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I’m glad to see some clarification about signage. I was worried that many people just hate signs period, but apparently it’s only the ones telling them not to do something.
I have several small signs in my listing, telling the wifi network name and PW, telling them where to find the milk and OJ, telling them the eggs on the counter are hard boiled, telling them to simply press a button on the coffee machine if the pot is empty. I have fretted about adding these signs, worrying that somehow they would annoy some people, LOL!
Not that even the signs work for everyone. I tried putting the one about how to find the milk/creamer/OJ in all kinds of different places. No matter where I put it, 1/4 of guests can’t seem to see it. I sometimes hear them in the morning. “Well, is there any MILK to go with all this cereal?”
Yes, there are several ways that you can make extra money. Here are three of our favorite ideas:
As most tourists will likely end up paying for a local guided tour, you can offer to take them for an additional fee.
Businessmen will appreciate a lift to the airport.
If you have guests that will be staying for a longer duration than one night, just cleaning before they come will not suffice. So, you can offer extra cleaning as an extra paid service.
Do you recommend that Airbnb hosts sign up with a service like Lyft for this? Many hosts rightly have concerns about liability issues. What do you recommend to hosts with those concerns?
I’d guess as Airbnb has it’s roots in peer-to-peer, wouldn’t a lift to the airport be no worse (ie, in no need of specific insurance) than giving a friend a lift?
For the risk-averse the lack of insurance would be problematic. I’d do it, I have done it and I may do it again. However, if I get in an accident and the Airbnb passenger is injured the insurance company is going to be asking questions. Insurance companies always look for a way to get out of paying. In a country like the US that doesn’t think everyone has a right to heathcare and that every misfortune must be blamed on and paid for by someone, it’s a legitimate consideration.
If in the US and you accept payment for the ride from your guests then it’s considered a business transaction and likely your insurance would not cover the guests in the event of an accident since you likely don’t have commercial coverage. You would be better off by transferring the risk to a commercial service such as Uber or Lyft.
I’m not an expert, however, so do your own research.
We have done a couple of “extra services” on our rooms. We offer breakfast on the weekends: most don’t want breakfast so we did not want to include in the price of every booking – we ask that folks request and pay thru the app prior to there arrival. We also offer a white or sparkling wine chilled and waiting on arrival for special occasion stays.
Our most popular service is bullet proof coffee delivered to the room in the morning. I love BP coffee and have it every day and it is fun to offer to my guests, who most have never tried the drink before.
We don’t make a lot on these services but every little bit counts. Almost all guests who request, mention it positively in their reviews.
If my calendar is free on checkout day, I’ll offer the current guests use of the room till the evening, for a tenner.
I did that once, then realised I had guest coming and would need to get in to the rooms to clean! Luckily I made the tenner and they still left mid-afternoon, and the incoming guests were massively late
EDIT: I mainly get weekend visits, so it’s nice for the guests not to have to be up and out by 11am on a Sunday. I mention that it gives them a chance to have a roast dinner in one of the local pubs
We recommend that you use a local transport company to organize rides for your guests and simply collect a fee for the convenience. Ensure that it is reasonably priced, otherwise guests will prefer to get Uber or another car service.
I do because so many people in the USA are so inclined to rush to the courts over any problem. For example, I considered offering guests bikes until a lawyer told me about everything that could happen and that there was a danger that I’d be responsible. Same thing with paddleboards and kayaks.
There is even the possibility (vague admittedly) that a guest could get irate about a restaurant I recommended if they got food poisoning or had some sort of mishap there.
I do recommend local businesses and services to guests but only ones that I’ve personally experienced and genuinely recommend - and not for payment. If local companies give me a financial commission then I could be classed as ‘selling’ that service. (If they give me a bottle of wine or whatever as a 'thank you though, that’s another matter )
Certainly here in the States, it’s all a bit of a minefield that I choose to avoid.
Good idea. Always know that this group has ideas and creative plans that can help all of us make more moola from our units.
We had thought of leaving a jar of Montana Huckleberry Jam as a thank you gift for each rental time. Think we can get them wholesale, but have not checked yet.
Not too many people come to Montana when it is cold, so I will have more time to explore the idea.
Judy Helm Wright–Author/Blogger/Intuitive Wise Woman
Haha, I’ve sold 4 cans of Virginia peanuts from my gift/souvenir shelf, or 1.33 cans per month. It’s all good, they keep! The local goat milk soap, not so much, 0 for 4 months – the price point is a little higher. Soap keeps too, I foresee lots of friends and family getting soap for the holidays, as I purchased a dozen!
I charge a fee of $50 for early check in or late check out. It makes me a few extra hundred a month and guests are (for the most part) fine with it. I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable selling goods in my home though. But the mini bar idea could be quite clever.
When I lived in my home full time before I converted it, people would always help themselves to my beer/wine. I made it clear that this is my home and please respect my belongings, so I thought that was rather cheeky. On the other hand, no one ever stole my designer goods, so I guess i should count my lucky stars.
Guests are so inconsiderate I have to put signs. My big plant has one that says, “I get thirsty too! Please water me evey 3 days” and I’ve got one on my door and on my a/c that says “protect our good earth, please turn off the lights and a/c upon your departure” … people still leave everything on. I once had a man complain that the a/c didn’t work. I was in Sri Lanka, so i had no choice but to refund him to avoid confrontation and a negative review… he was very aggressive.
My bf got there the next day and HE HAD LEFT THE AC ON FULL BLAST!!!
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