doorbell is one of the best decisions I’ve made.
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Add as many good pictures as possible to your listing, make sure guests read the “2 private parkings” in the title (especially if your Airbnb is in an area with rare free parkings), set the price you wish and activate your listing. Wait to see how guests respond to it and ajust the price accordingly.
So, it’s safe to presume Southend on Sea is not like Port Isaac in Cornwall, where Doc Martin was filmed? What’s that you say? I shouldn’t rush to buy airline tickets.
Not even close.
2020202020
JF
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There’s no reason why it should be. Just because they are in the same county, there’s no reason for them to be remotely the same. It’s like supposing that Hull and Staithes are the same sort of seaside place because they’re both in Yorkshire.
It’s years since I was there but I remember a pretty cool funicular and some excellent pubs.