If only I could man up and hand convo with my guests. It’s hugely embarrassing !
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Ok @Zandra, what the heck is ‘convo’; no clue what it is, but it sure sounds as one being major cool. 
Addendum: Never mind, I think I got it, after a 2nd cup of cafe.
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I use a 3rd party pricing app that also has statistics like average length of stay per reservation… I get the data from a website s called beyond pricing and it is 1000x better than airbnb “smart pricing” (one I mentioned above)
Back to your question I average 2.4 nights per reservation. The lower the better! Never offer discounts either. BP site explains why it makes you more more money check their website…
I LIVE IN SEATTLE. Working on getting 3 properties in AZ one in Dallas and 2 more in seattle that’s my goal for 2017! (I’m full on managing, logistics, messaging reviews hiring cleaners for other people owning homes they want to rent out and they give me a real nice percentage. Then the others are 2 apartments… Not supposed to sublet but I’m going to do it anyway…
Sorry delayed reply BTW!
Take care!
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Since my last post I have over 400 views this month… and I blocked off 1/3 of the month availability … So, as of rght now I think SH status is pretty much BS. Report again next month.
Getting nicer more 5 star overall reviews as well for sure!
@Rory_Taylor How much does Beyond Pricing charge? (Their website wouldn’t tell me on my iPhone.) And has it improved your revenue?
What do you mean? You are subletting in violation of your lease? You could be evicted immediately if your landlords found out.
This happened to someone who posted here looking for sympathy. They were a Superhost but were busted by the landlord. Not only did they have to cancel 18 reservations, they were evicted. And had the nerve to get mad at all of us for saying she got what she deserved. And I really feel sorry for the poor 18 guests who were canceled on… left with no place to go because of this “Superhost’s” greed and illegal activities.
Anyone who rents in violation of their lease won’t hear much sympathy here. Airbnb is for owners… or owners who HIRE you to manage. Not for tenants. You are exposing your owner’s property to liability, wear and tear and neighbor complaints. 
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I am aware I’m in a minority on this forum but why the double standards. Why is it greedy for a renter to want to improve their living situation? Most people these days pay rents far higher than the owners mortgages on the property.
Why is it I see stones thrown at renters and yet when a home owner decides not to inform their mortgage company, or wants to ignore a state ordinance that’s more acceptable?
Without getting too pholipsophical; there are deep divisions in society particularly when it comes to home ownership and I find it disappointing so many want to pull the ladder up after them. Yes I get homeowners worked hard to get where they are today; sadly for some of us the game is now so much harder and we too have to find a way to achieve the things we need to in life. At 38 it distresses me that I haven’t been able to get on the property market… but 10 years of paying London rents have in no way helped. in the meantime property is now way beyond 4 times my salary; worse, I still haven’t saved a 70k deposit.
Airbnb was the first time I was able to get myself into a situation where I could finally start saving… even if I had to sleep on the couch. In all my time hosting, I’ve never been able to make the market rent in a month. Even the month I hosted 30 out of 31 days, I made £900 vs a market rent of 1.4k for my tiny one bed apartment. Becoming a host came out of desperation… I could see the numbers weren’t adding up and was very concerned. 38 isn’t a spring chicken, and some major milestones in life weren’t even on the horizon.
I’d love if homeowners recognised the significant advantage they have while allowing some of that opportunity to be shared with those who have yet to get there. Mortgages are being paid, the asset is still yours, why begrudge anyone the chance to also improve their situation?
I know this will fall on deaf ears; I know this is a hugely unpopular opinion I guess this is me trying to explain how desperate things can be as a renter. Most renters are not trying to be greedy. They’re trying to make their way in increasingly difficult circumstances, just like everyone else.
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Well written @Zandra and informative. Sometimes it is best to ‘accept’ human nature and deal with it then try to change it, considering its been around for a while, like since the dinosaur age. 
The ‘pulling the ladder after you’ behavior it is very common among humans, and also shown in other circumstances, like when people ‘discover’ a new great place on this Earth and then instantly plunge into trying to stop others from also coming, so as not to ‘spoil it’. since it is now perfect the minute they arrived. LoL
I am a bit older than you, but about when I was 40 years old or so, I stopped expecting help or understanding from others, since they were too busy with their own struggles (and yes selfishness). I found it a waste of time and energy, and needed both to do get ahead myself.
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I don’t think it’s at all greedy for renters to want to improve their living situation. I think it can be a benefit to both tenant and landlord as the tenant will be more easily able to afford the rent. I think that tenants who host should be careful to make sure that their guests aren’t disruptive to other tenants or destructive to the property. Here are some reasons that landlords should be consulted and give consent before the tenant rents their space on Airbnb. The landlord may not have insurance that covers Airbnb guests. If that is the case the landlord is put at a liability risk. If the tenant is hosting against local ordinances the landlord can be punished. Some hosts cram more people than is reasonable in to a living space. I don’t think that hosts should host more guests than the lease would permit if the guests were roommates.
It’s not greedy to want to improve your living situation… But the majority (99.9%) of leases FORBID subletting. Especially commercial subletting. Why should you enrich yourself off property that doesn’t belong to you? If you sneak Airbnb you could find your own booty out on the street, as I have said in a previous thread. Owners that do allow it are stupid. They often have no idea their homeowners insurance doesn’t cover Airbnb activities.
No one handed me my house. I saved, scraped, scrimped and sacrificed the $40k I needed for a down payment. I dragged myself out of foreclosure when the economy tanked. Yes the market is tough to buy right now, but it’s always been tough!! I bought my house at top of the market in 2004 and it only recently emerged from being upside down. After years in the negative! But that was part of the risk I assumed to buy real estate. I’m a single income too by the way. I bust my butt to pay for this house and its maintenance.
The fact that home prices are going up a lot doesn’t help anyone really. Not landlords, not tenants. Not unless you sell and move to a cheaper market.
Yes, my mortgage is below market rates for renting, but it was set years and years ago… But that is part of the gain that happens when you buy something.
If you want to improve your living situation, start saving. Save money instead of going out to eat or buying unnecessary items… That is what I did. That takes sacrifice. No one is going to hand it to you. In most cases.
That is the world we live in. When you own your own place, one that you have saved and sacrificed years to get… Then come back here and tell us if YOU would allow a tenant making a juicy profit off your property to put EVERYTHING you worked so hard for at risk!
PS. Are you sneaking Airbnb or do you have the express written permission of your landlord?
Remember it’s not us here making it hard on you, it’s the lease you signed. You agreed not to sublet.
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You’ve asked me that question before. I’ll reply again: I don’t have a contract with my landlord at all. Very unusual but there we are. Further, subletting in English law is not when you let someone use a room in a property you let.
I really take issue with your point that it’s always been hard to buy, as if things have some how remained static. 20 years ago in London, you could buy a house for 50k. Average salaries were around 10-15k. Now the average house price is pushing 500k and the average salary is 30k. You don’t need to be a mathematician to see the numbers used to add up and no longer do. Nor do you need to be intelligent to see that this situation favoured people of a certain age. The reason I was driven to Airbnb was actually because of a motorbike accident (I was not at fault) and I suddenly needed close to a grand for repairs. Guess what… yep I didn’t have even a grand saved up.
I’ve never said homeowners don’t work hard. I’m simply pointing out that when you earn 2k a month after tax (in a good job apparently!) and 1.4k is already gone solely on rent, before adding a travel card at £130, utilities, food and council tax… there is not much left and certainly not enough to start any significant savings towards a 70k deposit. Nevermind the fact that those house prices are constantly increasing and therefore the deposit is getting ever larger. The person I rent from bought their place in 1990. They don’t even have a mortgage anymore.
This is a major issue that can’t be dismissed by saying : oh it was always hard. Frankly I am very worried about what will happen in my old age, when I have no savings and no home, despite being university educated with an MA in Political Science and being in constant employment since graduation.
If you can’t see things are desperate out there for those of us who haven’t made it yet, god help us. Not that it’s your issue, it’s the next generation who will have to deal with an even worse lack of housing plus supporting a generation who never made it and are then dumped on the social system. Bleak times ahead and I wish I was exaggerating. This is why I don’t have an issue with renters trying to improve their situation through homesharing, but get really frustrated when I see property owners hijacking Airbnb and dumping huge portfolios on there because they can make even more than the already inflated rents available to locals.
But hey, there’s always winners and losers right? And it’s totally ok that people who want to stand on their own two feet can’t, right? They must have not worked hard enough so they deserve it!
This sort of thinking is dangerous because it allows us to paper over deep divisions in society.
Like I already stated, I know my position in unpopular as I’m coming at this from a totally different perspective from 99% of people on this forum, but in my opinion It’s really time to start recognising the challenges people may be facing (not just nodding when there’s a news article about how messed up things are). These challenges are what drives people to seek solutions to a problem. Airbnb arose from the founders trying to make their rent. Trust me I’d rather not have to sleep on the living room floor either but these are the cards I’ve been dealt, and fear of what the future holds drives me to make sacrifices. I’m not doing this to be greedy. I literally don’t have a choice.
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I’m really sorry the economic situation is what it is… But bottom line is you shouldn’t be doing Airbnb unless you have the express written consent of your landlord! The owner of your place who provides you with housing has a right to know what you are doing with his property and should have the right to say yes or no. He’s not responsible for the economic situation you are in.
I am firmly middle class. I don’t have any secrets other than to get on the ladder, even if it is a starter place in a starter neighborhood. Then put every single penny away toward getting your own place. I’m not rich, my parents didn’t help me, I don’t have a huge paying job. I just did without extras for years so I could own a home. It was a really really hard time when I bought. Prices were over inflated, and the interest rate was 7%. Those kinds of conditions are unheard of now!
Get on the ladder. The market was hot when I bought and I’m still essentially underwater here since the recession.
Honestly, what I hear from you is a lot of whining and blaming and poor me. People should be lenient toward you as a tenant renting out your place, and why? Because times are hard. Give me a break.
Think your landlord will be as lenient about your hard times when he find out you are doing Air?
You are actually on a slippery slope and could lose your own housing. Then times will be really hard when you find yourself being asked to leave.
Or DO you have the express written permission of your landlord to Airbnb? If so I stand corrected.
UJI don’t think I’ve whined or blamed actually. Nevermind; I just wanted to explain where I’m coming from. I don’t expect people to sympathise or indeed empathise.
Koca for the record I hold you in very high esteem, even if I sometimes think your tough attitude… a bit tough :). Because of that I’m ok with having this debate, and I want to emphasise none of what I say is a personal attack.
I don’t have a letter saying I can Airbnb. I don’t need to have a letter, as I don’t have a contractual agreement telling me what I can or can’t do while I’m living there. That said, while I’m relaxed about homesharing I wasn’t relaxed about leaving the property in the hands of someone else while I went travelling so I did inform my landlord that someone else was going to be there while I was away.
Your argument is starting to stray into what you think is morally correct rather than contractually required. (And I’m fine with that as long as the morals aren’t expected to go one way, hence why I asked about double standards) As I’ve seen from advice given to homeowners about city ordinances, what matters is contractual requirements, be it in law or in signed paperwork.
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It IS moral. If you are sneaking Airbnb without telling the owner of your property, it’s just plain wrong. Ethically and morally wrong. You are putting this person at profound risk…they could lose their home over it.
But if you are okay with that, you are okay.
You are right. I do come down hard on people who do this, but at least you are being honest and fussing up about it. Thank you for being honest.
Start saving NOW. If I can do it in Hawaii anyone can! Work with the market conditions that exist now, don’t lament about the ones in the past. Go see a realtor who can help you with options you might not have considered…
I know the owner of the complex he’s a friend of mine and I cleared it with him first.
Besides, go search Seattle Airbnb listings tell me how many studio apartments you see listed for rent on Airbnb. Can’t buy an apartment and these people do not own massive high-rise apartment complexes
1℅ !! It’s SOOOO worth it. Make 8 grand a month I pay them $80bucks.
PLUS bc they change your prices daily Airbnb thinks you are constantly on your page updating things which makes it more likely for your listing to get bumped towards the top!
Can’t advise anyone enough BP is legit!!
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Oh I see. Pardon me then. That sounds official.
You should be doing more than clearing. If you don’t get the permission in writing, and someone busts you then it will be you looking for new housing.
But then again because everyone is Seattle is doing that must make it ok.
PS. if you are making eight grand a month, why don’t you buy your own house to do short term rentals with?
SH host here, I had a guest leave comment, in her review, she disliked that leaves had blown into the pool.
That’s too funny. You’ll get your revenge. No host who reads that review will let her stay at their listing.
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well said. i was super host for few years strait with great appreciative guests and then the bad
apples start coming and whatever i did to make them happy was not enough and i lost my
super host status. Now, i do my very best but i no longer take guests to welcome dinners
on my expense or to a day trips out side the city and many free staff. No more!!!
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