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Well, our last Airbnb guest of the season arrives tomorrow. On the whole it’s been a great first season - one listing has been booked almost solid and the other ok, about 50%. The income has been good, we’ve survived a new regulatory process, enjoyed most of our guests and have enough good reviews that it looks as though we may reach Superhost status.
However, we’re completely shattered and are counting the days till the last guest until next May leaves! So I am proposing a toast to all those of you who host all year round … how do you do it? To me you are all truly Super Hosts even if not Superhosts … I know some of you absolutely rely on the income while others see it as a great extra, so may you continue to thrive, your mortgages/rent get paid, your travel subsidised, your kids helped through college, your houses renovated, or whatever your hosting aims are!
I 'll be staying on the forum as we have ideas I want to talk through for next season, but I have to admit I’ll be smiling a bit smugly when I read the next Tale of the Awful Guests … no more till next May!
Half the posts aren’t about airbnb anyway so it’s a great community if you like that sort of thing. (If you don’t like people this might not be the forum for you.)
I can host year round because I’m only booked about a third of the days in a month.
Congrats @Malagachica!! I am anxiously awaiting the October ‘slow down’ in Barcelona, sadly because of all the new regulations and crack downs on illegal rentals, I think we will continue to be busy even during slow season.
@Malagachica. A well deserved break from the demands and rewards of hosting guests night after night. So what will you do with all this found time? Do you travel with all those profits? Winter at a different location? Or make soaps in vast quantities? Want to stay in Boston for two weeks and take care of MY guests while I take a trip? [yes, that was to make you smile.]
I feel you! My last guests just checked in, and will check out Monday. Then I am taking an indefinite hiatus for my baby due in November. I’d like to host again, but I’m renting the room to my best friend in the mean time, and I’m not sure how long she’ll want to stay. She may love the below-market rate I’m charging her in trade for help with the garden and pets, or be scared off by living with a newborn!
I have grown fond of the community here, and may stick around. I like you all!
@Malagachica - I do hope you stick around! But I wish you a great rest and lots of juicy bookings when you are back in business.
The joke is a bit on me. Awhile ago I was in a panic because September was wide open. (Last September we had a 2 mos guests) Now I am booked solid, and quite a bit of October, too. I had two open nights starting tomorrow and I didn’t block them off (foolishly) thinking no one would book them, but they did. Hey, I’m thankful, but I’m learning there is not much down time here. Or so it appears. What is surprising is the number of families that still travel.
And yes, after August, with lots of back-to-backs of European families who wanted to interact with us, which culminated in my Spaniards with the Screamers, then some fellow hosts that were LOVELY and INTERESTING but I couldn’t get within 4 feet of the woman without her drawing me into a conversation. (I need to learn a few extricating moves…) I was a bit exhausted. Thank GOD now I have a family from Australia who keep to themselves, are friendly and appreciative, and quiet as can be. They have the door open between their space and ours, and their bedroom doors ajar, and it’s quiet. More of THAT, please!!
We couldn’t possibly be a “part time host”. It’s all or nothing. We have to pay such outrageous homeowners Insurance (over $4000 a year), that we have to be booked solid for 1.5 months, just to pay for the insurance!
Is it the pool that drives the price up? That is steeeep! My agent told me I’d have more choices after being in business 3 years - do you have the possibility? Or is it the food-serving they are charging you for? (But I serve food, too, just not to the same extant). Man! That’s rough!
Not the pool. Or the food service. Or the short time in service. It’s a factor of being required to have “commercial” insurance rather than a regular homeowner’s insurance with a “cabana rider” – in a state notorious for it’s hurricanes (although New York gets as many hurricanes as we do). Most “nationwide” home owner insurance companies simply do not operate in Florida, to start with. The few that do don’t cover short-term rentals like Air.
When Sally went to her insurance company to get a rider that would cover people in the cabana, her company told her that they would not renew her policy and would not cover any claims between then and the end of the contract.
SWe hunted and hunted but could only find two companies that both worked in Florida and covered Air rentals. One wanted $2000 a year without “wind damage” coverage, and $7000 a year with “wind damage” coverage. If you live here, hurricane coverage is pretty much required.
The cheapest company (which we had to go with for now) is charging $4000 a year for Air and hurricane – 4x what Sally was paying last year before we started doing Air rentals. So the way we look at is we have to clear $4000 from Air rentals, just to cover the damn insurance.
Ah, right. I once worked for an insurance company doing statutory reporting, and Florida was one of my states, and (I forget the complete name) the wind pool coverage was something I had to provide data for. And since private insurers won’t touch the risks, as you say, you are stuck. Sorry to hear that!
