I would think it is the lack of availability that hurts your rankings, if it is booked it is not coming up on searches…
Hmmm…
RR
2 Likes
Yes, everything points to this. Lack of availability, regardless the cause. It can be booked, blocked, a 2-day minimum, a 5-day maximum, check-in only on Friday, etc, etc.
I learned a lot with my first guests and would hate for you to miss these experiences and guest input. Get some reviews under your belt before you try long term bookings.
2 Likes
I fall into the “new host” category as well. I have had only a small handful of guest at this point ranging from a few days to three weeks. All have been good experiences but I prefer the shorter stays, it just works better and fits my plans and goals. I wont be considering longer term requests for the foreseeable future.
4 Likes
I would not do a 4mth stay. I like the short stays. I have had some I would never want for 4 mths. That is our busy time of year and you will for sure get alot of business and for good amounts during busy times. Dont do it.
1 Like
I’ve been hosting for about two months now and have already had 3-4 requests for long term stays (a month or more). We allow a max stay of 6 nights.
Our Airbnb is a basement apartment and while it has a separate entrance from our front door and is essentially a private place for guests, our washer and dryer is down there. We understandably need to do our laundry at least once a week.
With each long term inquiry I was just honest about the situation. Our place simply isn’t designed nor is conducive for someone wanting to stay longer than a week. Although it is stated multiple times in my listing, I also make sure to remind guests that we only have a kitchenette in the Airbnb and not a full kitchen and that it’s not designed for cooking real meals.
Your space/situation may be different but the point is that most of these inquirers were very appreciative of my honesty and told me as much. A couple of them even thanked me for taking the time to respond and kindly and honestly explain why we aren’t able to accommodate. So far the exchanges were very positive and I left them with “If we are able to accommodate your needs in the future, we would be happy to host you”.
I’m sure the folks that responded positively to me were honest and had legitimate reasons for their request, but I still plan to handle any future request for long term stays in the same manner.
2 Likes
Oh hell no. The experience you will gain from multiple guests over the next several months is invaluable. You will not receive any ratings during this period which, in the long term, is more valuable than the earnings. Tell them “We have just started hosting on Airbnb and have been advised to limit our length of stay” In my state if someone stays longer than 30 days and you want to get rid of them, its now considered a long term rental and you have to give them a legal eviction notice of 30 more days.
I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that “many” inquiries from people looking for a long term stay are likely to be the result of the fact that the guest can’t get a stay through any other means. This is often because a) they won’t pass a credit check and b) they won’t have the deposit that most non-Airbnb landlords require.
Many, I said… not all.
4 Likes
I would not do a long term. They will become tenants. As mentioned in previous posts depending on the Tenancy Act you could be bound to long term rental regulations and laws
1 Like