This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I want to create a winter rule-set for a specific range of dates.
I can name the rule set (Winter). I can assign it a color (blue). But I’d really like to simply decrease the nightly price by a certain number of dollars (let’s say $10), rather than a percentage.
Even if I try using a percentage, the next step is supposed to be choosing the dates to apply it to.
I don’t see any way to specify the dates.
What am I doing wrong?
I should be able to help you.
Are you using the Pro hosting tools?
Edit: Nevermind. You must be if you’re able to add a color.
You would have chosen the dates to get to “set a rule set”. You choose the dates first. Does that make sense?
It does. It’s curious, then, why setting the dates is step 3 on Airbnb’s instructions!
@JJD, okay, let’s say I create the rule-set for Dec 1-Mar 15. Let’s say I have some nights (holidays) set with higher prices now. I’d like those higher prices to stay as they are now.
I assume that if I specify a percentage to lower prices in that block of dates, the lower percentage will also apply to the higher holiday prices I’ve set. Right?
That’s one question.
Here’s the other one. Doesn’t Airbnb encourage us to use their smart pricing? Since rule-sets apparently don’t work with smart pricing, I’m confused. Why are they now encouraging us NOT to use smart pricing?
I don’t know. I never read those instructions. I kind of assumed they wouldn’t be correct 
Yes. You would have to set a different rule set for the higher holiday prices if you wanted them to be effected differently. Or you could raise the holiday prices to compensate for the percentage.
I didn’t get that feeling really. It just seemed to be an option. They do encourage us to use their price-tips though.
This is correct. You can’t use rule sets with smart pricing. There are numerous posts from confused hosts on the community forum and most of the trouble is that a lot of people have missed that detail.
Honestly, if I understand what you’re trying to do, it’s probably just simpler to manually change your prices. The rule sets are most useful if you’re setting more than just one rule. I wouldn’t go through the trouble of a rule set to just decrease the prices. I use rule sets to set conditions like: A discount for 3 days but a bigger discount for 4 days and you can’t check-out on Sat and you can’t check-in on Wed, as an example.
If you are only decreasing the prices, it’s easier to do it manually on your calendar.
Also, the rule sets are super-glitchy and error-prone so it’s not worth the risk if it’s something you can accomplish manually.
Just decrease your price by $10 for those dates. You can select blocks of days at a time on your calendar and do a bunch at once. I do Sun-Th and then Fri and Sat together. What you want is easier manually.
Thanks very much! 
